[Edwood]

Oh, it's that time of the year again in sunny Southern California.

The sun, the ocean, and the fleas.

I have a small dog that is well taken care of(better than me). I spend quite a bit of time battling the neighborhood fleas. I use Advantage on my dog and the fleas die in droves. I use househgold flea spray and powder too. The bad part is that they then go for humans. Namely me. I must not taste good, because I guess they only go for a bite now and then, but it drives me crazy! Do they have Advantage for people?

I really think having a dog with the Advantage on her is one of the most effective anti-flea things. They jump on the dog, and die instantly. It really creeps me out how many dead fleas I find.

There are quite a few cats in the neighborhood, and I'm pretty sure that most are not being treated for fleas, as they are strictly outdoor cats. I had a neighbor that had two cats, that they never treated for fleas and it got really bad. I really felt sorry for those poor flea ridden cats. But thankfully they've moved and taken their cats with them. Now short of exterminating all of the other cats and furry mammals in the neighborhood, there is little that can be done to stave off the fleas.

Does everyone else in Southern California have alot of fleas in their neighborhood?
Is there anything else that can be done other than using craploads of poisins?

-Ed

 

[ipodstudio]

Oh no, the Hamster's got fleas!!

LOL! Haven't had that problem, yet. Probably 'cause my first dog which I've had for eight years has no fur to speak of and the other one has only been a member of the family for around 2 months

I'll keep ya posted

 

[stuman]

exterminate the owners of the flee riden...then exterminate the flee ridden aswell ....and admire you empty street...

 

[Edwood]

I guess these are cat fleas, they're smaller than the typical brown dog flea, or maybe they're the same thing, only smaller?

But they have never infested the hamsters. I guess the fleas would end up being a little snack for the little guys if they did get in their cages.

There are no live fleas indoors, only the hitch hikers that eventually dies becuase they jump on the dog, touch the poisin in the carpet, etc. So I feel almost angoraphobic. I hate leaving the house to have to run the gauntlet of fleas.

-Ed

 

[RickG]

Just curious, did you ever consider consulting one of the hundreds/thousands of pet related sites that could give you some real help in this matter?

 

[ipodstudio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by stuman exterminate the owners of the flee riden...then exterminate the flee ridden aswell ....and admire you empty street...

LOL! That's pretty cold, stuman

 

[stuman]

lol i cant even post properly....

yeah it is cold....just like the weather here in sunny uk

 

[cmascatello]

They could be those nasty sand fleas that those of you near the beach can get. I remember them as being smaller than usual dog/cat fleas and in greater numbers.

 

[Genetic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edwood The bad part is that they then go for humans. Namely me. -Ed

Note to myself: never buy used headphones from Edwood....

Amicalement.

 

[Iron_Dreamer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickG Just curious, did you ever consider consulting one of the hundreds/thousands of pet related sites that could give you some real help in this matter?

This is the general forum, is it not?

Shouldn't Ed be able to consult the members of a trusted community? Do you have friends in real life that go "gee, Rick, we really shouldn't talk about this topic, why no go get yourself a new friend," eh?

 

[Demolition]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iron_Dreamer This is the general forum, is it not? Shouldn't Ed be able to consult the members of a trusted community? Do you have friends in real life that go "gee, Rick, we really shouldn't talk about this topic, why no go get yourself a new friend," eh?

Ed can ask us anything he wants, but there's no guarantee that he'll get a useful answer if it doesn't have anything to do with headphones. Therefore, I don't think that Rick's response was unreasonable.

(Note: No, I don't know how to solve your flea problem, Ed, beyond getting rid of your pets or banishing them to the oudoors. Sorry. All of my pets have been outdoor pets and no insects, parasites, or other vermin have ever made it into the house.)

D.


Edit: added note to Ed

 

[Edwood]

Of course not, I only seek answers and approval from Head-fi.

Seriously, I've searched the web quite extensively, bugged the crap out of the apartment manager to have exterminators spray for fleas outside, BTW, they don't really have an effective treatment for outdoor fleas. And the only REAL solution for fleas is treating the animals. And since a lot of people are not responsible with their pets, fleas continue to multiply like mad. The warm weather and ocean air really allow the fleas to thrive.

So sorry if this comes off as more of a rant, but I was hoping that perhaps MAYBE there was a member or two here that lives in Southern California, or any other high flea population area, that has their own story or uinique idea for getting rid of fleas.

SO lock this thread up if you wish........

-Ed

 

[Edwood]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmascatello They could be those nasty sand fleas that those of you near the beach can get. I remember them as being smaller than usual dog/cat fleas and in greater numbers.

Sand fleas are actually something quite different altogether.
http://www.denniskunkel.com/PublicHt...92684-Rap.html

But regular fleas do seem to like the coastal areas.

-Ed

 

[Edwood]

Quote:

Originally Posted by genetic Note to myself: never buy used headphones from Edwood.... Amicalement.

Not unless I start wearing my headphones around my ankles. Then I'd be worried about more things than that.

-Ed

 

[Edwood]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Demolition Note: No, I don't know how to solve your flea problem, Ed, beyond getting rid of your pets or banishing them to the oudoors. Sorry. All of my pets have been outdoor pets and no insects, parasites, or other vermin have ever made it into the house. D.

It's the outdoor pets that are the problem. Any mammal that lives outdoors for that matter. There really isn't much wildlife here, so it's mostly pet cats.

The problem is the "gauntlet of fleas" I walk past each day. They never survive indoors, mainly because of our dog's Advanatage anti flea stuff (did I mention how amazing and scary it works?). But that doesn't stop the occassional flea from jumping on your legs and taking a bite or two. I usually wear long pants and tuck my pants legs into my socks to keep them off. But we've been having 80-90+ degree weather lately so that sucks. I tried deep woods Off repellant, but that stuff is so nasty smelling, and it barely works.

I suppose I could try to treat all the cats outside with Advantage, but I have better ways to spend my money (that stuff ain't cheap) and I think it unethical that people leave their cats out all the time and not provide adequate health care (which included flea treatment).

Although, I'm sure you take good care of your pets, right D.?

-Ed