"Char" wrote
cshenk wrote:

Well, I can see how you feel and where it would come from. Still, we
will have to continue with our flea treatments as is. I've tried the
diatomaceous route and baths but it doesnt work here in our area. If you
were to google a map of 'highest flea problem spots in the USA' we'd be
the thick of the worst of it.

Then you must live near me.

Looking below, no I live in a far higher flea zone than you.

The fleas can be horrendous here and yet the DE still works. There was
something about how you used it that caused it not to work, it was not the
fault of the DE. I'm in the Tampa Florida area. We have fleas year round.

Grin, it's too hot there for the real problems. It's also dryer than here
so they die off in your yard naturally.

I've lived where you are and best I can explain it is 'multiply by 12' for
here at minimum. Everyone *thinks* if they see a flea, they live in a high
flea zone. You actually do not. The site i checked shows you 17th in the
nation. I'm number 2.


I use an organic one on the yard, and the vet stuff for the cat and dog
once a month. In cat's case it is also a heartworm preventive (Cash-pup
gets a monthly pill being a recovered heartworm victim).

Heartworm meds are dangerous too and I don't give them to my dogs yet they
are all heartworm free. This is the difference feeding raw makes. The dogs
are just a bit healthier and anyway the heartworm problem is overplayed.
Again, I live in Tampa where mosquitoes are out nearly year round.

Here we part company a bit. My rescue dog has heart issues and will for all
his life and no amount of 'raw diet' changes heartworm infestation. I
suspect it is easier to be infected from a raw diet than kibble for all
sorts of things. I wish you well for your dog's health but i am using
heartworm meds for all my pets.

I checked and a good bit of what goes on the yard (organic) is
diatomaceous earth mixed in with some sort of natural soap?

Great!

Yeah, I grow veggies out there.

I'd be curious what yard treatment you have found? I may want to swap to
it and see if it works better. Must be organic (I'll use chemicals at
need on fleas here but I keep things as low as I can and the yard is
shared by squirrels and all sorts of wild life).

Another one that works well are nematodes but those same products that
kill fleas can kill the nematodes so you have to be careful on the timing
so that you don't spend time and money for nothing.

Humm.

I used Advantage for years till I figured out there were safer ways to
be flea free. It was a huge leap for me and it does take a little work
but to know I've significantly reduced the chance of cancer in my
whole family is well worth it.

I'm happy for you! Do you have cats and if so, what did you find to work
for them? Frequent baths was my old method (I was trying to go pesticide
free, didnt work here for fleas so I'm the reverse route of you on
that). Oh, back then I had 4 indoor cats.

Yes I have two cats. I treat the carpets with DE and rarely put it on the
pets because it makes their fur feel real nasty. The carpets are where the
real problems are anyway. I don't bathe that cats. Over time the number of
fleas diminish due to the DE and dog baths.

Here, ya gotta even bathe the cats, its that bad. Flea drops from the vets
though work so no need then.

So tell me where this part of the world is. I can't imagine it being worse
than where I am.

No matter where you are, if you have them at all you think 'it must be the
worst'. I've lived in 4 countries and 12 states. The Japanse were
particularily sure they had the worst fleas in the world because they'd find
one every month or so. Here, an untreated pet in 2 weeks can literally (I
am not joking) have thousands and it can kill them.

Umm, we are not vegetarians, but we are a low meat eating family.
Medical issues mandate it. Because we eat less of it, we have the money
to eat the better types.

They *love* fresh ground beef from our own grinder. (since we eat
little, we get a bit upscale steak and grind our own). If it's a marbled
cut, we take some of the fat out for them right away.

Why grind it? When a dog or cat can chew on their meal awhile it leaves
them feeling more satisfied so I try to feed the biggest chunks they will
accept. Grinding promotes bacteria growth as well. My cats will eat a
chicken leg for instance.

I do not trust raw poultry in the USA. I did it Japan due to the controls
but not here. Grinding doesnt promote bacteria. Bacteria on the meat does
that. Improper cleaning of the grinding gear is the main problem. I clean
my own.

Works for me!