Fleas in House

Archive for March, 2011

Reading flea fogger reviews is a good way to learn the facts about each product. Although the products are designed for the same purpose, features wary. For this reason, reviews have become essential.

Zodiac FleaTrol Fogger 3pk

The Zodiac FleaTrol Fogger 3pk is designed to remove ticks and fleas in homes, doghouses, and garages. The protection is good for up to 7 months. The product also works against silverfish, spiders, roaches, ants and mosquitoes. A single fogger can treat an area up to 600 cu ft.

The package has three 6 oz cans. it contains S-Methoprene and Permethrin. Unlike other insecticides, the fogger does not produce any lingering smells. While it can remove fleas, vacuuming the area first will help get rid of the fleas.

Hartz Ultraguard Plus Home Fogger 3 Pack

A flea fogger review will show that it is designed for homes and pets. The product comes with IGR (insect growth regulator). With the IGR, the flea cycle will be interrupted, rendering them incapable of producing eggs.

Any existing eggs will be killed as well. After application, the Hartz Ultraguard Plus Home Fogger 3 Pack will work for 210 days. Aside from fleas, it can also kill ticks and cockroaches.

Siphotrol Plus Fogger 6 oz

Siphotrol Plus Fogger 6 oz is ideal for killing hatching flea eggs, adult fleas and ticks. The product comes with Precor, so there is protection for up to 30 weeks after application.

During this period, the treatment keeps the fleas’ eggs from hatching and turning into adult fleas. The Siphotrol Plus Fogger can be used on a whole room. The treatment can be used in areas up to 600 cubic feet.

Comparing Flea Product Reviews

it will help if you do some research about fleas and flea infestation in general. By studying the facts, you will understand what the vital ingredients should be. It will also help you comprehend the jargon used in some of the product descriptions.

If you are buying for the first time, compare as many products as possible. These products are not cheap. By going over the reviews, you will know if it is useful or not. Finally, reading reviews will give you an idea of the prices of each product.

Flea fogger reviews are plentiful on the Net, so you should have no problems finding them. The time you put in to reading them may help you avoid purchasing mistakes.

Getting flea eggs on human hair is rather unusual, but it can happen if the infestation is severe. However, there are ways to remove the eggs as well as the fleas.

Required Materials

Fine-toothed comb
Washcloth or rough sponge
1 cup lemon extract
Regular shampoo
1 cup dish soap

Step 1

Fill your bathtub with water. Make the water as hot as you can handle.

Step 2

Pour the lemon extract and dish soap in the water. Get in the tub. Stay there for at least half an hour.

Step 3

Wet your hair with the tub water. Put regular shampoo on your hair. Leave it there for as long as you are in the tub then rinse it off.

Step 4

Scrub your body and hair with the washcloth or sponge. Focus on the sections over your ears and the nape of the neck. Scrub vigorously; this will remove the flea eggs on human hair. Put more hot water in the tub the moment the water cools down.

Step 5

Rinse your hair thoroughly after 30 minutes or so. Get out of the tub and dry yourself. Prepare a glass of water with detergent soap. Comb your hair, looking carefully for fleas. If some stick on your comb, dip the comb into the glass. Shake the comb until the fleas fall off. They will die in the soapy water.

Step 6

Repeat the process twice weekly until all the fleas and eggs disappear.

Tree Oil Method

Get a tablespoon of tree oil and put it in a shampoo bottle. The regular shampoo will be fine. Shampoo your hair. Massage it thoroughly, with emphasis on the scalp.

Leave the shampoo on your hair for 10 minutes. Rinse it with hot water. Use a towel to dry it off. Repeat this a couple of times a week at least until the fleas and their eggs are gone.

Vinegar Method

Add a tablespoon of white vinegar into half a cup of your shampoo. Put this on your hair and massage thoroughly. Concentrate on the scalp. Leave the shampoo there for about ten minutes. Rinse it with water. Dry your hair with a towel. The vinegar ought to destroy the flea eggs. If necessaery, repeat the treatment. But there is no need to apply more than a tbsp of vinegar.

While these methods for removing flea eggs on human hair work, you need to vacuum the house to get rid of fleas. Applying a topical flea medication on your pet will also kill them.

Some people wonder if fleas can live on human beings and take refuge in their hair. The answer to this question may startle some people but others won’t be too surprised. The plain and simple answer is yes; fleas can live on your hair. There is not that much of a difference between your pet’s hair and your hair. This leads people to seek flea control options that can treat human hair.

Types of Fleas

One related question that comes up every now and then is which type of flea can usually find their way into one’s hair. There are many different species of fleas out there. The most common ones that we are familiar with include dog fleas, cat fleas, northern rat fleas, moorhen fleas, oriental rat fleas, and of course human fleas. Notice that this type of flea is only one of more than a thousand types of flea species in the world.

Human Fleas

One needs to clear some facts about human fleas and fleas in general in order to come up with a viable flea control solution. A human flea is a type of cosmopolitan flea. This simply means that they can be found almost anywhere. They are not restricted by environmental and other living conditions. In fact, they can be found both on humans and on animals.

Dog and cat fleas can also get on your hair as well but they don’t usually stay that long since they prefer certain hosts when they find one. Human fleas on the other hand don’t have much of a taste regarding which host they want to pester. Take note that these pests can’t jump that high. They usually find other ways to get on human hair.

Another question on flea control that also comes up is whether these fleas can lay eggs on one’s head and settle on your hair. Flea eggs do not stick to your hair. In fact, they roll off your head usually settle in the furniture and pillowcases.

Flea Control

You can choose to purchase commercial products you can buy from the store or use household ingredients to get rid of fleas. You can use either method to get remove fleas from human hair. If you want to save some money you can use household items such as vinegar, tree oil, and rubbing alcohol. Mix any of these ingredients to a cup of your shampoo.

It will require repeated use in order to remove fleas, ticks, and lice off human hair. You can also use the very same ingredients combined with water placed in spray bottles. Mist the areas where fleas are found in your home.

Fleas on carpets can be removed by using Advantage Flea Treatment. By applying the topical treatment to your pet monthly, the fleas will be eradicated. To apply the product on cats, use the following guide.

Step 1

Choose the right Advantage product for cats. Two types are available: for cats and kittens below 9 lbs and those over 9 lbs.

Step 2

Take the cap off. Turn the cap and use the pointed end to remove the applicator seal. To break the seal, you have to twist the cap. Take off the unsealed cap off the tube.

Step 3

Position yourself so you are in front of the cat. To apply Advantage Flea Treatment, gently hold the back of the cat’s neck and part the hair. This is near the skull base. It is over and between the shoulder blades.

Step 4

Put the liquid on the skin between the cat’s hairs. Place the applicator at the point close to the skull base. Your objective is to put the medication in a spot that will be hard to lick off. Apply the treatment on the skin, not just the fur.

Step 5

Squeeze the tube to extract the liquid. Squeeze several times to get all the liquid out. Put the empty tube in a newspaper. Use newspapers or towels to remove any spills. This will be necessary so the cat won’t be able to ingest it.

Tips and Warnings

Put Advantage high on the cat’s neck so the cat doesn’t get the chance to lick it off. Make sure that the treatment is applied on a consistent basis. This is necessary to avoid a flea outbreak. Do not apply the treatment on cats eight weeks or younger.

To be sure, consult your vet first. When applying Advantage, avoid the cat’s mouth and eyes. Take your cat to the doctor in case they accidentally swallow the substance.

Other Information

Advantage works because of imidacloprid. This is an element that kills fleas on contact. Imidacloprid also attacks the fleas’ nervous systems, leading to paralysis and death. If the application is correct, it will kill up to 99% of the fleas within 24 hours. After you remove the fleas on your carpet, you won’t have to worry about a re-infestation.

Before you use Advantage Flea Treatment, read the product guide first. Check if the product can be used on pregnant cats. If ticks are the problem, check if the product can be used on them. Some Advantage products are only for fleas.

One of the trusted names in the flea control and treatment industry today is Frontline Plus. Pet owners, pet stores, and even many veterinarians recommend it to get rid of flea infestations. Their products provide ample flea control that only requires monthly usage. Fleas, ticks, eggs, larvae are targeted by this one stop solution.

Flea Life Cycle

This product is unique because of the fact that it can target fleas at any stage of their life cycle. Some anti-flea solutions can only get rid of adult fleas. If you stick to vacuuming then you can get rid of some of the fleas, larvae, and sometimes some of the eggs hiding around in different nooks.

However, these solutions require you to work on the infestation on a daily basis if need be. If you want to handle it efficiently requiring less effort then you might want to consider using this product along with the methods you are already employing. This solution reduces the effort required to take care of any flea infestation.

Using Frontline Plus

This product is very easy to use, which makes it quite an ideal flea control solution. The packaging itself is child-resistant, which in way relieves one’s worries about children reaching and playing with it. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t keep it away from the reach your kids. You will notice that there is an applicator that comes with each package.

You may lift or cut off the plastic tab and peel it down. The next step is to hold the product’s applicator in an upright position. Next, all you need to do is to snap its tip. Do this while pointing the applicator end away from your face or body. Place the applicator on your dog’s skin in the area between the shoulder blades.

You need to get the applicator through your pet’s hair in case your pet is rather furry. Remember that Frontline Plus should be applied on your pet’s skin for it to be effective. Once you have the applicator touching your pet’s skin, squeeze the entire contents of the package on a single spot on the animal’s skin.

Frequency of Use

Remember that you don’t need to apply this flea control product more than once a month. It stays under your pet’s skin and kills the fleas in every stage of their life cycle. You can still bathe your pet and allow him to swim if he feels like it without worrying about washing the product off. After about a month to six weeks you should reapply the product again to continue with the treatment.

There are various ways to get rid of fleas and typically, you need to do several applications in order to fully control flea infestations in your home and on your pets.

This may prove to be a tedious task if you regularly have to watch out for fleas. However, there are other means by which you can still get rid of fleas without having to resort to re-applications of flea control products.

The Victor Flea Trap is one such solution that can get rid of fleas without regular application of any other flea control product.

What is Victor Flea Trap?

Victor Flea Trap is a non-poisonous flea control product that is safe for everyone in the house including pets. Parents love this product because these are also safe to use around children.

It is a round-shaped contraption with a lamp and a disc in the middle, directly under the lamp. It comes with a sticky pad where the fleas will get glued once they step under the light.

How Does It Work?

The trap can be placed anywhere around the home where fleas are most likely to appear or stay. You should check for areas that already has flea infestation and place the trap here.

You can use several traps to cover all areas in your home. The trap works by attracting fleas towards it and once they are coaxed by the bait, they will get stuck on the sticky pad and won’t be able to get out anymore.

The disc has a special scent that works as bait and this scent, together with the heat emanating from the lamp, attract the fleas. You can leave the lamp on for up to twenty-four hours upon your initial control measure and then leave it on overnight on succeeding days.

The trap can attract fleas for up to thirty feet away, covering a considerably large area which makes controlling flea infestation easier and more effective.

Victor Flea Trap Online

The flea trap is available for purchase online in select online shops. You may want to look around first for the best deal since online shops may not have the same price for the trap.

Depending on the online store, you can get this trap for as low as $12.49; while others offer this for up to $15.78. Check for online sales promos as well to get the lowest price as well as free shipping promos which are usually offered for a minimum purchase requirement.

Ticks on humans could pose as a serious threat to one’s health if they are not taken out immediately. Ticks are known carriers of various bacteria that cause illnesses hence; watching out for ticks, not only on your pets but on the entire family as well is an essential step in preventing being infected with tick-borne diseases.

Ticks do not normally like to move around so what they do is they perch on grasses and branches and simply wait for a host to pass by. This means that once you walk past grasses or plants with ticks on them, they will latch on to you and take you as their host.

Preventing Ticks on Humans

As has been often said, prevention is better than cure and this applies no less to tick bites. Knowing that ticks like to stay in grassy and woody areas, you should at least limit your trips to these places.

Wear the Right Clothes

On the other hand, if you do need to walk through the woods, make sure that you are covered so the ticks will latch on to your clothes and not on you. Wearing light-colored clothes will help you immediately see if there are any ticks that have attached themselves to you.

Do not attempt to take out the ticks with your bare hands. If you happen to crush them, they could still infect you.

Thorough Checking

If you know that you’ve just been to a possibly tick-infested area, immediately check your clothes for ticks. Remove with tweezers if you find any. Make sure that you use gloves prior to handling the ticks.

Also check everyone, including yourself, for any ticks; particularly under the arms, armpits, behind the ears, hair, behind the knees, belly button and legs.

Killing the Fleas

If you find any ticks, start removing them one by one; placing each one as you go in a container with alcohol. Make sure that the tick is soaked through and through; and then place ticks in a jar and seal.

Wash and Bathe

After picking out the ticks, immediately put all the clothes used outdoors in the wash. Use hot water when washing and rinsing. Also put the dryer’s temperature to hot.

Wash your hands with warm water and soap and then proceed to take a bath. If you find any tick bites, do not use warm water when bathing or showering because this might just make the bite more itchy.

Apply anti-itch cream on the bites to relieve the itching. If you develop any other allergies, it is best to consult your doctor so you can be prescribed with the proper medication.

A lot of people are turning to flea traps to help with flea control and infestation. These traps are very easy to use and you need not worry about chemicals that can harm your family and pets since the traps do not contain any harmful toxins or chemicals.

There are homemade flea traps that you can make and there are also commercially available flea traps that you can easily buy from any pet store or local supermarket.

One such flea trap readily available in the market is the Springstar Flea Trap. This is a non-toxic and environment-friendly flea trap that works at getting rid of fleas in a safe and effective manner.

How Does Springstar Flea Trap Work?

This electrical flea trap entices fleas to come into the trap through the light, heat and infra-red rays emanating from the lamp. As the fleas walk towards the bait, they get entrapped into the stick pad where they will get stuck, be prevented from leaving and eventually die.

Pet owners who have tested this product say that this trap kills and traps more fleas than any other commercially available flea traps in the market today. They have been proven to catch four times more fleas than other ready-made electric flea traps.

How to Use Springstar Flea Trap

First of all, this trap is for indoors use only. As a safety precaution, do not place the trap near areas where it could make contact with water or any other type of liquid.

The trap is assembled so you need not worry about putting it together before you can use it. Place the trap in strategic locations where fleas may be found such as close to your pet’s sleeping area or near places where the usually romp and play.

It is also important to place the traps where the light can be clearly seen by the fleas since it is the light and the heat that attract the fleas into the trap. You may leave the trap on at all times so it can readily catch fleas at any time of the day or all through the night.

One package contains a lamp and one sticky pad. This sticky pad can be used for up to six months and can capture and kill thousands of fleas during this period. Sticky pads can be purchased separately when you need to replace them.

For best results, place several traps around the house especially if you have heavy flea infestation. Using this in conjunction with other flea products on your pets can bring in more positive results in a shorter time frame.

Using borax or sodium borate for flea control can be effective if the right methods are used. The following instructions are for using the cleaner indoors and outside.

Required Materials

Garden hose
Fan rake
Hand trowel
Vacuum
Broom
Flea shampoo
Using Sodium Borate Indoors

Step 1

First, a flea bath for your pet is in order. This is necessary so the primary source of the fleas is cleaned up. Wash their bedding in hot water and dry it.

Step 2

Get the sodium borate and pour the powder in a shaker container. Note: do not apply the powder on fish tanks. Keep it out of reach of children and pets.

Step 3
Sprinkle the borax around furniture, flooring and carpets. Take off the furniture cushion and sprinkle the powder there too. If fleas are behind appliances, put some borax there too. You can also sprinkle sodium borate on baseboards, bathroom fixtures and under the bed. You can use a broom to work the borax in the carpet fibers.

Step 4

When using sodium borate for flea control, you need to leave the powder on for a few hours. The more hours it is on the furniture, the more effectively it will work.

Step 5

Vacuum the borax off the carpet and flooring after several hours. Throw the used vacuum bags in the outdoor trash can.

Using Sodium Borate Outdoors

Step 1

Make sure the weather is dry and there is no chance of rain. Pour the sodium borate into a container.

Step 2

Take the borax out with the hand trowel. Apply the borax all around the yard. A light layer will be sufficient.

Step 3

Get the fan rake. Use it to comb through vegetation or grass. This will ensure the powder gets to the ground where the fleas cover themselves. Don’t let pets or children near it for three days.

Step 4

After three days, water the area. This won’t be necessary if it rains.

Tips and Warnings

You can combine sodium borate with diatomaceous earth or salt. The application is the same as when using borax only. Before you apply sodium borate on carpets, apply on a small section. Check if there is any discoloration. Do not use the powder if there is the slightest discoloring.

By using sodium borate for flea control, you can remove fleas from your home easily. It is very easy to use and made from natural ingredients. Thus, it is much safer compared to other products.

Baking soda is known by many other names such as sodium bicarbonate, bicarbonate of soda, and sodium hydrogen carbonate. Any of these names refer to the very same thing that many people are familiar with. Of course, its most common application that people would know is for cooking. However, many have claimed other uses especially for getting rid of fleas.

Origin

Other forms of what may be considered as a type of baking soda have been around for centuries. For instance, the ancient people of Egypt made use of natron deposits, which is a mixture that has baking soda as one of the ingredients. However, the ancient Egyptians used it as a cleaning agent and not for cooking.

In more modern times, soda ash or sodium carbonate was developed by a French chemist by the name of Nicolas Leblanc in 1791. However, it was only in 1846 when the first baking soda factory was established. It was put up by Austin Church and John Dwight, both bakers from New York. Today, sodium bicarbonate has a lot more uses than that for baking.

Primary Use

The most basic use we all know of baking soda is for cooking as a leavening agent. This is actually is most primary use in modern-day living. It reacts with the other ingredients in your dough to produce carbon dioxide. This in turn makes the dough rise. It reacts with acidic compounds in the dough to produce this effect. If you intend to use it as a substitute for baking powder then you should also add an ample amount of reagent to your dough.

Flea Treatment

Of course, pet owners tend to be cautious about using chemical based flea treatments. The concern arises from the fact that some dogs, cats, and other pets have reported incidents with such kinds of treatments. One of the natural solutions that many people recommend to get rid of fleas is a mixture that includes sodium bicarbonate.

However, do take note that there are no actual scientific studies to confirm that baking soda does kill fleas. However, according to the experience of many pet owners, a mixture of equal parts of baking soda and table salt is a good household flea treatment for pets and furniture. Some pet owners substitute vinegar instead of table salt but you will have to bear the odor from vinegar in the process.

Other Pet Benefits

Other than a form of flea treatment, sodium bicarbonate also has other benefits for your pet. You can work it on their coats to remove odors. You can also brush your pet’s teeth with baking soda for good hygiene. Mix it with some hot water and it can be used as a disinfectant.