The first thing post-war kitties will do when wet is groom so they ingest at least some of the chemicals. I vacuumed everything last night and brought my large dehumidifier up and had that running all night. Drink lots of water. These pets are allergic to flea saliva, which Hanna says causes extreme itchiness and secondary infections. Unlike the Nematodes, this is most effective when left dry for a bit.. Also been using apple cider vinegar/lemon juice mix in spray bottle for pets and furniture and lastly applied frontline to cat and dog. Hi Angela! Yes, you can just leave the DE there, it is actually more effective that way. Ive been told not to hoover for 3 weeks following the K-Othrine treatment and its been one week so far. wherever she lays. A trap crop acts as a decoy for the main crop. Ive sent my husband to the local farm supply to by DE. Hi Barbara! Is there anything else we can do? my vet treated with a pill, and all seem to be dead however, i am convinced i need to treat my home to prevent any future problems. I was told about Diatomaceous Earth Food Grade- from a friend. Sounds like you have a couple good flea fighting tools at your disposal (in the next couple days). I made the traps Wednesday night and put them in the boys rooms and my room. Vet gave us some topical ointment to put on her and on my cat (just to be proactive about the situation). Maybe they know that its for I bought a glass shaker and have dusted my house all over my carpets Ive done it in the evening and then vacuumed it up the next evening. You could but its better suited for killing fleas in carpets, etc. I got my DE at the health food store. No it wont help the fleas on your pet, need to get a spot on or something like that. I have heard about DE from a friend with dogs. I gave him a good 10min soak in dawn soap last night and afterwards brushed him out like crazy. Thank you so much. Additionally, Pet parents should make sure they are purchasing a product that is approved by the EPA and that is coming from a reputable distributor, says Falk. You need to DUST all carpets and leave it sit for about half an hour, then vacuum all areas where the vacuum can reach. The benefit of the food grade one is that it is completely safe, hence the recommendation. Hi Mary! He said AHA! This could be in the grass in your yard, your carpets in your home or even the areas where your pets sleep and play. I did use the Food Grade DE. Dont understand food grade part of it. My daughter used borax all over in their house, and washed all of their bedding in the house, as well as getting Honey a flea shot and doing the vinegar washes, I believe. Repeat 2-3 times as well, that should be enough. DE is great, let me know how it goes. I havent vacuumed yet, gonna wait 1 more day. Remember DE can also be used in small quantities and be just as effective though hehe. Can the cats be around when the DE is settling into the carpet etc? Hey Christy! Just tonight I found one just chilling on my chest. Bug guy has been out twice in Two weeks and shes still being eaten up. Hi Ella, thanks for your helpful comment! 2 questions: 1. is there any value in adding DE to my dogs food? He stated he was coming down with a little cold, so I said I cant imagine how you can catch cold when I use so much garlic cooking. A few days after our house had been serviced by pest control, we noticed my chihuahua started itching. This year, were infested. Use to use garlic but it seems to upset tummys. It is called food grade, as in it talks about using it as an anti caking agent in animal foods, It also says Food Chemical Codex Grade, it has Diatomaceous Earth and Calcium Bentonite, guaranteed analysis says moisture maximum 8%, ash (mineral matter) maximum 95%. I read quite a bit on how to deal with fleas. Thanks for sharing, I actually have an article on a trap like that, it is filed under my fleas category at the top. Oh, neem is green so your animals will have a green tint to them!! Wayne. Do I give my cat a bath later that day? One of the most common uses for food-grade diatomaceous earth is in the yard or garden. And, when you say that essential oils may harm the liver, is this from ingesting the oil by licking it off or by smell alone? Insane is what these pests make you. Hey PJ. The flea beetle may cause significant damage to the roots and foliage of your plants. These are the insect that are affected by DE; Ants, fire ants, caterpillars, cut worms, army worms, fleas, ticks, cockroaches, snails, spiders, termites, scorpions, silverfish, lice, mites, flies, centipedes, earwigs, slugs, aphids, Japanese beetles (grub stage), bed bugs, fruit flies, corn earworm, cucumber beetles, corn borer, sting bugs, squash vine borers, thrips, loopers, etc., etc. LOVE THIS STUFF its a life saver. Thanks for your suggestion and taking the time to let the community know, I actually really appreciate it! I tried DE today in our bedroom. Rather use DE in the house (carpets, etc.) Hi Sandy! Everything Ive read says that birds lungs are very sensitive and to not expose them to chemicals, candles, etc. This is my first time to your site and you are a life saver, I have been getting eaten up So, for me, my house and my 3 dogs I am heading next to Amazon.com to order a large bag of food grade DE and a container of Cedarcide for starts, I have been putting my battle plan together today and also on how to stop all this intense itching from all the bites LOL Ill keep you updated on my progress and thank you again and your community for this awesome site youve all created together! How do I know if its good grade if it doesnt say anything on the package? We did put the DE on the animals for 48 hrs before bathing them again in dawn. We have 7 cats- and we advantaged 6 of them and frontlined 1. I have DE but is says insect control. Until now. That form of diatomaceous earth is chemically treated and poses a risk to your respiratory system. But the lady told me it was safe to use for flea control. Good question, I usually place it in an empty coffee tin (or something like it) and punch holes in the top (kind of like a massive salt shaker). Clearly, small amounts of less crystalline forms are safe, but when you walk into a home where it has been spread everywhere by the homeowner trying to kill fleas in carpet, I have major concerns, says Dryden. I have read your comment and I feel that you are doing the right thing, you will get relief but I am sorry that it is causing so much distress. Fleas were quickly eradicated as it feels like baby powder to us however to fleas, spiders, and such it's like walking on glass. I dont but just get an empty icecream tub, punch holes in the top and use it like a salt shaker to distribute the DE. My backyard nearly looks like it has snowed (I live in Florida and its September!). Otherwise, the vacuuming will pick up many fleas alive or dead. For example, they took 50 (Fifty) 6 to 9 month old cats, infected them with heartworms and fleas, applied the product, and then they kill all 50 of these young, innocent beings to do their autopsy for the FDA test results. You can also use it on your lawns. Thanks for what you do on this site, you have a lot of great advice. How can I use this product on concrete or laminate? I recommend leaving it down for around a week, longer the better honestly (so a few weeks is great). For about a year now I have been using this Earth I place 1/2 tsp on their breakfast every morning. I decided to go with bombing our basement & following up with DE, The only problem Im having is finding the DE in 90+ concentrations. I had DE food grade on hand. Hey Judith! Hi Cate, DE wont kill the eggs but yes, you can definitely do that , Hi! Though tilling may help with immediate management, its long-term benefits may not be as effective as other cultural management methods especially if you subscribe to no-till methods and believe in promoting a healthy microbial ecosystemand applying helpful soil microbes. Any suggestions? I sprinkle it on the dog. I recommend that you check information available about the product before using any product inside your home. I posted a query on facebook asking friends how to get rid of fleas without dangerous chemicals and a couple people directed me to this site or told me about food grade DE. The problem, he says, is that homeowners will often misapply or over-apply it. Sometimes a little floury feeling in ears. I then used Flea Busters powder although did not finish entire house due to its dustiness. Do you think that keeping the rabbit off the carpeting being treated will make it safe for him? I let Boo in our kitchen briefly, he wanted to go down the cellar to eat & sleep, but with all the fresh DE down there, I was afraid he would get respiratory problems. Im off to try and find your article about flea solutions for cats! Just in case the above-ground damage wasnt scary enough, Ill continue. Thank you in advance. I had bought food grade diatomaceous earth before and sprinkled it around for fleas, but no one ever said to vacuum it up after 12 hours, and I never knew anything about the pureness factor in the concentration of the product. I actually went ahead and did the things I had read specifically in your article (taking into account with the holidays you may not be able to reply soon). I also took a flea comb and dipped it in the bag and combed around the hot spots. I purchased DE that says its 100% DE however I misread the bag; it said safe for food establishments but its not food grade (sob). I seem to have an infestation there that is proving hard to eliminate, previously I had treated only the carpeted areas but i find that the concrete areas seem to be part of the problem as well. Thanks in advance! Begin to educate yourself on the benefits of Organic Gardening and you will soon find that the reward is great, not only for body, but for mind as well. ), please keep them away from DE as due to their small body mass, it can be dangerous.. Im looking forward to seeing what effect it has on the dogs, especially the big one who also has a big flea allergy. So! I now find myself unable to sleep, up at 3am, nervous and searching online for answers!! I have lots of hardwoods and tile. We have also sprayed multiple products inside the house. But any information regarding this application use would be very helpful. Hope that helps! Ive been doing research on this topic [your site is MOST informative!] On skin, it can cause irritation and dryness. Hi o was just wondering can I use it on my couch and recliner because that is where my dog sleeps some of the time and I am trying to get rid of the fleas in my house. Now after doing all of this, instead of combing my cat and getting 10-15 out at a time, Im finding around 3 or 4 after a full comb which is great. Hi Alethea! Thank you for this info. later. How often should I vacuum and put more de down? ? It may work on carpets but its not working when dusting my cats. Should we wait or do something before applying them since we used DE? Let me know how it goes! Thanks! Great product! Supposed to last 7-8 months but after 5 months, fleas were back so I bought a new one.Yes, it kills the fleas (eventually) but they bite FIRST. I said that because I have heard that sucking up the powder can damage a Dyson. Honestly, I dont recommend DE or Borax for direct pet application. There are many dangers of using flea poisons, both for your pet and the people in your home. We have ticks and fleas in the yard and I dont want to use chemicals that will harm our pets or our herbs and vegetables. If you find that fleas keep popping up randomly, I recommend doing it each week or two as a bit of a proactive measure. I know that you are referring to your dog but just be careful about telling everyone to use essential oils for flea control because it can be dangerous for felines. Since then we have moved so there could have been a few stragglers. I am pretty sure I used it directly on my cats fur as well as all over the house. I like to set an alarm on my phone to remind me to check the garden twice during the day. Hi Karen! I am actually rubbing DE into all of my clothing which works for about half a day, then I can feel them crawling in my clothes. Do I put the DE down and treat my pets at the same time or how would you suggest I go about the whole problem. Thanks for all the feedback! I use just the neem powder with water to make a paste for my own hair, rub into scalp, leave on for 30 minutes and wash out. Hey Jason! My drugs are white, so I could see the fleas trying to get out of the de. Should I try a light dusting on the comforter cover? Its a pleasure, glad that you have found it beneficial! Ive read your whole blog : ) I only have a Dyson vacuum cleaner and I understand that it will become a casualty in my DE vs flea war. Just make sure its food grade and isnt infused with other stuff and it will be fine. I was thrilled and yes, it did work. This is the first that I have bother with fleas infestation I have had dogs for years. It was disgusting. And we have a nursing mother cat (kittens a little over a week) can it be used on or near them safely? Hi Rhonda! So, again, I am assuming that this is the correct product. I put this on her and all in the yard and in the shop yesterday and the fleas are still all over the dog. Also does painting hardwood floors trap the eggs? In all fairness, my cats had them on when they became infested. Is there a specific brand youd recommend? Let me know your results , Hi, We noticed our cats had fleas and immediately did a spot on treatment of Frontline on them. Great Pet Media does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Hello, I read a post up above not to use the Safer brand of DE.. however, I have already put it down in a few areas, mostly room perimeter and a window seat where the dog hangs out. However, this was like a miracle and I could finally sleep again and not be afraid. Thanks for the suggestion, I have never heard of that product. I highly recommend that you rub the powder into the carpets with a broom to make sure it reaches the fleas. OH! Being half bald it had to be done anyway :'( anyway with the parrot, flapping his wings because he is frustrated being stuck inside his six foot tall cage, the eggs were scattered EVERYWHERE!!!) Although it can take awhile, it works and I am sure that you will be flea free soon. Although diatomaceous earth is nontoxic to humans . Thanks for the share, really helps . Thanks for all your help already. I dont have a flea or tick issue since I apply Frontline Plus to my 9 pound dog a couple of times during the summer (however, if DE could replace those chemicals, that would be my preference). We learned there that she had a flea problem, and quite a few for such a little thing. If I apply this dust to my subfloors, we have this because our hardwoods have not gone in 6et. Will they be able to come into direct contact with it and lick paws if stepped in? Hi! If you want to learn more, check out my article on the topic under the fleas category (top menu). Just a very small amount! If all goes as planned, Ill wait a few days and treat again. It is used by hotels to control bed bug infestations also. If you were told by a certified individual that it will not hurt your pets, then you should be able to trust them. Would using dawn be more effective? I even give my kitties a flea bath. Hi Patrick, goodness, that sounds like a serious infestation. Hi Natashathe article was very informative, so thank you so much for that. Fleas thrive in humidity and heat. This type can contain more than 60 percent crystalline silica. Im just wondering, if the effectiveness might go away the longer it sits, and if I would be better sweeping, then reapplying. We have found articles mentioning both, with pros and cons for both. Are you applying a light dust to the carpets, etc. Cooler weather is helping too. Have killed the foxes off, now dealing with the flea infestation. Plant well hardened-off transplants as soon as the threat of frost has passed in your region. It was like $10 and worth every cent. 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