fleas

by Chris Penuel
(Enterprise, AL)

We also have a house full of cats and until last year we had the fleas somewhat under control. We finlly got rid of them (or so we thought) by fall. They are now taking over our house again. We have used Advantage for our cats but with the weather getting warmer they are everywhere. My husband has sprayed with what is supposed to get rid of the adult fleas and the eggs but guess what, it hasn't worked. What can we use to get rid of them? Please help.

RESPONSE:

You have to hit the fleas on 2 fronts. Treat the cats and treat the house. Since you are using Advantage on the cats, I will assume it is the house that is breeding the fleas. And if your cats go outside, they are bringing in the fleas. As long as the fleas don't bite the cats, they can ride inside and find a better place to live!
We use
Herbal Defense Spray on the cats to help prevent the fleas from hitching a ride. Just spray it on a cloth and rub it on the cats. (They hate being sprayed!)
If the house is infested, we remove everybody and use "bug bombs" to kill the fleas (if it is really bad, you may have to do it again in 2 weeks). You can get them just about everywhere. Be sure to follow all the safety instructions and make sure the house is aired out before letting the cats back in. Then we use Herbal Defense Powder in the house to help keep them out. Fleas don't like the way the herbal stuff smells so they tend to stay away.
By using the herbal stuff, we usually only have to use the topical stuff (we use Revolution) during the high heat of summer. But nothing will work until you get rid of the fleas completely.
Try it and see how it goes.

Donna - House Full Cats Mom