Fleas….and why we never have them.

Many of you ask me, and I get these questions almost daily…  I get questions all the time and examples below from clients, friends and many pet owners....

‘How do you NOT have fleas on your dogs?” 
“You don’t use topical flea controls and you don’t have fleas?” 

Fact: My answer has always been…“NO.. Our dogs do not have fleas! 
We show our dogs and we do not want fleas to ever get on our dogs, nor do I want to risk any reactions with flea topicals on my dogs.”

Comfortis is safe and FDA Approved for dogs and cats!!  All  of the  Topical meds are "FDA approved PACKAGING!"  ~ Pay attention when you buy them.  Comfortis is also over the counter at your vet.

" I only saw one or two fleas on it.” 

Fact: One flea can make thousands in one night!  Fleas also cause Tapeworm- Another parasite. 
Just like worms(Internal Parasites), fleas and ticks are External Parasites.
To me, it is not much different than Lice on humans. These need to be treated seperate from regular monthly medictations for worms. 

"We use topicals, that should do it right?"  "We have done it every month."

Fact:  Fleas are from outside, but will come indoors from shoes, etc.  You have to treat the total environment, not just the dogs and cats.

Many of the topical medications for fleas and ticks are causing many dogs and cats health issues including death in some.

Fact:  We work very hard to keep our home and yard bug free, but it is worth it!!
I am not sure what product is the actual reason for our flea free home and land. 

I don’t endorse any product mentioned, nor work for any of these companies or get any royalties from them. 

As so many of you ask “how?” I thought this may help. 

Here are the steps we use to ensure we keep them away. 

1. We treat our yard and land. 
We mow our grass cut short often. 
I prefer to use our small hand held grass spreader for the following that are granules or dust products.   Sometimes we do use our mower attachment with the 'aerator and spreader combo".  This pokes holes into the ground and spreads the granules nice.  It gets a bit deeper into the ground as well.  It's also great for fertilizer and watering more even creating green lawns too.
(Make sure you dress appropriately : Dust mask, long sleeves, pants, shoes, gloves, safety goggles may be necessary and not on a windy day!!-PLEASE>> with all pesticides, read and follow the directions!)
What we use and how often: 

Ortho - Klor and follow directions. 
With any of these products, it takes a while to do, but it is worth it. 
I start at and under the foundation of our home moving to the edge of the property, trying not to miss a spot.
Even in the decks, kennel runs (After I remove the dogs), the woods, driveway.. Yes, fleas can hide in rocks. 
I always go further out than I need to. 
I also have cement runs that are washed daily.
 

2. Our dogs are groomed OFTEN! 
I do not use flea topicals on our dogs.  I have used Comfortis and really like it.  I use ALL NATURAL fleas shampoos only.
I brush, comb, etc. and bath with mild shampoos only *All Natural  shampoos and conditioner. 
Some need it weekly depending on the dog and what they get into or if they are entered in Dog Shows, some are monthly. 
I also make sure my dogs have heartworm medicine once a month all year long. 
I also feed our dogs a premium All Natural dog food, Raw foods and vitamins.
Dog bedding is washed every day for some and every other day for others. 

3. I treat our home for bugs 1x a month just in case anyway, so I make sure any product would kill fleas as well.

I have found a few products that really work great..

Zodiak foggers WITH IGR... most people forget the IGR .. it controls eggs and larvea!!

OR...

Raid foggers.

DO NOT COMBINE Fogging BRANDS AT ONE TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The one for Heavy infestations with little residue..
(**FOLLOW ALL DIRECTIONS ON THE BOX!~)
*Remove all animals from home, turn off any electric, gas, flame etc... I actually turn off the main switch to the fuse box. That way I did not miss anything. Any timed item even like a refrigerator, alarm clock, fish tank air controls, etc. can interact with a fogger. 
I cover anything I do not want it to get on-- like my fish tank. I open all cabinets, drawers, closets where I want it to seep into. 
These foggers take 2-4 hours. I go to the store, clean the yard or whatever outside during this time.  1-2 hours to air out the home /area you are fogging.
I make sure I put a towel over my face to breath through when I come in to open windows and doors to air it out. 
Wipe down cabinets and whatever needed and vacuum the floors, furniture and all again. Repeat with emptying/cleaning the vacuum bags or bagless again. 

2- Borax Mule Team Laundry Booster and diatomaceous earth
What ever is in this Boric Acid, it takes the shell off of bugs and kills them. 
I sprinkle this all over.. Carpets, floors (make sure you get the edges of the room, in cracks etc., couches, chairs, beds etc. when you do your deep cleaning. Even in my Kennel runs and IN the litter boxes. 
*If Borax gets on your plants It can kill plants so be careful.

 Or use FLEABUSTERS.. as recommended by a friend of Facebook, it was much safer for cats.  See above.

Let it all sit while you wash sheets, etc. 
Things you don’t need to wash can go in the dryer for 20 minutes on hot. 
  Vacuum the Borax and or diatomaceous earth   all up after a few hours or leave on all night or while you are at work. 
I vacuum and clean daily so I only use Borax maybe once every couple of months. It also freshens your beds and carpets. 
Remember to empty your bag or bagless and burn the contents or seal it in another bag with BORAX mule team laundry booster. If you use a Rainbow Machine like I have, do not add as much water as directed in your machine. Borax does suds up so add some vinegar to the water to keep sudsing down to a minimum... and change the water often! 
*Fleas can stay in your vacuum as well, so keep it clean!
I also own a carpet shampoo machine.--It's part of the Rainbow cleaning system.  I love it as I can RINSE the carpets after washing them!
I use Hot water. Steam cleaning will kill fleas, larvae or eggs in your carpets as well. You can use the Borax and hot water in your carpet shampoo machine.  Just watch the bubbles and empty often!

4. I Clean Often. 
Vacuuming daily as I do, not only keeps my home clean, but it will pick up any bugs that may have come in. 
You can bring in fleas off your grass or any area that had them on even your shoe strings. So don’t always blame the dog or the cat in your home for fleas, you may have brought it home.
I dust our furniture weekly and vacuum the furniture then too. 
Once a month if not more, I move out all the furniture to get the carpet edges, ceilings, vents and all. 
We use discinfectants a lot!
I use it on our walls, tile floors, grooming table, dog towels, bedding, laundry, bathrooms, dog houses, cabinets, basically anything washable. 
I also use Palmolive &/ or Dawn dish soap to wash all our dishes and our pets dishes. 
I use it on the dogs dishes, our dishes, Dog houses, deck, etc. I have seen this kill fleas and ants before, so I know this works too. 

5. The car you rode in on….
We keep our van vacuumed too. 
Anytime you are traveling to dog shows, vets, other’s homes, parks, work etc. you can pick up fleas like I mentioned earlier. This will help with keeping it vacuumed. If you have been in a area you know has fleas, just change clothes and shoes **immediately after you get home and put them right in the washing machine! I make sure our whole family does this if we go anywhere we know or suspect any fleas.
I also use Borax once every 6 months in there as well. 
Whew.. That is how I do it. I sure hope this helps you or someone you know trying to be rid of fleas.

Do I sit around a lot??? ---- No! I have plenty to do for the safety of our dogs and yours!

Good luck and have a happy “FLEA FREE Dog, home and yard”!

If you have had a sensitive pet or a pet with a reaction of any kind to a flea product.. Please let me know!  I want to keep my site updated and safe for all readers and pets.

  If you know of a product that works for you, please let me know.  I want to find the best and safest alternative to fleas and pests and let our readers know! 

 Written by Your Groomer,

Stacy Morgan - Owner of Stacy’s Groom-N-Spa / StaFra Showteam!