flea solutions?

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floralswag - 21 Dec 2004 18:47 GMT

Were going to be moving out of our house and it will be vacant for at
least 3-4 weeks before someone else moves in. We have a slight case of
fleas on our cats, so I suspect they are in the carpet too. I'm trying
to determine the best method of making sure that we eliminate the fleas
in the house, so the next tenant will not get fleas on their animals.
(We own the house but plan to rent it).

Will just a good vaccuuming and steam cleaning do the trick?

Or should we "flea bomb"? And if we flea bomb, how long do we have to
avoid being in the house after we've done that? (I'm pregnant so I
especially don't want to be there if there's pesticide residue around).

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Mathew Kagis - 21 Dec 2004 18:58 GMT

> Will just a good vaccuuming and steam cleaning do the trick?
>
> Or should we "flea bomb"? And if we flea bomb, how long do we have to
> avoid being in the house after we've done that? (I'm pregnant so I
> especially don't want to be there if there's pesticide residue around).

Vacume & steamclean is good... Here's one that worked for me a few years
ago, when I took on an old freind's cat, cause he hit hard times.
Pennyroyal. It's part of the mint family & fleas HATE it. After a steam
clean with the regular soaps, I made a big batch of pennyroyal tea & went
over everything again with it. I kept a potted pennyroyal plant growing by
my front door & never saw another flea again... Good luck.

Signature

Mathew
Butler to 2 kittens: Chablis & Muscat
En Vino Veritas

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Ma3rk - 21 Dec 2004 21:42 GMT

Is Pennyroyal anything like Eucalyptus?

Eons ago in college I was in a house with dogs and it got really bad at one
point. After a good cleaning, we spread cotton balls daubbed well with
eucalyptus oil about the house (room corners, etc.). You'll need to get
used to eucalyptus smell for awhile but it certainly drove out any remaining
fleas. The oil is like a nerve gas to them. One roomy had been collecting
fleas in a test tube (cigar tube) before we tried the oil. We dropped a
q-tip sized ball of cotton with just a splash of the oil into the otherwise
lively tube flea circus and all movement stopped in under 2 secs. Pretty
impressive.

M.

>> Will just a good vaccuuming and steam cleaning do the trick?
>>
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> by
> my front door & never saw another flea again... Good luck.

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Mathew Kagis - 21 Dec 2004 21:59 GMT

> Eons ago in college I was in a house with dogs and it got really bad at one
> point. After a good cleaning, we spread cotton balls daubbed well with
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
>
> M.

Mark: different family of plant, eucalyptus is toxic to humans if ingested.
However it's used in all kinds of topical sore muscle & congestion rubs &
is perfectly safe as long as you don't drink it. Pennyroyal, as I
mentioned, is part of the mint family. It's not actually toxic to fleas,
the just HATE it. They will jump off an animal who's near it to get away,
hence the potted plant by the door.

Signature

Mathew
Butler to 2 kittens: Chablis & Muscat
En Vino Veritas

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Ashley - 21 Dec 2004 22:11 GMT

> Mark: different family of plant, eucalyptus is toxic to humans if
> ingested.
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> the just HATE it. They will jump off an animal who's near it to get away,
> hence the potted plant by the door.

It is, however, toxic to humans. It's also an abortifacient.

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Mathew Kagis - 21 Dec 2004 23:13 GMT

> > Mark: different family of plant, eucalyptus is toxic to humans if
> > ingested.
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> It is, however, toxic to humans. It's also an abortifacient.

....Thanks Ashley, It's been a few years since I did my herbal-med studies &
I'd forgotten about the danger to pregnant moms... I don't belive it's
toxic for humans, however... It used to be used a a culinary herb & my
reference books say it's good for stomach disorders, flatulance,
Spasms...among others. It gets used less than other mints because of it's
distinct & very strong flavor... and is only dangerous for pregnant women if
taken internally in fairly robust doses.

Cheers

> Mathew

Butler to 2 kittens: Chablis & Muscat
En Vino Veritas

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Ashley - 21 Dec 2004 23:52 GMT

>> It is, however, toxic to humans. It's also an abortifacient.
> ....Thanks Ashley, It's been a few years since I did my herbal-med studies
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> if
> taken internally in fairly robust doses.

Everything is dependent on the dose, isn't it. My knowledge comes from
studying aromatherapy - of course essential oils are hugely more
concentrated than the herb itself - most things that are OK in small doses
are dangerous in too large doses (including water!), but with some the toxic
dose is not as large as others.

When training for aromatherapy we were told never to have anything to do
with pennyroyal oil. Or thuja, or sage (as opposed to clary sage) or a
couple of others that I've forgotten now (I don't practise as an
aromatherapist, decided it wasn't for me, but still potter for my own
interest and benefit).

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Mathew Kagis - 22 Dec 2004 00:02 GMT

> Everything is dependent on the dose, isn't it. My knowledge comes from
> studying aromatherapy - of course essential oils are hugely more
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> aromatherapist, decided it wasn't for me, but still potter for my own
> interest and benefit).

I can imagine the oils are a little more trickey to handle. I was
reffering to tea made from dried herb. I studied under a master herbalist a
few years ago... I too decided not to pursue it as a career, but the
knowledge has been great to have.

Cheers
Mathew
Butler to 2 kittens: Chablis & Muscat
En Vino Veritas

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Ashley - 21 Dec 2004 19:42 GMT

> Or should we "flea bomb"? And if we flea bomb, how long do we have to
> avoid being in the house after we've done that? (I'm pregnant so I
> especially don't want to be there if there's pesticide residue around).

Go to the supermarket and read what it says on the various flea bomb
products. They all have precise instructions and will let you know -
including whether you need to take any extra precautions because you're
pregnant.

When I did my house I closed it up for the afternoon and went out. When I
came back I simply opened all the windows and doors and kept them open till
I went to bed (it was the middle of summer) so it was well ventilated.

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Phil P. - 21 Dec 2004 22:33 GMT

> Were going to be moving out of our house and it will be vacant for at
> least 3-4 weeks before someone else moves in. We have a slight case of
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> avoid being in the house after we've done that? (I'm pregnant so I
> especially don't want to be there if there's pesticide residue around).

Use a residual insecticide to kill the adult flea and a growth inhibitor to
prevent the eggs that have already been laid from developing. Ultacide or
Precor - are good brands - Ultracide is the better of the two - kills adult
fleas faster.

Phil

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