Flea treatment alternative - louse powder?

S

sonjafoers

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 May 2009
Messages
2,107
Visit site
I have posted this in NL but only had 1 response so thought I'd try in here.

My 2 rotties regularly get fleas, I think my elderly cat may be partly to blame, and I Frontline all 3 regularly throughout spring and summer. However I'm not sure it's that effective as they all seem to itch again about 10 days after treated.

I hoover & wash their bedding regularly and the day I Frontline them I wash all bedding, hoover and spray the house with RIPFlea.

After spending another small fortune on Frontline this week I was advised by my YO to use louse powder instead as it's only about £8 a tub and will last ages. I've read the tub and it says it's suitable for horses, goats, chickens & small pets so it should be safe but it doesn't say it kills fleas.

Can anyone offer any advice with this please?
 
Permethrin - the active ingredient in most louse powders - is highly toxic to cats.
What are you treating the house with?

Fleas don't live on animals but hop on for a meal & off again. They lay eggs & their larvae develop away for host species so you have to treat the surroundings with something more effective.
 
I think the problem might be that what you are using to kill the fleas does not kill the eggs which hatch after the pesticide has lost its effectiveness. But I know a couple of pest controllers (not as a client!) and have heard that fleas are very difficult to get rid of. I suggest you get professional advice as it may be a matter of fumigating your house!:eek:
 
Frontline is about as useless as a nun in a punch-up IME.

You can get a lot of preparations which contain something called "diatomaceous earth". You can google it and get a whole lot of info which I won't replicate here coz its quite scientific!!

Basically, its like a sort of sharp sand which penetrates the hard shell of the parasite and thus destroys it.

Its completely natural and no chemicals are involved.

Cheap, cheerful, and I've found that it actually WORKS!! Unlike Frontline: expensive junk IMO.
 
I am spraying the house with something called RIPFlea - according to the container it contains:

Permethrin - rapid & long lasting kill of fleas ticks & mites
Tetramethrin - instant knock down of adult fleas
Methoprene - year long control by killing eggs and larvae

I am only spraying around their bed areas so maybe I need to actually spray the whole house :eek:

s4sugar I'm a bit worried now as the 1st listed ingredient is the one you say is toxic to cats. I always leave all windows & doors open for an hour or more after spraying and the cat doesn't seem to have ever had a problem but I think I'll speak to the vets which is where I bought it.

MiJods thank you for that info, I'll google it and find out a bit more. It sounds interesting to say the least!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top