If It's Not One Thing, It's Another

[unforth]

Fuck a duck...my dog has fleas. Pretty badly. I've bathed her twice in a row and will be doing a third time, but none of that will help if they are already in my house, which they must be. Research online indicates that what I have to do now is do all the laundry and vacuum immediately.
Problem 1: No laundry access
Problem 2: No vacuum cleaner

So what the fuck am I supposed to do at 10 PM to get rid of fleas? Nothing. Absolutely fucking nothing. And all of the laundry places near me are closed on Sunday, and all of them are drop of places, where I wouldn't take it anyway. Aren't they supposed to die when there's no dog to feed on? Maybe if I get her out of here? And I hate bugs, and I get this annoying creepy crawly feeling when I know they're around, and I won't be comfortable in my own apartment until this dealt with, and I don't have the money to bring in an exterminator or buy a vacuum, and all in all, I'm really pissed right now.

In short, I don't know what the hell I'm going to do. Apparently, Borax helps. Anyone have any advice? Cause damned if I have a clue what I should do now.

I'm been flirting very close to my limits as it is, and I really just wanted a relaxing weekend, and now I'm so upset I...I don't even know. That's how upset I am. I can't even watch the end of my baseball game, cause I have to figure out what I should be doing now. Probably giving up and waiting until the morning when stuff opens, so I can at least go and find some of the different things that kill flees, and go from there. But...I've got nothing. I feel helpless, and annoyed, and freaked about money, and like I have tiny insects crawling over me. What a lousy fucking combination.

Comments

[d-c-m.livejournal.com]

*big hug* I'm sorry honey. Have you heard of the flea bombs? You set them off in your house and then you and the dog leave for several hours. My mother did those a lot when I was younger and we had dogs.

[unforth.livejournal.com]

The stuff I read online suggested that flea bombs didn't work very well. Have they worked well for you (or anyone else who suggested this solution?)

[fireun.livejournal.com]

last i used a bug bomb was when i was pretty young, but i remember dead bugs all over waiting to be vacuumed up when we were done. killed spiders too as an added bonus.

you can hit the net to see what brands are around and read customer comments before hitting the store as well.

[d-c-m.livejournal.com]

They always seemed to work for us, but that was decades ago so the new flea bombs may not be as toxic. There are pills to help keep fleas down and I know my mom did that as well and it really worked.

[fireun.livejournal.com]

do you have frontline or something similar for the dog? (not the random pet isle at wegmans stuff. crap is useless)
first step is to apply that to the dog if you havent already, will kill off the buggers trying to feast and prevent more. second step is to bug bomb the house if you can see them in the rug and such. if the dog is infested and the house isnt yet, quick application of high end flea control will do the trick.

i feel your pain. fleas, and pest infestations in general, give me the shudders.

[unforth.livejournal.com]

I'm gonna try to get some Frontline or Advantage today (now that a few people recommend Frontline, I'll go with that). Thankfully, I don't have a rug - the main place I fear they'll be is where Jonie always sleeps, which is to say on my couch. It's not yet to the point that I can see them jumping around, but the first place I spotted them was on the couch, not on the dog, and when I washed her, I didn't get them all in three washes, which makes me think it's close to being pretty bad. Do you think a bug bomb is better than doing one of the slower powder things? Where does one get bug bombs?

[fireun.livejournal.com]

any hardware store should have bug bombs, just check the instructions, and see what sort of after bombing care you would have to do (ie, vacuum, clean the floor to get rid of potentially harmful residue, etc) The powder works, but i seem to remember there being more work involved, and we all know i am generally lazy.
there are shampoos for furniture that will take care of fleas you could do as well. and you wouldnt have to vacate the house for a day like you would for the flea bomb.
but yeah, Frontline or Revolution (if they still make it. its what i used on Phaedrus when he was a bug infested kitten and it seriously killed everything on him in like a day, and i didnt see any in the house after a few days. that stuff was hardcore) will take care of fleas on him and kill the buggers that bite in the near future.
the shampoos, i have found, are kinda lame when it comes to killing fleas on pets. i always used to send people to the vet for spot treatment like frontline as opposed to selling them the flea shampoos. they just...somehow never take care of the problem.

whew. flashback to previous job.

[tooth-and-claw.livejournal.com]

Tonight? you're pretty screwed. Flea bombs might work, but both of you have to leave for hours, and you STILL need to vacuum and do all of the laundry. No, they will not die without the dog if your around-- they'll just start feeding on YOU. Jonie herself should get Frontline-- baths don't really work for getting the eggs or stubborn fleas.

[nekomata.livejournal.com]

I agree with the Frontline; it's safe and effective.

[unforth.livejournal.com]

Thanks guys - Frontline it is!

I didn't really have any place else to take her anywhere - the place I take her when she's not here is where she caught the fleas in the first place.

[buzzermccain.livejournal.com]

If you talk to your vet, there is also a pill Jonie can take that keeps the fleas from reaching sexual maturity. It works very well.

Two methods that work to clear out any remaining fleas:

Get a flea comb and comb Jonie a bunch.

If there is an area where fleas hatched recently (totally hopping), put on a pair of white socks and catch and kill them as they jump onto you. This is weirdly satisfying, and gives you an immediate course of action.

To kill a flea- pin it down with a finger and pinch it. Then roll your fingers to expose a little bit of the flea and rip it in half with your thumbnails. It's less gross than it sounds (fleas have no guts to speak of), and it works every time, unlike random complicated bullshit involving soapy water. Or you could do like the insane lady who lived on the farm next to my grandparents and bite them in two. (Just kidding. Well, just kidding that you should emulate that technique. She really did it, and started laughing when she saw my grandfather's shock. "I ets anything that don't et me," was her slightly counter-intuitive pronouncement on the matter.)

Good luck!

[galiyah.livejournal.com]

Ugh. So sorry. Fleas are awful. If you're only noticing them on the dog though, you'll probably be ok. I agree- the Frontline will help. It won't solve the problem immediately, but it will certainly interrupt the life cycle, which is the hardest part. Flea bombs work more immediately, but don't forget to repeat in 2 weeks (or whatever the package directions say), as that's when the eggs will be hatching. I've also heard that you can place a shallow dish of water on the floor and they drown in it. Good luck. I hope you're rid of them soon.

[ultimabaka.livejournal.com]

Shit babe...when it rains, it fuckin pours doesn't it? My standing offer still stands if ya need anything from me. Good luck out there babe *huggle*

[mistress-sin.livejournal.com]

Tom and I use spray flea killer and powder flea killer when we had an infestation but if you kill the ones on Jonie, the infestation isn't as great plus with no carpet, you should be okay.

It always seems worse than what it is.

[unforth.livejournal.com]

Well, hun, if I've got um, so do Odie and Fugs and Spike...

[sharonskinner.livejournal.com]

Diatomaceous earth, the main ingredient in flea powder. Dust the house with it. You'll need to sweep and vaccuum it up after a few days, but it will kill the fleas, and is not harmful to people or pets. It is low cost and is used in some water filtration plants.

For fleas: Thoroughly dust carpets and pet's bedding and sleeping areas, as well as cracks and baseboards. It also can be rubbed into your pet's fur. I have used it to rid the house of fleas and even used it to cure reptiles of parasites.

Here is a link to information about it and why it works. http://www.ghorganics.com/DiatomaceousEarth.html

[bakanekotoo.livejournal.com]

Aww, that sucks, I'm sorry. Chewie got fleas too, but luckily, they're gone now. Lots of flea shampoo, and washing the bedding he slept on, and he's back to normal. Strangely enough, the fleas never jumped to Gizmo...