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FLEAS

LESS-TOXIC PEST MANAGEMENT

The flea most commonly

found in and around

the home is the cat

flea, Ctenocephalides felis. De-

spite its name, the cat flea finds

dogs and humans quite tasty

too. Flea bites cause irritation,

but also serious allergies in

some animals and humans.

DETECTION

Adult fleas spend almost all of theirtime on an animals body.

Look for tiny eggs and tiny, white,worm-like flea larvae on the floor, inrugs, in cracks and crevices, and any-where pets rest or sleep. Larvae feed ondried blood excreted by adults.

In order to know when to begin andend your flea-control efforts, use aspecially manufactured flea comb on

your pet to keep track of the fleapopulation.

FLEAS

KEEPING

OFF YOUR PETS AND OUT OF YOUR YARD

LESS-TOXIC CONTROLS

INSIDE YOUR HOME Comb your pet with a metal flea

comb, available at pet stores. Focus

around the neck and base of the tail.Keep a wide container of soapy waternearby to drown captured fleas.

Bathe dogs in soap and water todrown fleas. Increase effectiveness byusing a flea comb while the pet is lath-ered. It is not necessary to use soapwith insecticide.

Vacuum carpets, floors, and uphol-stered furniture frequently through-out the year. Vacuuming carpets picks

up adult and egg-stage fleas, but is lesseffective at removing larvae. Cleancracks and crevices; or better still, sealpermanently with caulk. Try gentlyvacuuming your animals coat to re-move adult fleas.

Use diatomaceous earth (DE) to treat

carpets, upholstered furniture, and petbedding or blow it into cracks andcrevices. Use a hand duster to apply afine layer of DE. Wear a dust mask andgoggles and avoid getting dust in your

pets eyes. DE has little toxicity to hu-mans and pets, but kills fleas by ab-sorbing the waxy coating on their bod-ies, causing dehydration and death.

Use borate-based carpet treatments.

Borates have a low toxicity to humansand pets. Fleanix carpet treatmentcan control fleas in carpeting for up

to a year. Mix the powder with waterin a rug shampooing machine with orwithout detergent. During shampooing, borate binds to carpet fibers andcannot be vacuumed up.

Flea traps are especially useful if youdont own a pet but still have fleas. Inthis case, also check for wild animalsor rodents nesting in or around yourhome. Adult fleas are attracted to thewarmth and light of an electric bulband are caught on sticky paper. Themost effective traps have a flickeringgreen light.

OUTSIDE YOUR HOME Treat outside only where you have

found high flea populations. To findthese areas, walk around the yard in apair of white socks. Check areas whereanimals rest, sleep, or regularly travelYou will easily see fleas that jump ontothe socks.

Do not try to combat fleas by spraying around the perimeter of yourhouse or spraying your entire yard

Spot-treat only those areas where youfind large populations of fleas. Fleaswill more likely be on an animal or in

side your home. Concentrate your ef-forts there.

Check for wild animals like raccoonsand opossums nesting under the houseor porch. Dead animals can also bethe source of a flea infestation. Treatnests under the house with diatomaceous earth.

Choose less toxic products for your home and garden. Look for this symbol before you buy.

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PRODUCTS AND RESOURCES

Examples of trade names of products listed in this fact sheet:

Insecticidal Dusts: Safer and Concern Crawling Insect Killer

Hand Duster: Pest Pistol (If unavailable locally, call (888) 784-1722 to order)

Borate-based Carpet Treatments: Fleanix (If unavailable locally, call(415) 459-4003 to order)

Flea Trap: Raid Flea Killer Plus, The Ultimate Flea Trap (Victor),PestNomore Flea Trap

Insect Growth Regulators (IGRs): Hartz Flea Control Capsules for Dogs,Hartz Control One Spot for Cats and Kittens

On Your Animal (available from vets): Frontline (Fipronil),Advantage(Imidacloprid)

Ingested by Your Animal (available from vets): Program (Lufenuron)

Beneficial Nematodes:Steinernema carpocapse. Available from Rincon Vitova,P.O. 1555, Ventura, CA 93002; (805) 643-6267

Use beneficial nematodes in soilwhere you have found fleas. Be sureto water the area before and after ap-plication. For sources of nematodes,

see the Products and Resources box.

FOR YOUR ANIMAL Ultrasonic collars and machines are

not effective. There is no scientific

evidence that these products affectfleas, and they are not recommended.

Fipronil (Frontline) and imida-cloprid (Advantage) are applied tothe skin of the animal in a smallamount at one spot, usually at the baseof the neck or between the shoulderblades. The insecticide spreads overthe entire body of the pet and is ef-fective for at least a month. Theseproducts have a low acute toxicity formammals but can be irritating to eyes

and should not be ingested. Use gloveswhen applying them.

Lufenuron (Program) is givenorally to the animal. Fleas that ingestthis chemical produce only a few vi-

able eggs, and larvae from those eggscannot mature. Because lufenuronaccumulates in fat and crosses the pla-cental barrier, do not treat pregnant,

nursing, or very young animals.

Insect growth regulators (IGRs) suchas methoprene (Precor) andpyriproxyfen (Nylar) do not kill adultfleas, but break the flea reproduction

cycle by preventing flea larvae fromturning into adults. IGRs are sold in avariety of applications including spot-on formulations and tablets for youranimal. Some products combine IGRswith other pesticides. In general, prod-ucts containing just IGRs pose thefewest risks. IGRs have low toxicityto mammals, but are toxic to some

aquatic organisms; therefore, its bestto limit the use of IGRs to indoor ap-plications where the product wont go

down an indoor drain.

PREVENTION

Restrict pets to a regular sleepingspace so you can focus cleaning ef-forts on fewer areas.

Use washable pet bedding that canbe gathered up easily by the four cor-

ners and laundered frequently. Soapywater destroys all flea stages.

For highly allergic people: Protectyourself by wearing a long sleeved shirtand long pants tucked into socks. Ifthe weather is hot, just a pair of longwhite socks will offer some protection.Pick off fleas and drop them into soapywater. Apply insect repellents to shoesand clothing rather than to skin.

Keep wild animals and rodents awayfrom the house. Patch holes or cover

them with screen (1/4" hardware cloth)to prevent animals from getting in.

Bay Area Water Pollution Prevention AgenciesBay Area Water Pollution Prevention AgenciesBay Area Water Pollution Prevention AgenciesBay Area Water Pollution Prevention AgenciesBay Area Water Pollution Prevention Agencies

PESTICIDES AND

WATER POLLUTION

Common household pesticides show up intreated wastewater and in Bay Area creekssometimes at levels that can harm sensitiveaquatic life. So, water pollution preventionagencies have teamed up with participatingBay Area stores to reduce the risks associated with pesticide use. This fact sheet is parof a series of information pieces and store dis

plays aimed at educating Bay Area residentabout less-toxic pest management. Look forthe Our Water Our World logo next toproducts in participating hardware stores andnurseries throughout the Bay Area.

Pest control strategies and methods describedin this publication are consistent with integrated pest management (IPM) conceptsand are based on scientific studies and testsin actual home and garden settings. Use suggested products according to label directionand dispose of unwanted or leftover pesticides at a household hazardous waste collection facility or event. No endorsement of specific brand name products is intended, nor i

criticism implied of similar products that arenot mentioned.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

For more information, contact:

Bio-Integral Resource Center (BIRC)(510) 524-2567

University of California CooperativeExtension Master Gardeners in your area(in the phone book )

Central Contra Costa Sanitary Districtwebsite: www.centralsan.org

University of California IPM website:

www.ipm.ucdavis.edu

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This fact sheet and the accompanying IPMoutreach program was developed by CentraContra Costa Sanitary District with the following contributions:

Writing:Tanya Drlik, Bio-Integral Resource CenterMichael Baefsky, Baefsky & Associates

Design:Lauren Wohl Design

Partial Funding:Bay Area Pollution Prevention Group

Bay Area Stormwater ManagementAgencies Association

CALFED Bay-Delta Restoration ProgramRegional Water Quality Control Plant

(Palo Alto)

Thank You:UCCE Master GardenersParticipating stores

January 2001