Flea Foggin and Fish tanks

[Ilea]

Hey everyone....heres the gib:

got all the tanks, have HUGE flea probs that no matter how i treat them, they come back....constant monthly baths, and spot on treatments for all critters, in and outdoor. Ive done my jeep, carpet treatment (shake stuff) and upolstry. Ive treated the yard, but cant keep the bastards away. Ive had to treat all 8 of my animals for tape worm, TWICE because of this (prob has been here since i moved here last may)....

I want to bomb/fog my house....but i WONT risk my tanks....Please tell me someone here can help me figure out what the hell to do????

Ive heard about taping up the tanks with plastic or some stuff(200 reef ready tank, 125 planted, 80 predator) but i REFUSE to risk the reef....too much money.

ANY ideas what so ever???? Any???

Thanks!
Ilea

[Pandora]

I have heard the bombs do not always work on fleas (all stages of cycle), and heard some disastrous stories (do a search and you'll read lots of experiences). I've heard some of the tanks even have problems being taped up.

I had a flea problem in an apt for months because of a cat, and it was quite annoying with wall to wall rugs. I used Advantage for the cat, which worked very well, but the nymphs stayed in the carpet, chewing the glue. I had to use the powder for months.... like around 3... but eventually it went away (after numerous leg bites). I think the important thing is really to break the cycle where they can't jump on the pets anymore, so if you do it, you have to commit to using advantage on all 8, plus treat the rest of the house (non bomb methods).

I don't get what that has to do with tapeworm problems?

[stihl99]

not to knock you down man but I know what your doing wrong.Your doing it yourself with all the crap products they sell at homedepot,petsmart etc.
Pay the $ and have it done right.Its realy not that expensive.They'll do 2 treatments about 5 days apart and then be sure to have them come back for a few more treatments perhaps a few weeks after your first 2.Save your money bud.
unless you know someone or know where to get your hands on Diazinon,leave it to the pros.The stufff you buy is nothing compared to the stuff they use.
I believe Diazinon was banned a few years back...to bad,it was GREAT stuff.

as far as your tank im sure its not gona be good for it if it can get in it.

[tidepoole]

i agree with stihl99.

[Pandora]

The problem is, having it professionally done will still risk his tanks. That's his main question. I've also met people who used professional pest kill service bombs and continued to have problems.

[Ilea]

I had mentioned that i had professionals come out to spray before. Any suggestions who to try next?

[msman825]

Is all 8 critters in your house???

[msman825]

I missed something here. Your occupation is pet care???? Bengal flea powder. Sprenckle on floor wait 2-3 days vac Up dead fleas

[Ilea]

Ive done the flea powder but they keep coming back. i even move the furniture and do that. I guess i just have to keep doing it??? I have worked in pet care for 2 years and have a psychology degree with emphasis in animal behavior. But this one has me stumped. everything i have tried only works for a short time...i NEVER had flea probs till I moved down to texas from Michigan.

Yes my 4 cats are indoor. and my 4 dogs are mostly indoor. I have a golden/rottie, akita/lab, st bernard, and a mutt that i think is akita mix. The last 2 are puppies. so they have a ball runnin outside. I have a huge yard (to my standards, about 5000 sq ft) And i think they keep bringing the fleas in the house....sigh.

[msman825]

I would try what that lady said, pour the advantage to the critters, you can cover your tanks, sumps ect-- from stuff getting in them and bomb the place HARD! on the out side try rock salt, If your in texas The sun will melt the salt the fleas will drink liq. I've done this in MISS, It will work on them. If there in the house you know there twice as many outside the house, They cant stand cedar shaving also spread them in yard. Spray deisel around your house out side also.

[Pandora]

Do you have them on Advantage or the like now? I think when you move down South, this is a whole different game, because it is warm or seasonal most of the year... so there is no one "flea season" as up north.

[davocean]

I don't even have cats or dogs and had a terrible flea problem
Pest control guy said you need to break cycle by destoying eggs.
This worked for me
Buy a flea collar and cut into pieces
Put a piece in your vacuum bag
Everyday vacuum EVERYTHING and through bag away
Put a new piece of flea collar in the new bag each time
Do this for 2 weeks along with washing bedding and treating
animals
Last resort is fogging wich I've done by turning off all pumps,
totally seal tank w/ plastic and tape.
When fog is done open all windows and doors and clean anything
that could have come in contact w/ fog b4 starting pumps
You've got a big job w/ all them critters
Best of luck!

[mdisalvo55]

The last method worked when I got my cat and he had fleas...Anyway, that Diazinon stuff is on ebay right now...might want to check that one out too.

http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?cgiurl=http%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.com%2Fws%2F&fkr=1&from=R8&satitle=Diazinon&category0=

[Dubbin1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6760858#post6760858 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Pandora

I don't get what that has to do with tapeworm problems?

Animals get tapeworms by swollowing fleas.

[tim n heather]

i dont know about the house but you have to treat the outside as well, what i learned from a old hunter is to use borax laundrey det on the yard. i had a major problem around my beagle kennels and have not had a problem since. do it each spring. hope this helps.
tim

[stihl99]

I agree...treating outdoors is more impotant then inside.

great deal on the diazinon.Good stuff BUT will kill anything,including your pets.Be carefull very useing this stuff.

[tmantaylor18]

ive put plastic over my entire tank. just keep a power head running under water and seal off the tank completely. then air out the room and it should be good.

[catdoc]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6760858#post6760858 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Pandora

I don't get what that has to do with tapeworm problems?

Fleas are an intermediate host for one species of tapeworm. Dog or cat eats the flea and the immature tapeworm then completes its lifecycle in the pet. FYI, they can also get tapeworms from eating prey animals like rodents (it's a different species though).

You definitely need to treat the pets and home with something that halts the lifecycle of the fleas. The adult biting fleas are only about 10% of the fleas, the rest are eggs, larvae, and pupae. You'll eventually get on top of the problem if you only use a treatment to kill the adult fleas but you're going to have to use it EVERY MONTH very consistently and expect it to take at least 3 months. You'll get control much faster if you use a multi-modal approach: adulticide and insect growth regulator (like Program or Sentinel, some of the flea sprays also contain these) on the pets and the carpets.

I don't recommend the flea bombs at all--haven't used them since the early '90s myself. The handheld sprays are much better since you can make sure that every area gets treated. Bombs will miss the areas that fleas prefer: under the couch, under throw rugs, under the bed. You'll have to get those areas with a hand-held spray. The presence of a reef tank does complicate it though. I'd be very very cautious using any flea spray around my house. I have used some insecticide sprays in the basement when I had a spider problem, but it was only in a few spots and it still made me nervous! You can buy sprays that only have the growth regulators, you'll still want to be very careful b/c they could affect other arthropods.

I tell folks when they are treating the house to expect to repeat the treatment in 2 weeks. The sprays will NOT kill any fleas in pupae (cocoons) so when those guys hatch, you'll need to spray again. Vacuuming frequently will help to trigger their emergence from the cocoons. Vacuum and then throw the bag away--you don't want the fleas crawling out of the bag after all of your hard work!

I use Program on my cats. It's an injection you give every 6 months and it halts the life cycle. It is not an adulticide, but it's great for keeping the house free of breeding fleas. A similar, oral product is available for dogs (either as Program or Sentinel, which also gets heartworms/intestinal worms) but you give the pills monthly.