How to Create a Flea Preventative Spray With Nematodes?

HERE'S HOW

Q: I have read several of your articles dealing with pest control. I have a problem with flea infestation. Do you have any suggestions on how to get rid of these pests permanently? A: Prevention is the best method of control.

Pet owners often treat the animal but ignore the environment. The war against fleas must be waged on three fronts: the home, the yard and the pet. Fortunately, there are many nontoxic products available to treat the lawn, carpet and the pet.

A popular nontoxic outdoor treatment employs nematodes, which are a large class of minute soil-dwelling organisms. These living organisms are introduced to the environment through a yard spray that is applied like a pesticide. The living organism seeks flea larvae and cocoons and feeds on them, thus destroying the flea population.

These beneficial nematodes are harmless to humans, pets and plant life. The lawn should be treated with a nematode spray after the fleas have infested the area or when the flea season begins.

The treatment lasts about four weeks, after which a repeat application is recommended.

For prevention inside the home, use one of the commercial boron-based powders that contaminate the food supply and environment of flea larvae. This interrupts the life cycle and prevents the development of mature fleas.

The boron powders are dusted into carpets, upholstery, cracks and crevices where flea larvae hide. A thorough application is recommended once a year for maximum control.

There also are effective spray treatments, but they are more toxic than the boron-based powders. One flea-control spray that is easy to use and prevents flea reinfestation for 210 days is Premise Spray, which contains Precor, an "insect growth regulator" that tampers with the bugs' hormones to prevent development of the egg and larvae.

Once you have the environment under control, keeping the area and your pet flea-free will be much easier.

There are a couple of relatively new products that can be used to help keep flea infestation off your pets. An oral pill, Program, is available for both cats and dogs. Administered once a month, Program stops fleas at the source by preventing eggs from surviving. There are no adverse side effects to your pet, as there have been in some previous oral prevention medications.

Advantage, a lotion, kills mature fleas that might be attracted to your pet when exposed to any environment where flea infestation exists. Applied once a month, the lotion works its way throughout the animal's coat, leaving a protective residue on the skin.

Advantage, like Program, does not create any adverse side effects. The one disadvantage is that bathing your pet will wash away the chemical residue, leaving your pet unprotected. Advantage is a relatively expensive product, so making repeat applications more than once a month becomes a major budget consideration. Both Program and Advantage are available by veterinarian prescription only.

There are other pet sprays, flea soaps and flea collar products that, used along with meticulous grooming, can still be effective in dealing with the adult fleas. Consult your veterinarian for recommendations on flea products for use on your specific pet.

A well-supplied pet store will have the other products described here. Nematode sprays also are available at your local nursery.

Keep in mind that the battle is ongoing. One female flea can lay 500 eggs, capable of growing rapaciously reproducing adult fleas in as little as 10 days.

The best you can hope for is control, not eradication of these pests. If your home has severe flea infestation, it is often best to begin the battle by consulting a professional pest control service that employs a number of these methods as well as spray insecticides. Once the area is rid of infestation, keeping the environment flea free with some of these products designed for homeowner use will be an easier task. Q: I would like to know how to deodorize my garbage disposal. I pour bleach and dishwasher detergent down it periodically, but it always has a bad odor. A: Baking soda is a good deodorizer. Try sprinkling baking soda over ice cubes and then churning them up in your disposal. The ice works to congeal the fat, allowing the unit to grind the fat into disposable bits.

As a general rule, avoid putting fat or grease into the unit. From time to time, grind up lemon or any kind of citrus rind in the unit to help remove odors.

In the day-to-day use of the unit, be sure to flush with plenty of cold water each time you use your disposal. This means letting the water run after the garbage has been ground up. This will help prevent odor-producing residue from building up within the unit. Send inquiries to Here's How, Copley News Service, P.O. Box 190, San Diego, Calif. 92112-0190.

How to Create a Flea Preventative Spray With Nematodes?

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/realestate/1997/06/14/heres-how/674bc707-8d7e-41ef-91c1-deaa98aad282/

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