Does DE work on fleas?

RedTartan · #1 01/21/08, 09:33 AM

I have a flea problem I need to take care of naturally. I need them gone quickly. Before I spend the money on DE, I'd like to know if it really works. Please vote in the poll and tell me about your experiences with DE and fleas.

Thanks,

RedTartan

P.S. I've never done a poll before, so I'm hoping I'm doing everything right...

tickranch · #2 01/21/08, 09:39 AM

It worked for me, it was very messy and it took a few days but it did work.
I'd do it again if I ever have another flea problem.

RedTartan · #3 01/21/08, 09:47 AM

Can you tell me exactly how you used it? I'm planning on dusting my pets and carpets. How long do I have to leave it down before I vacuum it up and how heavily must I dust...

In other words, how messy is "messy"?

Thanks much,

RedTartan

DownHome · #4 01/21/08, 09:50 AM

We have DE but we didn't use that for our flea problem last year. We used Borax. I would think DE would probably work too. I sprinkled it all over the offending floors before we went up to bed at night and swept it up in the morning. Got rid of the vaccuum bag immediately and I left it sprinkled around the edges all the time. After about 2 weeks or so, we didn't notice any more problems.

We figured out that since our dogs were sleeping right by the door we all use to walk in the house, we were tracking the eggs in on our shoes. I always take mine off in the mud room and this finally convinced DH that that was a good idea. GL

fiddlerswife · #5 01/21/08, 10:08 AM

Or should I say, my critters.
Nary a flea in sight since then.

cybercat · #6 01/21/08, 10:17 AM

I do not know about DE but I can tell you from all my years working with animals on a professional level garlic does. I used to live in south FL as a groomer, breeder and pet sitter. I owned 30 dogs and cats total at one time. We had real bad flea problems till I started using garlic powder in the food. Also took care of the worms. For my german shepherds they would get a 1 tbls per feeding. Cats alot less and I made my own food for them. Garlic works but it might take a bit of time to build up.

The borax will work for the home. The key to fleas is treat every two weeks for they cycle that fast in the growth and eggs. You can also build a flea trap with a shallow bolw and a light above it just put a little soap in the water to break water tension. At night set it up where you have a problem and the fleas will jump to the light and drown in the soapwater.

HTH

Wolf mom · #7 01/21/08, 10:35 AM

I agree with cybercat about using garlic in your pets food. (And they do not smell like garlic)

Works the same way that eating vinegar keeps mosquitos from biting humans.

tickranch · #8 01/21/08, 11:15 AM

I sprinkled it all over the carpet and any furniture that had cloth material that I couldn't put in the washing machine. I then took a broom and swept the DE on the carpet so it would get worked down into every fiber. Vacuum often, the vibration and heat brings out the fleas and encourages the eggs to hatch. Eggs can lay dormant for a really long time. I vacuumed three times a day , I only changed the bag once a day though, but I kept the vacuum outside when not in use. Wash everything you can in the washing machine in HOT water.

By messy I mean there was white powder EVERYWHERE for a long time. I would wear a dust mask while sprinkling and vacuuming until it settled.

edit to add: I sprinkled it heavily in the evening, let it sit over night and then vacuum three or more times through out the next day, then repeat that night. I didn't see anymore flea activity after a few days but I continued with the treatment for a full week just to be safe.

ozarkcat · #9 01/21/08, 02:38 PM

So someone has to ask the stupid question - - - What is DE?

RedTartan · #10 01/21/08, 04:18 PM

Ozarkcat,

Here's the link where I bought mine: http://www.internet-grocer.net/diatome.htm

Everyone else,

Thanks for weighing in. I ordered some today and really hope that it works for me since it worked for so many of you.

RedTartan

mysticokra · #11 01/21/08, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ozarkcat

So someone has to ask the stupid question - - - What is DE?

DE is short for Diatomaceous Earth. It is the remains of microscopic sea creatures (plankton, I think) that died many years ago and settled to the bottom of what was then the ocean.

The diatoms have sharp edges and the dry nature of the product causes all kinds of grief to many bugs.

We use it to manage the worms in our cows and the flies in their cow pies.
It's good stuff.

Get the food grade quality, not the swimming pool stuff.

I get it from www.perma-guard.com.

Mrs_stuart · #12 01/21/08, 04:30 PM

You can use salt on your carpets and such to "kill" fleas too. YOu sprinkle it all over and leave it...vaccuum every day and sprinkle more salt...the salt dehydrates them and kills them, the vacuuming picks them up and disposes bodies as well as some living ones and the eggs... just remember to remove the vacuum bag and throw it away after each vacuuming or they can and will crawl out of the vacuum... It usually takes about a week or so, but i would recommend doing it for 2 weeks to catch any hatching cycles.

Just remember that any thing like that that you put on your carpet, is not "good for it" and you should remove all of it as soon as you can, because it will wear it out faster than normal.

Oh and I think de will work, but it is messier than salt imho!!

Belinda

mtman · #13 01/21/08, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mysticokra

DE is short for Diatomaceous Earth. It is the remains of microscopic sea creatures (plankton, I think) that died many years ago and settled to the bottom of what was then the ocean.

The diatoms have sharp edges and the dry nature of the product causes all kinds of grief to many bugs.

We use it to manage the worms in our cows and the flies in their cow pies.
It's good stuff.

Get the food grade quality, not the swimming pool stuff.

I get it from www.perma-guard.com.

it is a crustacion not plankton