Kitty Cash had the worst case of fleas I had ever seen (they were part of what nearly killed him; the parasite caused him to stop eating, and the fleas nearly drained him dry, literally). We don't know where they came from; our outdoor cat and puppy don't have a flea on them. We tried every single medication we could find. The only thing that worked was CAPSTAR, and it worked well, but only for about 24 hours (by design, I guess I should note). We had the house professionally sprayed four times, all to no avail. We were at our wits' end.
Then I did some research and came across
diatomaceous earth.
Quote:
Diatomite is also used as an insecticide, due to its physico-sorptive properties. The fine powder absorbs lipids from the waxy outer layer of insects' exoskeletons, causing them to dehydrate. Arthropods die as a result of the water pressure deficiency, based on Fick's law of diffusion. This also works against gastropods and is commonly employed in gardening to defeat slugs. However, since slugs inhabit humid environments, efficacy is very low. It is sometimes mixed with an attractant or other additives to increase its effectiveness. Medical-grade diatomite is sometimes used to de-worm both animals and humans. It is most commonly used in lieu of boric acid, and can be used to help control and eventually eliminate a cockroach infestation. This material has wide application for insect control in grain storage.
This stuff was an absolute Godsend. It's ground-up phytoplankton, similar to coral. It's harmless to us, but on a microscopic level it's rough. It pierces the fleas' waxy coating and causes them to dehydrate and die.
$16 bought us a three-pound tub, and we spread it around everywhere in the house. It's just a fine powder, similar to talcum. Safe to eat, rub on pets' fur, no chemicals, yadda yadda yadda. Also, being a mechanical killer rather than a chemical one, the little bloodsuckers can't become immune. Put it down in the carpets, pet bedding, etc. (wear a dust mask to keep from inhaling it while it's floating around in the air, and if you're like us, three days later the flea problem is solved.