Yard treatment for fleas/ticks - Page 2

Interesting, I might look into that. I mean at this point and time there is nothing in my yard. But I've never been here at this house in the spring/summer, so I'm not sure how it'll be come that time of the year.

The IGR type fire ant control products and products such as the slow acting insecticide Amdro or baits are safer for dogs, pets and children but they will do little to control fleas.  The fire ant pesticides that control ants are primarily nerve toxins or pyrethroid type pesticides and can affect your dogs depending on the application methods used should they ( the dogs ) come in contact with pesticides. Imidacloprid s widely used for lawn insect control and is a potent neurotoxin for some dogs. The Seresto flea collar contains imidacloprid and has had many health effect problems in dogs. The more neuro toxins your dog has in the environment the greater the cumulative risk of neurological effects. Use imidacloprid in your yard, house and dogs flea collar and the danger of side effects and toxicity rise accordingly. The safest pesticides for the yards and dogs depend on growth regulator ( IGR ) or insect predators such as beneficial insects, nematodes or predatory fungi , etc. .. Controlling fire ants and fleas in the yard or property the dogs live on is not without risks for the dogs when neurotoxins are used so they should only be used when needed. Humans walk around upright wearing shoes with soles that absorb little of the pesticides and transfer almost none to our feet by absorption. Dogs have no shoes and absorb pesticides via both contact with soil, vegetation, and inhalation. Dogs lick their feet and body parts. Dogs vacuum up smells and vapors coming off the soil and plant surfaces with their noses and lungs. Dogs also lick and eat plant materials or lick moisture and drink water from sources outside. Baseboard insecticide treatments are common for interior pest control in homes, offices, and businesses and pose little threat to adult humans but toddlers and dogs are much more involved and live their lives close to the baseboard of the house.  Likewise carpet and interior insecticides for fleas must be used sparingly.  Fleas are capable of producing many generations per year and the basic rule of pest control is that if you do the same thing too many times the pest will evolve to defeat your control method.  Switching active ingredients and control mechanisms is highly recommended.  Switching between biologic control, chemical controls and physical controls is best for the dogs and slows resistant or more difficult to control new pest development.  However this method takes more knowledge and understanding of the pests and their life cycles.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imidacloprid

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amdro

 

Very good post Bubba! Every single thing you said makes sense. I guess I should have stated that my case may be a little different than folks that live in the city as my yard is approximately 3 acres and 80 acres around most of the yard to the back of our property. The place we have the most problem with fleas is around my husband's kennels and barn where he keeps his bird dogs. Also, another target area is around my carport. He doesn't sprinkle the entire area with fire ant poison. All his dogs are kenneled, and he works and trains them in our pasture and hollows around the pasture. He works the shepherds in the pasture also. Years ago we had a Lab that stayed out in the yard (we don't have a contained fence) just wood around the front pasture to keep horses in and barbed wire in the back pasture. The Lab slept under the carport, and there has been a problem in that area ever since. He is supposed to be fencing around the house and all sides surrounding it during Christmas break (believe it when I see it). We have to do something about the fleas as they get completely out of control in the spring. The thing is we never had a problem with them until people started building across the road from us about 15 years ago. So far the fire ant poison has been the only way to control them. I buy Comfortis for all the dogs until we get them under control and give it to them for two months back to back months in the spring to help get them under control. Also, we have tried dipping the dogs and spraying promethean in the target areas which didn't help at all. What products would you recommend using and how would you go about alternating them? Thank you for your answer in advance.

Comfortis ( spinosad ) is just as effective at 1/2 the recommended rate on a three week dosing interval versus a full dosage schedule on a 30 day interval. Two months of recommended rate for your dog's weight Comfortis given at 1/2 rate every three weeks will control fleas for three months or 12 weeks. Obviously the lower maximum dosing and lower over all total dose is better for your dogs and your bank account. I pill split and sometimes mix my own spinosad dosages. Comfortis (spinosad) is for fleas only. Spot-ons with synthetic permethrins and/or generic Frontline plus synthetic pyrethroids add some tick control. Some have mentioned DE and biological controls such as an IGR and they also have a place in an integrated pest control program for dogs. In my area controls for fleas, ticks, heart worms and internal parasites such as flukes ( worms ) are all part of an integrated program. Sometimes in areas with biting flies and livestock nearby various general, face and eye flies may attack both the dog's eyes and ears as well as create a sanitation problem with waste products. I feed raw and see little problem with general waste type or biting flies unless cattle congregate near my dogs. The proximity of ponds and lakes both to the animal's runs and their housing can also increase some insect problems such as flies, mosquitoes, and gnats. In general I don't use any one control method for a pest problem for more than three months before I rotate to something else. Sometimes not doing anything is fine such as heart worm controls from late November to early December through April to early May in this area.