Can You Treat Your Yard For Fleas ?

[kittypa]

I have a horrible flea problem in my yard this year. Like nothing I have ever seen. I have 3 community cats that hang around my place and they’re being eaten alive. One was TNR’d last week and treated while he was there. The other male will get the same as soon as I can trap him. That leaves Mama Kitty and I can probably do her, but if I don’t do something about their environment, my yard, they will be infested again soon. Fleas have even got in the house this year. I haven’t had to treat my house cats in years.

Anyways, got any advice/pro tips about the outdoors ?

 

[Norachan]

I haven't used it myself, but I've heard great things about diatomaceous earth.

How to Kill Fleas and Ticks with Diatomaceous Earth

You can use it on your pets, in your home and sprinkle it around the yard too. It works best when dry, so you have to reapply after rain

 

[kittypa]

That is an interesting tip. I’ll look into it. I notice they specified food grade DE. I have never heard of such. I used to use it in my swimming pool filter.

 

[FlawlessImperfection]

We used to have a grub and tick problem, since using this I haven’t seen another flea either. We treated our lawn last three or four years ago! Just put down before rain etc. I’m not sure when it becomes safe to walk on afterwards, but we never had a problem.
I hate to say it and jinx myself, but last year Vadar never had ANY flea and tick meds it worked so well!
Shop Sevin 10-lb Insect Killer Lawn Granules at Lowes.com

 

[posiepurrs]

Check out using beneficial nematodes. Usually organic gardening supply places may have them. They are a parasite for flea, tick and beetle larva that live in the soil. They aren't cheap, especially if you have a big yard, but the effects will last several years (at least it did for me) and it is NOT a pesticide so as soon as the grass dries it is safe for the animals to walk on.

 

[silkenpaw]

posiepurrs Great info about the beneficial nematodes! Thank you.

 

[kittypa]

Standing in the driveway...

 

[1 bruce 1]

We've used DE (diatomacious earth...make sure it's food grade in case of accidental ingestion!) and nematodes. Both things work wonderfully!!
The picture you posted of your legs covered with fleas is crazy!! Where did they all come from??? =/
Wondercide is safe and effective for a quicker kill method. They do sell a bottle you can attach to your hose and spray your yard with. Depending on the size of your yard, this might be an option to consider and then further treat with DE and nematodes.
We had a terrible flea problem bloom when we brought an ill kept puppy into our house that was infested and his poor health seemed to attract even more fleas. They flocked to him and eventually infested everyone. I feel your pain (literally. those little s*** fleas bite humans, too!)

 

[silkenpaw]

kittypa Your photo with fleas is about ⅓ as horrible as my ankles looked standing on my carpet shortly after we moved to Florida AKA Flea Heaven. We tore out the carpet that week. My poor Tache was allergic and looked like she had just gotten chemotherapy - her rear end was naked. Needed steroids to stop itching.

 

[FlawlessImperfection]

Oh my goodness!! I’ve never seen anything like that! Burn everything and move to Alaska! Ahhhhhhhh I’m going to be itching for a month after seeing that picture!!

 

[Anniecat_]

I have a horrible flea problem in my yard this year. Like nothing I have ever seen. I have 3 community cats that hang around my place and they’re being eaten alive. One was TNR’d last week and treated while he was there. The other male will get the same as soon as I can trap him. That leaves Mama Kitty and I can probably do her, but if I don’t do something about their environment, my yard, they will be infested again soon. Fleas have even got in the house this year. I haven’t had to treat my house cats in years.

Anyways, got any advice/pro tips about the outdoors ?

We made a spray of witch hazel and rose geranium oil that smells great and is safe and natural! Not sure if t works for fleas but it works for ticks!

 

[kittypa]

I ordered some DE with a duster today. Couldn’t find any food grade in the stores so I had to go online. This is a nightmare.

I really do, however, appreciate all the responses. Thank you.

 

[kittypa]

That Wondercide sounds pretty good too. Imma see if I can find some of that.

 

[FlawlessImperfection]

I ordered some DE with a duster today. Couldn’t find any food grade in the stores so I had to go online. This is a nightmare.

I really do, however, appreciate all the responses. Thank you.

Best of luck, (and no itching!) to you and your ”maminals”!
(As my son used to say)
(Sorry for the inexcusable (excessive) use of punctuation)!!!

 

[basscat]

For the lawn I use Cyper TC. It's a liquid concentrate that you dilute with water in a garden sprayer. We have always waited a day after spraying to let the cat go out. But, I've seen plenty of wildlife snorting through it a few hours after and it sure doesn't hurt them.
I spray the house with it, porches, patio, driveway, under the house, etc...just everywhere. When I open the front door the next morning after spraying, the front porch is crunchy.
I spray every month or so during the warmer months and we have no bug problem what so ever.
One flea or tick infestation is about all that's needed to get serious with your pest control products.
This stuff will rid you of ants too!

I've tried safer, more eco friendly, more pet friendly stuff. Just seems I'm never satisfied with those results.
When it comes to fleas though.........

 

[FlawlessImperfection]

For the lawn I use Cyper TC. It's a liquid concentrate that you dilute with water in a garden sprayer. We have always waited a day after spraying to let the cat go out. But, I've seen plenty of wildlife snorting through it a few hours after and it sure doesn't hurt them.
I spray the house with it, porches, patio, driveway, under the house, etc...just everywhere. When I open the front door the next morning after spraying, the front porch is crunchy.
I spray every month or so during the warmer months and we have no bug problem what so ever.
One flea or tick infestation is about all that's needed to get serious with your pest control products.
This stuff will rid you of ants too!

I've tried safer, more eco friendly, more pet friendly stuff. Just seems I'm never satisfied with those results.
When it comes to fleas though.........

Amen brother, amen.
Boom Boom!

 

[kittypa]

Srsly, an infestation like this will inspire you to go nuclear. I’ve got three community cats that I care for, that hang around, so they have to be able to walk through it. Other than that, all options are on the table.

62 years on this planet and I’ve never seen anything like this.

 

[FlawlessImperfection]

Srsly, an infestation like this will inspire you to go nuclear. I’ve got three community cats that I care for, that hang around, so they have to be able to walk through it. Other than that, all options are on the table.

62 years on this planet and I’ve never seen anything like this.

Perhaps you should cover your bases by having a priest, medicine man, ring of salt etc also, you know- to be safe.
But still use flame throwers.

 

[doomsdave]

View attachment 243636 Standing in the driveway...

Yeah, reminds me of when the kittens got fleas in a series of litters back in 2009 and 2010, which fleas got into the carpet. (Getting rid of fleas on little kittens was almost impossible till they got big enough that you could use Advantage or the like on them. Dandruff shampoo baths are temporary at best.)

Diatomaceous earth got rid of them completely; I used the kind used for pool filtering. It's quite fiendish; you sprinkle in the rug, then vacuum, and any live fleas are shredded by the diatoms you've already gotten into the bag. (Muah ha ha.)

 

[doomsdave]

I ordered some DE with a duster today. Couldn’t find any food grade in the stores so I had to go online. This is a nightmare.

I really do, however, appreciate all the responses. Thank you.

Let me know how it works!

Thirty years ago, I managed a garden shop, and people complained endlessly about fleas in their lawns in Diamond Bar. Back then, the approved remedy was to spray diazinon or dursban bug killers from a hose-end sprayer after you'd watered the grass really thoroughly, and shut off the auto-watering system to keep the watering from washing the bug killer away. Diazinon smelled nasty, but it kept the fleas at bay. You could also use malathion and sevin, but they didn't work as well, since they didn't last long, and fleas can be stubborn. Also, repeat treatments were necessary to deal with eggs. Diazinon and dursban have been banned in California, though.

So, hope the DE works, and keep us apprized!