[MichaBees]

Ok, my dogs are dancing like James Brown and scratching their fur like Dustin Beaver because we have been invaded by flees. Our peacocks are also suffering a lot.
I need to treat my home yard as soon as possible but, I just do not know how to approach the situation. I have beehives that can not be moved or it is hard to move them for different reasons.
I am even scratching and feel like an overweight old Mariachi Michael Jackson dancing on the moon light with tight pants.

I need help bringing back the harmony into my yard...

 

[JustinH]

Just don't use diatomaceous earth anywhere near your bees. It cannot bee good for their eyes, wings, joints, etc. When my dog gets fleas, I sometimes use DE on her and inside my house. Constant vacuuming and various flea killing pills are the route I go.

 

[G3farms]

guineas

 

[FollowtheHoney]

Mule team borax is good for carpets and fabric but toxic to your dog and self so vacuum thoroughly. Cheaper and less toxic than foggers and the fleas will not build up a tolerance.
I use Advantix plus on the dogs for outdoors.

 

[Brad Bee]

For indoors, if you have carpet or rugs, take a cookie sheet and pour in 1/4" of very soapy water. Put the pan in the center of the carpeted room or rug. If you have a hinged lamp, put it beside the cookie sheet, and put the lamp down low enough that the only light that hits the floor will be directly over the cookie sheet. The fleas will come to the light at night and drown in the soapy water. It will take a few nights to get the adult fleas and you will need to repeat when the eggs hatch.

When I was a kid I saw a flea trap in a magazine. It was a self contained light and pan. I used a lamp my mother used for her piano and the cookie sheet. It was 100% effective. I was the favorite kid for a couple of weeks after that. LOL

 

[wags]

I would reconsider diatamaceous earth indoors UNLESS its in an area of the house you won't be in very often.

The stuff is very fine, and its not good for your lungs to breathe it in.

Ideally, if you are going to use it - its good to leave it in the carpet for a few days to a week, then vacuum it up: but like I said, only do this if it's going to be a part of your house you won't be staying in for long periods of the day.

I'd suggest treating your dogs with meds to kill the fleas, and setting up some sticky light traps to catch the remaining fleas in the house. If the fleas cannot survive on your dogs blood (due to the meds) they will seek out other animals/humans to supplement feed. After a few weeks, you will have eradicated the flea life cycle if you can keep them under control.

You can put some DE in your vacuum canister or bag, and vacuum your carpets often. This will remove fleas and eggs from the carpets, and kill them once they enter the bag (where the DE is). Without DE in the bag/canister, fleas will escape the vacuum in no time.

 

[WBVC]

Use a good product..such as Revolution or Trifexis...or a pure flea product like Advantage or Comfortis......year round on all your dogs, cats, rabbits etc. Capstar will have fleas dropping off your dogs and cats in 15 minutes. In this day and age there is absolutely no need to put up with fleas. They will be in the environment but if you use good on pet products..on all furry flea carrying pets it won't take long to lower the environment load and the pets won't be bothered. If you want a faster decrease in environment load you still keep the pets on product but fumigate buildings and yard.
Ask your vet..they should know what products work best and are available in your region.

 

[RustyKnight]

Diatomaceous Earth comes in two grades, the lower grade is used for pool filters and can contain other compounds and higher concentrations of crystalline silica which can be bad to breath. The other grade I'd Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth, sometimes also called Fossil Shell Flour and is amorphous silica. This product will cause no harm to you or your animals from exposure or breathing. It will kill the fleas if you dust it on the animals by dehydrating the insects and by getting into their joints. This natural product is used by many top dog breeders as a non pesticide way of preventing pests, including feeding it to their dogs to prevent internal parasites. Google FOOD Grade Diatomaceous Earth for lots of info. I have used DE under my beehives in an attempt to control ants with NO harm to the bees. It loses effectiveness if it gets wet though. For a quick overview check the National Pesticide Information Center http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/degen.html. Food grade DE has also been found to be effective at eliminating bed bugs by dusting bedding with it with no ill effects to humans

 

[WBVC]

Diatomaceous Earth comes in two grades, the lower grade is used for pool filters and can contain other compounds and higher concentrations of crystalline silica which can be bad to breath. The other grade I'd Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth, sometimes also called Fossil Shell Flour and is amorphous silica. This product will cause no harm to you or your animals from exposure or breathing. It will kill the fleas if you dust it on the animals by dehydrating the insects and by getting into their joints. This natural product is used by many top dog breeders as a non pesticide way of preventing pests, including feeding it to their dogs to prevent internal parasites. Google FOOD Grade Diatomaceous Earth for lots of info. I have used DE under my beehives in an attempt to control ants with NO harm to the bees. It loses effectiveness if it gets wet though. For a quick overview check the National Pesticide Information Center http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/degen.html. Food grade DE has also been found to be effective at eliminating bed bugs by dusting bedding with it with no ill effects to humans

If you are implying that tested and approved "pesticide products" will harm your pets you are sadly misinformed. They will potentially harm bees. DE will have absolutely no effect on internal parasites. It may lower the number of adult pests but it will not stop their eggs from hatching out.

 

[RustyKnight]

If you are implying that tested and approved "pesticide products" will harm your pets you are sadly misinformed. They will potentially harm bees. DE will have absolutely no effect on internal parasites. It may lower the number of adult pests but it will not stop their eggs from hatching out.

I disagree. Many products on the market for pet use can harm pets and people. Two of the most commonly used products Frontline (Fipronil) and Advantage are (Imidacloprid) toxic to mammalian nervous systems. The dosage used for most animals shows little or no short term effects, however there are thousands of documented cases to the contrary. For a quick guide to flea products and what is in them, and possible side effects see http://www.simplesteps.org/greenpaws-products#/h/+/+/623

I will clarify that I have used Diatomaceous Earth (DE) for ant control around elevated hives. There is no harm to the bees unless they walk in it. Then it will affect them like any other insect with a drying action and abrasion of their joints.
I agree that DE does not stop eggs from hatching, but does act to kill fleas, ****roaches, bedbugs and other insects by the abrasive action leading to dehydration. It is not a toxin and there is no tolerance or immunity build up in the affected insects as there can be with chemicals.
I tend to disagree with you about the internal parasite issue. There are many websites and bloggers who are advertising Food Grade DE for this purpose and testimonials of those who have used it, feeding DE to their pets and to themselves just search "DE internal parasites".

For the purpose of this forum and specifically how to treat a dog, home, and peacock for fleas without harming bees, DE is one non neurotoxin answer. In a yard I would have no problem putting Food Grade in dog bedding, play areas, or grass that is not likely to be walked on by bees. I am not totally against chemicals and most of the formulations used by pest control companies now break down in just a few days. If the hives cannot be moved and chemical use is the alternative of choice then perhaps they can be closed up and covered during the pesticide application, and left closed for a few days for the pesticides to break down. Another interesting article on natural flea control, but taking bees into account can be found at http://www.motherearthnews.com/home...-flea-control-zmaz85mjzraw.aspx#axzz2xm29E0Vw

I am not looking to debate natural vs chemical, or other uses for DE Those topics may be for another venue. I just want to help another beek with the flea problem.

 

[WBVC]

We don't have Fipronil in Canada but it has been well tested for both efficacy and safety as has Advantage.
One is best to read controlled testing by control agencies rather than anecdotal info. I have clients that used these products for years with neuro side effects to themselves or their pets. I can only speak for vet distributed products.
I would not advise insect pesticides around bees.

 

[scorpionmain]

Advantage, Revolution, or Frontline on the dogs will end this.
When I moved onto this property fleas and ticks were a major issue in the yard due to the previous owner not treating his pack of hunting dogs.
Use these spot-on treatments faithfully during the warm months and no more issues.