Cats, fleas and an aquarium oh my.

moondoggy4

Team RC
So my wife has two cats and I have 4 tanks, she wants to spray the house to kill the fleas and was wondering if there is something that can be used that is safe around the aquariums? Die you pesky flea's:uzi:

I am sorry I cannot fix the spelling error on the title.
 
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Sorry to hear that. I'm going to state this st the top... fleas are a pain to get rid of and not 1 single thing does it (do a search to get an idea). You have to hit them on all fronts over time. Here are a few things that you can employ as your routine

Vacuume everyday and dispose of the thebconyents of Vacuume outside in a bag. You must do this everyday for several weeks

But a 5 1/2 pound bad or larger of diatomaceous earth (non toxic) and distribute around your place (check with vet whether or not ok for cats). Over time, they will walk over this and the crystals will puncture their exoskeleton and this will cause them to die.

Put down glue traps where you can (say the closet). While not the end all of things it will catch some of them a Here and there (obviously where cats don't have access to).

Since they lay eggs, even when you think you got rid of them, there's a good chance another wave is percolating, so stay with the routine even when you think you are past the storm.

In your closet, make sure nothing is on the bottom rack.

Wash all sheets and bedding as frequently as possible

Vacuume the heck out of the sofa

Buy ortho home defense and spray a perimeter around your house. It's safe for indoors but you have pets that can lick it which would be bad. Keep to areas where they do not have access to.

On the commercial side, exterminators have a non toxic formula that is rosemary based. I recommend starting treatment ASAP.

There is another brand that has a peppermint bases spray that is non toxic.

While this is no way an all inclusive list, I hope it helps. You will have keep up a regiment for a period of time (cannot stress this enough). There's no 1 item that eliminates the problem in 1 treatment. Last thing, check yourself before you walk into your place and car, they like to hitch rides. All the best and hope that helps a bit.
 
Sorry to hear that. I'm going to state this st the top... fleas are a pain to get rid of and not 1 single thing does it (do a search to get an idea). You have to hit them on all fronts over time. Here are a few things that you can employ as your routine

Vacuume everyday and dispose of the thebconyents of Vacuume outside in a bag. You must do this everyday for several weeks

But a 5 1/2 pound bad or larger of diatomaceous earth (non toxic) and distribute around your place (check with vet whether or not ok for cats). Over time, they will walk over this and the crystals will puncture their exoskeleton and this will cause them to die.

Put down glue traps where you can (say the closet). While not the end all of things it will catch some of them a Here and there (obviously where cats don't have access to).

Since they lay eggs, even when you think you got rid of them, there's a good chance another wave is percolating, so stay with the routine even when you think you are past the storm.

In your closet, make sure nothing is on the bottom rack.

Wash all sheets and bedding as frequently as possible

Vacuume the heck out of the sofa

Buy ortho home defense and spray a perimeter around your house. It's safe for indoors but you have pets that can lick it which would be bad. Keep to areas where they do not have access to.

On the commercial side, exterminators have a non toxic formula that is rosemary based. I recommend starting treatment ASAP.

There is another brand that has a peppermint bases spray that is non toxic.

While this is no way an all inclusive list, I hope it helps. You will have keep up a regiment for a period of time (cannot stress this enough). There's no 1 item that eliminates the problem in 1 treatment. Last thing, check yourself before you walk into your place and car, they like to hitch rides. All the best and hope that helps a bit.
I had no idea of any of this!

Great post though.
 
had flee problem once.. just need to have the bug killers spot spray, and vacuum. many many many times.

whole house spray once will not work.


i think i had terminix come once a week to spray for a month. in between i had to vacuum the entire house daily.
 
Do everything vsiege outlined above.

I would replace the Ortho home defense with Bifen XTS or Talstar Pro and CSI Tekko Pro IGR. It will be costly upfront but much cheaper than Terminix or Orkin. You can find the three on Amazon along with the needed garden sprayer.
The Bifen and Talstar are insecticides, use one or the other. The Tekko Pro is an insect growth regulator and messes with the fleas life stages, preventing them from turning into adults. I have sprayed both the Biden and Tekko Pro indoors with a small dog and tank with no issues. Pets are able to walk in the sprayed area as soon as it has dried.
 
Thank you to everyone that has chimed in, both of our cats are inside only, so that helps. I have yet to have a flea land on me, but the cats suffer. They will run and bounce across the room, we call it the Flea Bounce or Flea Dance.
 
Something that has not been mentioned is treating the cats. That is an essential part of the multimodal attack. Revolution (selemectin) topical is the most effective flea control for cats. It also controls heartworm, roundworms, hookworms and ear mites and is extremely safe for cats. Other products that are flea exclusive and extremely effective are bravecto, comfortis and credillio.The adult fleas bite the cat ingest the product and die.. Discuss with your veterinarian. Also would recommend borate powder rather than diatomaceous earth. Very non toxic and actually cuts the larvae and they dessicate. Usually available in pet stores, and safe for pets and kids. It will take several months to completely rid the environment of fleas as you now have thousands to millions of eggs and larvae and pupae in your house. They have to hatch out and die and not reproduce. Good luck, it is a winnable battle with continued vigilance. None of these treatments will effect your fish tanks.
 
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Something that has not been mentioned is treating the cats. That is an essential part of the multimodal attack. Revolution (selemectin) topical is the most effective flea control for cats. It also controls heartworm, roundworms, hookworms and ear mites and is extremely safe for cats. Other products that are flea exclusive and extremely effective are bravecto, comfortis and credillio.The adult fleas bite the cat ingest the product and die.. Discuss with your veterinarian. Also would recommend borate powder rather than diatomaceous earth. Very non toxic and actually cuts the larvae and they dessicate. Usually available in pet stores, and safe for pets and kids. It will take several months to completely rid the environment of fleas as you now have thousands to millions of eggs and larvae and pupae in your house. They have to hatch out and die and not reproduce. Good luck, it is a winnable battle with continued vigilance. None of these treatments will effect your fish tanks.

This
 
Something that has not been mentioned is treating the cats. That is an essential part of the multimodal attack. Revolution (selemectin) topical is the most effective flea control for cats. It also controls heartworm, roundworms, hookworms and ear mites and is extremely safe for cats. Other products that are flea exclusive and extremely effective are bravecto, comfortis and credillio.The adult fleas bite the cat ingest the product and die.. Discuss with your veterinarian. Also would recommend borate powder rather than diatomaceous earth. Very non toxic and actually cuts the larvae and they dessicate. Usually available in pet stores, and safe for pets and kids. It will take several months to completely rid the environment of fleas as you now have thousands to millions of eggs and larvae and pupae in your house. They have to hatch out and die and not reproduce. Good luck, it is a winnable battle with continued vigilance. None of these treatments will effect your fish tanks.

This is solid advice. Definitely treat the cats imo. Plus, I've used a flea trap with sticky tape and a blue light that works great.
 
Bayer Advantage II or Revolution as mentioned both work great. They must be used for 4+ months straight to be sure you kill not only all the adult fleas but the eggs. That and vacuum a ton. I've been very successful getting rid of fleas with just that and no other fancy treatments several times over the years.
 
Bayer Advantage II or Revolution as mentioned both work great. They must be used for 4+ months straight to be sure you kill not only all the adult fleas but the eggs. That and vacuum a ton. I've been very successful getting rid of fleas with just that and no other fancy treatments several times over the years.

a little Bayer for the carpet.. a little Bayer for the frag.. miracle poison lol
 
Boric acid is a powder that works great on flees. It is what the good pros use. Combine that with one of the flee meds for cats and you should be able to rid of them quickly.
 
Borates should only be used inside on carpet and furniture. Sprinkle it on those locations and work it into the fabric. Do not put it outside as if it gets wet it is useless. Also fleas do jot come in the house by themselves, so perimeter treatment is ineffective. They come in on a host, dog, cat or person and eggs drop off into carpet sofa etc. Putting powder on tile or hardwood is also useless, as fleas and larvae do not live there. If you want to treat the outside use an insecticide, but only spray it in shady areas where the fleas live. They do not live on your patio or in the grass where it is sunny. Do not let your kids, or pets on it until it is dried.
 
Considering getting a fish tank to entertain my two cats.
My cat can spend hours looking at the fish tank :)

As for the fleas, I'd recommend natural home remedies like lemon, apple cider vinegar, baking soda, aloe, etc. It is possible to make a liquid with these ingredients and gently apply it to your felines’ coat and skin, preferably around the neck area. I followed the guides from this source https://www.catfoodpoint.com/how-to-gеt-rid-of-fleas-on-cats/. Also, it is essential to keep your home clean (vacuum cleaning, washing pillows, blankets, and bedding regularly, processing cat baskets and scratching posts with a steam cleaner, disposing of a garbage bag on time, etc.). In addition to the above methods, we use a flea trap that attracts fleas and fights them effectively.
 
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Boric acid is very affective against fleas. It comes in a fine powder that you sprinkle around. 100% effective in my experience. Works on many other bugs as well.
 
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