Fleas

We've been patient. We've tried every natural product we can find. But whenever the dogs go outside, the bring more of the bastards in. We expected to be on top of them by now, but an unusually warm autumn has made them worse than ever. I'm ready to give up, go to the hardware store, and buy the chemicals. I thought I'd give you people a chance to talk me out of it… with practical advice, not just platitudes.

I made a really long reply earlier, but it got moderated (possibly because I suggested limited use of drug treatments while you get the problem under control?)

Anyway - my thoughts are that the outdoor fleas you believe your dogs are bringing in are actually newly hatched fleas from the eggs and larvae that are scattered all around your home. Killing all the adult fleas on any one day is actually only hitting about 1% of the total population in your home. You need to attack every stage of their life cycle.

We have been through this recently and it took over a year to clear an infestation down to ignorably low levels.

What have you been doing to attack eggs and larvae around your home?

Mike