Fleas & a simple little known fact that kills

You'll never believe this but it's true...simple table salt, used on carpets, etc, like (carpet freshener) will kill all fleas.  Put it down, wait 1 hour, vacuum and no more fleas.  I had to let everyone know.  It's so cheap, a few boxes of salt and your good.

wow! does it dehydrate them ?I wonder how it works?

I'll add to the curiosity pile:  how does it work? 

well a quick google comes up with a few ..cough..answers ...

They eat it and die

The salt absorbs moisture where the fleas like to hide and makes undesirable  living conditions(for the fleas) .

The salt dehydrates the flea eggs ( I could see that)

and the final opinion......its and old wives tale.

I have never had a flea problem in our current home so I can't do my own experiment.

I think it is something that could be worth working into the article, but I would just like to hear more about it.

Plus, I kinda wonder about the toxicity of lots of table salt all over the house - I imagine that it is perfectly safe.

That's a new one on me. Good to know!

Salt destroys concrete and asphalt.

It's pretty corrosive.  If I had good carpeting, I wouldn't put salt on it.  Besides, when people come in with damp shoes, they can track it onto your hardwood and vinyl flooring... pretty gritty.

Sue

That is a excellent point sue. In large amounts salt could be just as damaging as a pesticide both in and out of the house. I think I will stick to the alternatives.

Been a pet groomer forever....but after realizing what the chemicals can do to yourself and your pet.  I found Cinnamon and capstar.  You give the captar pill to your pet...usually about 5 dollars...it will kill all the fleas on your pet within 24 hours.  Just ask your vet for the pill.  Don't take your pet in.  Save the money so you do not have to pay for an office visit.  Or go to a pet store and get it there. Then sprinkle Cinnamon....fleas, flies, ticks and mosquitoes....HATE it.  I have heard that you can sprinkle it on your pet or in it's food..they love it.  Also it is very healthy for humans.  Sprinkle your steps too....so they don't ever want to come back.  Around the barriers of your house is good too.  Most dollar stores have big bottles for a dollar.  best of luck....but I have not talked to one person who was not succesful with this.

I am absolutley going to try this....on my goats! I want to see if those nasty lice that show up in winter won't take a hike with a dose of cinnamon. I especially was looking for an alternative to dusting the barn with chemicals, sounds like this might be it!

I plan on using food grade DE for my cat and dog, haven't done it yet they just got the stuff from the vet that goes on their neck. The store bought type is worthless.

I have found that the only over the counter ones that work are the ones that contain methoprene (sp?). if they jsut contain perm or py rithryns they are worthless.

I've used the flea stuff you put on the animal's neck, but I can't help but think that applying can't be good for them when you read the attendant warning:

ADVANTAGE (Imidacloprid):    "WARNING    Hazards to Humans: Causes eye irritation. Harmful if swallowed. Do not get in eyes or on clothing. Avoid contact with skin. Wash hands thoroughly with soap and warm water after handling. Keep out of reach of children. Do not contaminate feed or food."

FRONTLINE (fipronil ):  "First Aid

"Have the product container or label with you when calling a poison control center or doctor or going for treatment.
If Swallowed: Call a poison control center or doctor immediately for treatment advice. Have person sip a glass of water if able to swallow. Do not induce vomiting unless told to do so by a poison control center or doctor. Do not give anything by mouth to an unconscious person.

"If in Eyes: Hold eye open and rinse slowly and gently with water for 15-20 minutes. Remove contact lenses, if present, after the first 5 minutes, then continue rinsing eye. Call a poison control center or doctor for treatment advice.

"If on Skin: Wash with plenty of soap and water. Get medical attention if irritation persists.

"Pets may experience some temporary irritation at the site of product application. If signs persist, or become more severe within a few days of application, consult a veterinarian immediately. Certain medications can interact with pesticides. Consult a veterinarian before using on medicated animals. Consult a veterinarian before using this product with other pesticides. This product may be harmful to debilitated, aged, pregnant, or nursing animals; consult a veterinarian before using."

REVOLUTION (selamectin): 

"Revolution is not for use in humans. Revolution should be kept out of reach of
children. In humans, Revolution may be irritating to skin and eyes. Reactions such as hives, itching and skin redness have been reported in humans in rare instances. Revolution contains isopropyl alcohol and the preservative butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). Wash hands after use and wash off any product in contact with the skin immediately with soap and water. In case of human ingestion contact a doctor immediately."


One area of information that is often 'hidden' or at least, not easily available, is information on the carrier, the oily stuff that the 'active ingredient' is mixed with.  In some cases, as with RoundUp herbicide, the carriers are actually more dangerous than the active ingredient.

Sue

p.s.

If you do choose to use any of these products and your pet has a reaction, veterinarians and pet emergency clinics advise the immediate bathing of the animal in a good dishwashing detergent like Dawn or Joy.  Regular dog, cat or human shampoo is NOT suitable.  You need a product that quickly breaks up and disperses the oily carrier.

Sue

I second the carrier point of sue. often the actual active ingredient is pretty benign or only harmful to specific organisms and the other stuff is what you need to worry about. sort of like vaccines, its not the killed organism that is neccesarily the problem it is all th preservatives that it is spiked with.

I used cinnamon in my yard it worked! We had no flees for a year. I just picked up 3 bottles from the dollar store and shook it all over my back yard. I was worried the rain would wash it away. But we had no flees for over a year!

Kathleen Mendez wrote:I used cinnamon in my yard it worked! We had no flees for a year. I just picked up 3 bottles from the dollar store and shook it all over my back yard. I was worried the rain would wash it away. But we had no flees for over a year!

Interesting! Diatomaceous earth has always been my go-to. Maybe mixing in a little cinnamon would help with future deterrence

Kathleen Mendez wrote:I used cinnamon in my yard it worked! We had no flees for a year. I just picked up 3 bottles from the dollar store and shook it all over my back yard. I was worried the rain would wash it away. But we had no flees for over a year!

Just came here to search because by the end of last summer our backyard was overtaken and we were finding fleas regularly after coming inside. It was late in the season so I bathed dogs, applied DE two times and waited it out. We are lucky to not have carpet and only the cat goes in and out, so no major infestations. But I do hope to get a jump on the next 'flea' season. Thank you for coming here to claim success! Gives me a bit more oomf to get it going. Think I'll apply cinnamon now, start adding that and brewers yeast to food and do the DE towards the end of the rains.

Definately going to try both cinnamon AND salt!