European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 11, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Heas release Melet me go. Iane Brody new York times any pet owners Aro so embarrassed by an invasion p i Leas that they Are even reluctant to admit to physicians veterinarians at exterminators Ihal hey their pet Sand their households Are sealed Wilh these Liny wingless blood thirsty insects to some acknowledging a Flea problem in a Pel is Akin to admitting they Haws a disease caused by lilt i and careless Hygiene. In fad Heas can by flick a meticulously cared Lor animal and Home. The result of this reticence is a Bull Market in overline counter Sten control products that Promise a Quick fix but rarely solve the problem and sometimes Causa a very sick Pel. Last summer Lor example hundreds o dogs and cats died or became severely ill in the United states alter their owners used a widely advertised new product blockade made by Haiti Moon loin the company expressing Conli Dunca in the product s safely has nonetheless Lompo Ranly removed it irom Sale until additional safety less Are completed. However blockade can Sih be found in some stores in the United slates. Members of the household Loo can become ill when pesticides to Light teas Are improperly or indiscriminately used. Many Pel owners who spurn potentially toxic chemical pesticides waste time and Money trying to gel rid of unas by feeding animals such worthless cures As Brewer s yeast Vitamin i and garlic. On the other hand ignoring a Lea problem can have serious consequences Lor both pots and owners. Fleas can carry 3 parasite. The dog Lap worm that can cause intestinal distress and anal itching in a Pel and May even in decl people especially infants and Small children who Aie morn Likely to Swallow the larvae. In some parts of a country Heas can transmit Murino typhus which is a rash and fever j producing viral infection Orlu Aremia a i bacterial infection some fleas can also transmit bubonic plague. Real bite hot Only Pels bul people. Tea bites olten trigger an intensely itchy allergic reaction that when scratched can j become infected. At the same time Many i Pels especially eals and about Hall of All people Are not sensitive to Tea Biles so t the owners May not realize a Flea problem exists until a new animal or person joins the i household. The varying sensitivities also explain Why some people and Pels in a household Are attacked by fleas and others i seem to be left alone. Ridding your Home and your Pel of Leas is not a simple task. It requires a synchronized All Points attack and usually professional assistance. But veterinarians who specialize in Uto problem among inc Fol or. Steven a Melman of the animal dermatology clinic in Potomac us insist that with persistence and determination it can be done safely and . There Are some 19,000 species o this ubiquitous and tenacious insect but the most common Llaca pest of dogs cats and people is the Cal Flea Steno Halides lets. The Lull life Cycle of a Flea May be As Short As 18 Days or As Long As 1o years. The Lea lives most of its Lile off the animal even adult Leas spend Only about 10 percent of their time on animals which is Why they Are hard to find on pets. Both male and Lemale Leas need meals of blood to mature sexually. A single Lemale Lea can produce More than 400 offspring during a lifetime at up to a year. Usually six to eight tiny while eggs Are Laid every other ridding your Home and pet of fleas Day on the animal they soon fal Olf or More Likely. In the animal s environment. In afew Days or weeks the eggs Hatch into larvae which feed on dust and Dirl in the environment. Alter weeks or months the larvae spin protective cocoons in which the pupae can rest for months until conditions favor hatching into an adult in search of a blood meal. Fleas prefer a warm moist environment making them year round problem both indoor Sand out in the Southern states. However during cold Northern Winters they die off outdoors which makes this the Ideal Lime to attack persistent Flea problems in the colder regions. To gel rid of Ileus requires killing of All stages eggs and larvae As Well As adults. This usually Means a Cycle of treat Only to hit new generations As they emerge plus the use of residual chemicals to provide control Between treatments. Ii also requires simultaneously treating any and All hiding places carpels furniture bedding cracks and crevices kennels cars and Yards frequented by the Pel. A Well As the Pel itself. By Las the most Papular and probably least effective method of Flea control is the Flea Collar Melman said. Although collars imbedded with pesticides May discourage adult fleas irom staying Long on the animal they May not protect the whole animal and they do Little for a Lea Ridden environment. The new ultrasonic collars to said have not yet been tested in a Wen designed clinical trial and would Sutler from Iho same limitations of chemical collars. Flea soaps and shampoos can my adult fleas on the animal but they provide no lasting Protection against new . Over the Counley sprays and powders arc rarely a ten i enough la provide Long lasting control and unwitting use of two or More products Wilh the same or a similar chemical could result in a tonic dose to the animal. Plainer than Belem pm Dohl Yourse Dee control Melman recommends this approach executed under 1ho guidance of a veterinarian. The House. Every Nook and cranny of the House that la frequented by 1ho Pel must to very thoroughly vacuumed. Carpels ideally should be Slean cleaned an rfcs pet bedding materials either ire aled with a pesticide or washed and dried at a High Lemp Grature. Then the House must be sprayed Wilh a residual pesticide that both Dills adult fleas immediate to and thwarts the emergence of new adults. Products preferred by me Roan it Litiere Aie no pregnant women or crawling infants in the House Combine the chemical Chlop Trifos sold Over the counter in the United slates As Durban with Melhop Rene Procor. Chlop Trifos kills the adult fleas while Melhop Rene prevents new adults from emerging and remains effective for 70 lo90 Days. A Micro encapsulated Pyro Chiin sect Rola natural Plant derivative that is minimally toxic to mammals can be used in place of Chlor Pyrilis. You can Ireal lha House yourself using several total release aerosol bombs. Melman suggests however thai for slightly More Money you can do a better Job by buying a Spray tank or hiring an experienced exterminator. Be sure All people pets and plants Are removed first and loads and Ealing and cooking areas Welk overed. Afler spraying stay out of the House for at least several hours. The Yard in areas where Winters Are Mikl and during the warm months elsewhere outdoor areas used by die pet should to treated at the same Limo As the House with malathion or Durban for a Large had or Dialinos powder Spectra cide for a Small Yard. The pesticide can be applied with a sprayer thai attaches to a Garden Hose. Be sure to follow instructions on the pesticide Label. Repeat the treatment two More limes Al 10 to 14