N O N - T O X I C   F L E A   C O N T R O L

Jeff Howard



via EnviroNet (04-01-90)





        In many areas of North America, the arrival of colder
weather often means frustrating encounters with tiny,
uninvited house guests - those pesky fleas. They hitch-hike
inside aboard pets in the autumn and settle in for the winter.
You can kill them with pesticides, but doing so means you must
expose yourself and your pets to the same chemicals, the same
"biocides." 



        Commercial flea collars, for example, contain pesticides
which slowly evaporate into the air, surrounding your pet's
head with a cloud of toxic vapors and polluting the indoor air
which you and your family breathe. "Flea bombs" are even
worse, saturating the entire building with chemicals which
remain biologically active for weeks or months. Having your pet
"dipped" by a vet means giving the pet a bath in pesticides!



        EPA's pesticide testing program leaves little room for
peace of mind about such exposure. Most pesticides now in use
in the U.S. have never been tested at all. Testing of hundreds
were faked by a corrupt laboratory, as has been amply
documented in recent years, and EPA has refused to withdraw
approval for those chemicals. Even those pesticides which have
undergone the full battery of EPA tests have not been analyzed
for a full range of biological effects. As with all toxic
chemicals, the sane policy is not "acceptable exposure" but
"exposure avoidance." That is not government policy (yet), but it
can and should be our personal policy.  

     

        Fortunately, you do not have to resort to heavy-duty
chemical violence to deal with a few thousandths of an ounce
of fleas. If you are willing to invest a little effort, go a bit out
of your way, and be patient, you can rid your pets and home of
these tiny pests without jeopardizing your family's health and
happiness. 



        Here's a combination that works. Don't expect overnight
miracles like you'd get with pesticides, but expect results:   



o   Keep pets clean - A bath with warm soapy water is enough
to drive most fleas off your pets. Or brush pets often with a
fine-tooth "flea comb." 



o   Food supplement - Regularly add brewer's yeast to pets' food
to build up their immunity to fleas.



o   Repellants - If needed, use this herbal rinse on pets: Add 1/2
cup fresh or dried rosemary to a quart of boiling water. Steep
20 minutes, strain, and cool. Spray or sponge evenly onto pet
and allow to dry. Do not towel-dry.  For more serious
infestations, use a commercial pet shampoo made with
"d-limnolene." 



o   Natural flea collars - Make a collar of cloth. Dab on small
amounts of citronella oil and/or pennyroyal oil (essential oils
available at health food stores).



o   Build a flea trap! - Believe it or not, you can catch fleas by
tricking them. Fill a shallow dish with soapy water; place it on
the floor in an infested room; suspend an incandescent light
bulb or lamp over the bowl. Many fleas will jump toward the
light, fall into the dish, and drown!  Others will hang out in the
light waiting for you to pick them up and toss them into the
water! This works best in a dark room. Use the trap for a day or
so in each room until you've wiped out the (flea) population.



o   Vacuum frequently - You will see big results almost
immediately, and your house and pets should be flea-free
within several days. 





N O N - T O X I C   M E T H O D S   A L S O   A V A I L A B L E . . . 



To control - ants, termites, cock roaches, ticks, lice, pests on
houseplants, flies, spiders, silverfish, mice and rats, all sorts
of garden pests



To clean - floors, dishes, laundry, sink & tub, counters, carpets,
ovens, drains, windows and mirrors



To polish - all metals, furniture, floors, shoes



Office products - glues, pens & markers





F O R   M O R E   I N F O R M A T I O N



o   Nontoxic and Natural: How to Avoid Dangerous Everyday
Products and Buy or Make Safe Ones, Debra Lynn Dadd, 1984



o   "Common Sense Pest Control Quarterly," Bio-Integral
Resource Center, P.O. Box 7414, Berkeley, CA 94707 



o   "Pesticides and You," National Coalition Against the Misuse
of Pesticides, 530 7th Street NE, Washington, DC 20003



o   "Stepping Lightly on the Earth: Everyone's Guide to Toxics in the Home," 
Greenpeace, 1017 W. Jackson, Chicago, IL 60607 

  "Stepping Lightly on the Earth: Everyone's Guide to Toxics in the Home," 

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Another text file from STONEHENGE BBS [415] 479-8328
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