Fleas on Steroids!

Flea



Happy Halloween!  What scares you?  The tone of this political season certainly scares me, but some of nature's pests can be pretty creepy when they get out of control.  My house could hardly be considered dirty or even cluttered, so I ask: Are these pests developing a resistance to traditional extermination methods?   While I miss my dearly departed cat, I suspect she had a part in bringing fleas into my house after those short periods she would get outside.  The little bloodsuckers seemed to have no trouble moving on to my dog Oreo.  I had thought his constant scratching was just a seasonal itch.  A stroke of a flea comb uncovered the tiny parasites.  I had stocked up on Frontline flea treatment and  had already put it on Oreo, yet the fleas had refused to die.  It had always worked before.  The vet put him on a Capstar pill which was supposed to kill the fleas in 40 minutes - it didn't happen.  Three flea baths didn't provide lasting relief either.  Three pesticide-filled flea bombs later, the dog was still managing to pick up the tiny bugs from someplace in the house.  The carpets got shampooed while every floor got vacuumed every day.  Oreo got vacuumed with a special pet attachment.  A flea collar - for fleas and their eggs - followed.   Nothing stopped them!   Another trip to Oreo's vet yielded some K-9 Advantix; you know, the product in the "there ain't no bugs on me" commercial.  That seemed to slow them down.  I still found a couple of stragglers alive in his blanket, but I hope we're nearing the end of this very stressful chapter as his flea comb yielded nothing.  I think I'll set off another flea bomb, just for good measure!