Evicting unwelcome invaders from tents

[Meriadoc]

Maybe this will be something new under the sun. Either way, my search came up empty.

Here's the situation:
My roommate's dogs brought home fleas. These fleas took up residence but are on their way out. I have taken to sleeping outside the house in my tent so that I don't provide meals (and thereby mating fuel) to the unwelcome residents. I am doing everything I can to ensure that no fleas come with me into my tent.

Here's the question:
If I fail and fleas hitchhike into my lovely LightHeart Duo, what can I do to treat the tent? Will any pesticides work without destroying the tent? Essential oils? Hot clothes dryer? I am reluctant to simply start experimenting because I don't have a spare scrap of silnylon to use for experiments.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

[Trailweaver]

I think you may be prematurely worrying, but. . . Why not call the company and simply ask what they recommend? I certainly would not start spraying or washing expensive gear with unknown results looming ahead. If I did anything, I'd maybe spray flea spray on a cloth rag and then put the gear in an airtight container (storage box or large covered garbage can) with the rag but not touching each other and leave it for a few days. Then you'd probably need to air it out afterward.

You have my sympathy - fleas are awfully hard to get rid of.

[TrippLite]

Here's the question:
If I fail and fleas hitchhike into my lovely LightHeart Duo, what can I do to treat the tent? Will any pesticides work without destroying the tent? Essential oils? Hot clothes dryer? I am reluctant to simply start experimenting because I don't have a spare scrap of silnylon to use for experiments.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Check out this thread....

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...ight=tripplite

[HeartFire]

I would not spray any pesticides on the tent - if you have a problem, throw it in the washing machine! cold water, mild detergent and hang dry (or set it up outside to dry).
Judy - LightHeart Gear

[Tipi Walter]

I'd stick your rolled up tent in a freezer at 0F for 3 days. Supposed to kill the little motards.

[Hikes in Rain]

1+ on the freezer idea. I've used it for other critters, and it works.

[TrippLite]

I would not spray any pesticides on the tent - if you have a problem, throw it in the washing machine! cold water, mild detergent and hang dry (or set it up outside to dry).
Judy - LightHeart Gear

Facts about Permethrin from Sawyers website...

http://www.sawyer.com/permFAQ.html

[Grinder]

Regards fleas in the house, itself.
The only way to eliminate fleas permanently is to use a "life cycle interrupter" added to the insect killer you use. Otherwise the eggs live on waiting for favorable conditions to hatch.

[Meriadoc]

Thanks folks! Good options here.

[Wise Old Owl]

Fleas cannot handle wash and dryers! But they do transmit deadly disease. Take this very seriously.

1. The emerging eyeless, legless, whitish, maggot-like larvae seek protected areas in floor cracks, carpets, or in pets’ beds, where they feed on organic material such as food, animal waste and adult flea fecal material. The larvae molt three times and mature in seven to 15 days. Unfavorable conditions such as dryness may extend the larval stage to over six months. The larvae often hide in moist sand and pet runways.
2.
The mature larvae enter the pupal stage after spinning silken cocoons from their saliva mixed with other debris. In about seven days, the adult fleas are ready to emerge from their cocoons. Sometimes they rest in the cocoons until a noise or vibration indicates the presence of an animal or human. This is why severe flea problems are often noted after returning from several weeks of vacation, when the fleas are primed for their first blood meal.
The female fleas (1/8″) are a bit larger than the males. Their narrow bodies, with bristles pointed backwards and long, spiny legs, can move forward quickly through fur, hair, feathers, and some loosely woven fabrics. Their hind legs are adapted for jumping. Sucking mouthparts are used to obtain blood from the host, which could be a cat, dog, bird, human, or other warm blooded animal.
It takes 27 to 40 days for the cat flea to complete one life cycle, one generation. A female flea must have a blood meal before she lays eggs, even though she has mated. A hot, dry summer reduces the number of fleas, whereas humid, rainy weather favors their increase. Environmental conditions greatly affect the length of flea’s life. too. Under hot and dry conditions, an adult flea may live from two to five days without a blood meal. Under more favorable conditions and with adequate blood meals, it may survive from one month to a year. The average life of an adult flea without a blood meal is two months. In Maine, all fleas probably overwinter outside in the larval stage. Fleas on animals, in homes, or in favorable temperatures can therefore be a continuous problem.
Pets and other animals are usually blamed for carrying fleas, and perhaps correctly so. But rats and mice can also be sources of fleas or causes of continuing infestation. However, fleas can survive in homes where there are only humans. It is a fact that some humans are resistant to or immune to flea bites. That is, they can live with the fleas and not be aware that pests are present. But most people are very sensitive to flea bites. Flea bites are most likely to be found on the legs of people in flea infested areas. The bites have a red halo around a small red spot, and they may swell. Several over-the-counter medications may give some relief for flea bites.

[MuddyWaters]

Go to the vet and get Frontline.

Put it on the back on your neck, between your shoulder blades.

Just kidding, dont do that.

Seriously, since the advent of Frontline and other similar products, fleas are not even an issue anymore.

[ksquared]

Take a vacuum cleaner, put a little salt in the canister/bag and just suck em up. I don't know why but the salt kills them. It what we always told our patients owners to do at the vet clinic I worked at. The vets swear by it. Pert plus (the green one) works great as a flea killer too if you don't want to use medicated shampoos. Something about green shampoos...


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[Tuckahoe]

Putting salt into the vacuum bag is not enough. Salt is a desiccant and essentially causes the flea to bleed to death and dry out. To be effective the salt should be ground fine and applied directly to the carpet.

Borax will work much the same way.



I was interested in why Pert Plus Shampoo would be suggested, so I went looking. I could not find any legitimate or professional publications or websites that addressed its use. All I found was some wayout there cat owner websites, that passed information as, "well I heard from a friend of a friend" that Pert could be used because it "had pyrethrins, which kills fleas, and makes your head tingle." Which was promptly followed by eeewwws big corporate America is trying to kill us type posts. My head hurts.

[Marta]

My daughter moved into an apartment that had flea-infested carpeting. The thing that finally killed them off was putting diatomaceous earth in the carpeting.

[Meriadoc]

Since the thread has been brought back, here's my report:

The fleas did in fact make the leap to my tent. But they are gone for now. I ended up using a flea spray on the tent - the main ingredients are forms of permethrin. Fortunately, the tent is still intact. (I sprayed the tent in an act of desperation - I was trying to get some sleep before work the next day and the fleas woke me up in the middle of the night and were keeping me up.)

In the house, the key was to interrupt the fleas' life cycle. Diatomaceous earth, flea spray with interrupter, salt, vacuuming - were all employed. Flea spray that kills the fleas, eggs, larvae, and continues to work against larvae for some time was the winning number. That, coupled with vacuuming, broke the cycle.
Diatomaceous earth worked but didn't seem effective at eliminating the population - just slowed them down. It probably needed more time than the week or two I gave it.