Worst Is Ahead -- If You Think Fleas Are Plentiful Now, Wait Until The Rains Come

"The flea, though he kill none, does all the harm he can." John Donne, 1624

Are you ready for the mother of all flea seasons?

While some of you have been waging chemical warfare with these bedeviling parasites for weeks, the worst is yet to come.

Once the seasonal early autumn rains begin, fleas will be jumping out all over. For some, flea infestation and subsequent treatment have been ongoing since last winter.

Dr. Alan Mundell, a Seattle veterinary dermatologist, characterizes the present state of affairs as "pretty bad," but cautions September and October weather will likely bring out even more problems.

"The mild temperatures last winter allowed adult fleas as well as immature ones to survive. Normally, just the flea eggs and cocoons make it."

Because fleas thrive on humidity, the warm rainy days of autumn will provide optimum conditions for many to hatch.

One of the questions Mundell and other veterinarians are often asked by owners of multi-pet households is: "Why are two of my animals being eaten up by fleas and another doesn't seem to be bothered?"

The answer: The two have a sensitivity to flea saliva while the other does not.

To stop the ubiquitous flea, owners must take a three-step approach, says Mundell. That means treating the pet, yard and house.

When it comes to product choices, they're everywhere. In fact, Americans spend an estimated $1 billion annually battling the flea. . . .and many come away exasperated and defeated.

Mundell says ultrasonic boxes and collars are ineffective and many other heavily advertised products produce limited results. He advises using pyrethrin-based (chrysanthemum extract) sprays and dips on dogs and cats.

"Read the instructions carefully," he says. "The frequency of application for dogs is greater than cats, which have a higher sensitivity."

Mundell suggests if you walk your dog regularly in parks or areas often traveled by other canines, apply a mist to the animal - a pyrethrin product - upon returning home. "When you treat your pet and premises, make certain you protect it," he explains. "It's easy to bring fleas back into the home."

There are more than 2,000 species and subspecies - only about six commonly infest our pets - of this annoying critter, whose ability to survive chemicals and weather is nothing short of astounding. Some veterinarians attribute this durability to its armor-hard shell.

Here is some additional flea trivia that helps explain why it's so difficult to control this insect:

-- A female can lay as many as 40 eggs per day and as many as 2,000 in her lifetime.

-- Fleas are attracted to house pets by the warmth of the animal's body, its movement, changes in light intensity and the carbon dioxide it exhales.

-- A female consumes 15 times her body weight in blood daily. The adult flea's only food source is the blood of its host.

-- Fleas accelerate almost 50 times faster than a space shuttle does after takeoff.

-- Fleas can jump 150 times the length of their bodies - which is equivalent to a man leaping nearly a thousand feet.

-- Fleas can leap tirelessly. One entomologist clocked a flea jumping 30,000 times without stopping.

-- The life span of the flea ranges from 30 days to a year, depending on the environment, but is believed to spend only 5 percent of its life on a host.

At the American Veterinary Medical Association national meeting in Boston this month, Dr. James Blakemore, a Purdue University veterinarian, put the flea wars in perspective: "We're no further ahead than we were 100 years ago in terms of eliminating the flea, even though we're way ahead in methods of use for control and knowledge of how to apply them effectively."

Flea allergy dermatitis may be only the tip of the problem, however. Mundell treats dozens of pets with secondary problems such as anemia, hair loss, ear infections, yeast and staph infections and flea-transmitted tapeworms.

Here are several other treatment suggestions from veterinarians and readers this year and past:

-- Vacuum areas of the house frequented by pets two to three times weekly at this point in the flea season. While the vacuum will suck up flea eggs, these may still reproduce inside the bag. Before disposing of the bag, wrap it in an airtight plastic bag.

-- After vacuuming high-traffic pet areas, scatter some 20 Mule Team Borax soap about the rugs. One reader applies it with a strainer and then walks over the area to work it into the carpet. This procedure needs to be followed every 10 days to two weeks.

-- Brush your pets daily with a flea comb. Drown any removed fleas in a container filled with either dish soap or flea shampoo. While the comb is an excellent diagnostic tool, it is not a highly effective form of therapy. You'll need to treat the pet and premises, and you may need to take the animal to your veterinarian for a thorough checkup.

One of the best resources I've found for home treatment is Fleabusters.

The firm, with offices throughout Western Washington, applies sodium polyborate powder to rugs, upholstered furniture and wall crevasses, all sites frequented by fleas.

Marc Golden, president of Fleabusters, Inc. in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties, says the substance causes the dehydration of the flea's outer and inner surfaces, resulting in the loss of body fluids.

It also creates a blockage of the parasite's digestive tract, leading to starvation. "Both of these are physical rather than chemical," he adds. The flea cannot build an immunity or escape the deadly effect once in contact with treated surfaces."

Fleabusters offers an unconditional one-year guarantee on its work, according to Golden, whose license plate reads "NOFLEAS." Treatment for an average three-bedroom rambler is approximately $180.

-- Mail information regarding dog and cat events to Classified Division, attn. Marilyn Fairbanks, Dog and/or Cat Events, The Seattle Times, P.O. Box 70, Seattle, WA 98111. All releases must be in writing. Information must be received by Monday prior to Sunday publication. Be sure to include a public phone-contact number.