Fleas in Yarn?

[antara]

Recently, we've had a flea outbreak. The cats are being treated, everything soft is getting cleaned, and the carpets are getting vacuumed and shampooed.

 

Does anyone know what to do with yarn in cases like this? I've thought about putting the skeins in pantyhose and washing them, but here's the thing. When I woke up this morning and looked down at my socks, they were covered in fleas. It was disgusting, and I certainly didn't put them on like that last night. I peeled them off and put them straight into the washer, along with some bedding, but I didn't stretch them out first - I dumped them straight into the wash. They managed to hide in the folds of the sock and survive the trip through the washing machine. I'm afraid they'll do the same thing with yarn, as it seems like a pretty easy thing to burrow into.

 

I would really prefer to not have to throw away the yarn, as there's a lot of it and some of it was rather expensive. Does anybody have any words of wisdom for me? Or is my yarn destined for the dumpster?

[DogCatMom]

Go to a pet-supply store and buy the new, food-grade quality Diatomaceous Earth. I've been using it on my cats since last November. I feed it to them twice a week and I dust them with it as well. The DE works very well against fleas. BE SURE that you purchase food-grade quality DE; this is why I'm recommending a pet-supply store. Garden-quality and pool-quality will NOT work. In fact, pool-quality DE is dangerous to people unless those people are wearing respirators: it contains silica and will cut lung tissue.

 

Here's my suggestion after you purchase the DE (it was something like $17 for 9 oz by weight):

 

Take the yarn outdoors, where you can spread it out in the daylight. Take the DE with you, and as many plastic bags as needed to contain your stash. Dust the skeins with the DE and put them into the (airtight!) plastic bags and seal the bags. Shake those bags up, making sure to distribute the DE throughout the bag. A little goes a very long way: each of my cats weighs approx. 10 to 12 lb and gets 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp, or 1.25 mL) twice a week.

 

Leave the yarn in the bags for 10 days. I didn't pull this number out of the air; it's the life cycle of a flea. The vast majority of the little demons will have died by then, either from the DE or from the length of time. The eggs will have been cut up by the DE (but it's not dangerous to you).

 

Free the yarn from the bags--outdoors again, so you can give it a good shaking to get rid of dust, DE, and dead flea yuck.

 

I *do* have a Plan B, but it's 1) fairly impractical for most yarn stashers, and 2) kind of disgusting if you really think about it.

 

Put the yarn into the plastic bags, don't worry about Diatomaceous Earth, and put the bags into a freezer. Not top-of-the-fridge freezer: a freezer which is only a freezer. Leave the yarn there for at least 3 days.

 

Good luck, whichever way you decide!

 

DCM

[losingmymind2]

Plan C: get a WHITE cat, fleas are attracted most to light color objects (like my ankles). Put the prescribed dose of Advantage brand flea drops on the cat. Within 24 hours fleas on cat are dead. Then put cat with yarn and fleas will go from yarn to cat, bite and die.

 

I've seen fleas survive (dazed but alive) my washer, too. We have problems with them on the dogs, and in the lawn. If you want to really get rid of them for good, you have to treat the yard, too.

[DogCatMom]

Plan C: get a WHITE cat, fleas are attracted most to light color objects (like my ankles). Put the prescribed dose of Advantage brand flea drops on the cat. Within 24 hours fleas on cat are dead. Then put cat with yarn and fleas will go from yarn to cat, bite and die.

 

I've seen fleas survive (dazed but alive) my washer, too. We have problems with them on the dogs, and in the lawn. If you want to really get rid of them for good, you have to treat the yard, too.

 

1) Fleas do *not* survive the dryer. Put as much of the laundry as you can into the dryer. If possible, bathe the cats (either yourself or find a groomer who bathes cats).

 

2) You can treat the lawn with the food-grade DE, but it's going to be $$. The garden-grade DE doesn't have sufficiently small particles to be effective against fleas; most gardeners use it for snail/slug control, and some have had success against ants.

 

DCM

[AshyN]

Mom would always buy bomb's is what she called them. But basically you take your animal's out of the house and you walk to the furtherest you and start setting them off. I think you wait a couple hours before returning and your flea problem should be gone especially in yarn. but mom would make me wash all the dishes after wards to be on the safe side. Oh and to be real safe I'd powder the yarn with 7 dust They sale it at tractor supply. kills ants, roaches and Flea's plus more. check it out it worth a try?

[Real Deal]

Doing the bombs does entail a lot of work, but will get rid of your critters. You must take your cats, plants, and fish out of the house for the day. I put them in the car in the shade, and give the cats their food, water and litter out there. All animals must be removed from the house.

 

Vacuum every room.

 

After doing the bombs and going back in after the stated safe time on the package, you must wash down all hard surfaces, and vacuum all soft surfaces. This is because poison is now on everything and has to be cleaned away the best you can. You don't want your pets to lick it.

 

I wipe any hard surface ~ table and chairs, countertops, cupboard fronts, kitchen and bathroom floors, anything.

 

I vacuum the carpet, couch, soft chairs. I change the bed and wash the old bedding.

 

I bring the pets and plants back in after the place is also aired out well.

[sopo]

The white cat bit isn't entirely true. My mom has a yorkie, a white cat, a tortie and a sphynx (naked cat). Fleas are so bad this year, they all have them but the white cat does NOT have any more than the others. I think the yorkie has them the worst as she brings them in from outside. A flea comb gets a lot of them off her.

 

As to the house, she is trying the Diatomaceous Earth. I've researched and read a lot about it. We are also putting it in the yard for a couple reasons. It's safe for the pets/horses in the yard, it helps keep flies away. Have also fed and used it on our horses. The horses we put it on had MUCH less flies on their faces. The one wild horse was still covered with flies as we couldn't catch her to dust her.

 

I would at least try it first. Good luck with it all. They are sure bad this year.

[RoseRed]

Don't forget between the mattress and box spring. They like to live there also.

 

Pine needles are an excellent bug repellant and don't smell too bad.

 

I hope you can get rid of them. It'd be a shame to have to lose all of that yarn.

[Becky Morgan]

I can vouch for the yarn-freezing working and diatomaceous earth also works very well. If the DE doesn't get rid of them fast enough you can also get Frontline spray (fipronil, not toxic to mammals) from a vet's office. We try to go organic, but when it comes to fleas it's difficult because we have an older cat who is violently allergic to their bites and nearly died last year.

[SharonB551]

Butting in here a little bit but some of the info posted is not really accurate. I am a veterinarian, so this is what I do for a living. The life cycle of the flea is not 10 days - it can be extremely variable as the larva can go dormant for months and then become active when the environmental conditions are right for them to continue.

 

Attraction to white cats is not true - it is just that the fleas are much easier to see on the white cats - doesn't mean the black cats don't get them - just not as obvious.

 

When you treat the cats (frontline, advantage, whatever you choose, but do NOT use Hartz OTC products as they are very toxic to cats), the fleas on them will die, but the eggs in the house will eventually hatch, and then if the cats are "protected", the fleas will bite people. This is probably why you are seeing so many fleas at this time.

 

Diatomaceous earth is not recommended (regardless of the grade) to be used due to risk of inhalation resulting in lung damage. This would especially be true if you have anyone (people or pets) that have airway diseases such as asthma. Probably okay to use outdoors if you choose. Boric acid powder has been used and found to be safe and effective in the entironment but I would not use it on the pets.

 

It may be worth your while to hire an exterminator if you have a really heavy flea load and it sounds like you do. Just treating the pets will eventually get rid of the fleas, but it will take a while becase the eggs in the home have to hatch and the the fleas grow up and try to get on the animal before they will die. In the meantime, the adult fleas may bite the humans, which will stil allow them to lay more eggs. Fipronil spray is a good product and could be used in place of the exterminator. The bombs have pretty much lost favor - they are a lot of work and they don't penetrate particularly well, and with the spray you can put it where the fleas are most likely to be (cracks, crevices, upholstry, bedding).

 

Frequent vaccuuming (and this is important) and then throw the vaccuum cleaner bag away outside the house after every single vaccuming - if you don't, the fleas will crawl out of the vaccuum cleaner bag and reinfest and the eggs/larva will continue to develop inside the home.

 

Regarding the yarn, I think freezing the yarn would be a really good approach - This should kill adult fleas as well as eggs and larvae.

 

Here is a very good link to discuss fleas, life cycle and methods of control.

http://www.drmichaeldryden.com/fleas/3/fleas

 

Good luck - fleas can be challenging to get rid of, especially if you live in the southern climates where fleas are developing some resistance to our commonly used products.

[DogCatMom]

Butting in here a little bit but some of the info posted is not really accurate. I am a veterinarian, so this is what I do for a living. The life cycle of the flea is not 10 days - it can be extremely variable as the larva can go dormant for months and then become active when the environmental conditions are right for them to continue. ...

 

When you treat the cats (frontline, advantage, whatever you choose, but do NOT use Hartz OTC products as they are very toxic to cats), the fleas on them will die, but the eggs in the house will eventually hatch, and then if the cats are "protected", the fleas will bite people. This is probably why you are seeing so many fleas at this time.

 

Diatomaceous earth is not recommended (regardless of the grade) to be used due to risk of inhalation resulting in lung damage. This would especially be true if you have anyone (people or pets) that have airway diseases such as asthma. Probably okay to use outdoors if you choose. Boric acid powder has been used and found to be safe and effective in the entironment but I would not use it on the pets.

 

It may be worth your while to hire an exterminator if you have a really heavy flea load and it sounds like you do. Just treating the pets will eventually get rid of the fleas, but it will take a while becase the eggs in the home have to hatch and the the fleas grow up and try to get on the animal before they will die. In the meantime, the adult fleas may bite the humans, which will stil allow them to lay more eggs. Fipronil spray is a good product and could be used in place of the exterminator. The bombs have pretty much lost favor - they are a lot of work and they don't penetrate particularly well, and with the spray you can put it where the fleas are most likely to be (cracks, crevices, upholstry, bedding).

 

Frequent vaccuuming (and this is important) and then throw the vaccuum cleaner bag away outside the house after every single vaccuming - if you don't, the fleas will crawl out of the vaccuum cleaner bag and reinfest and the eggs/larva will continue to develop inside the home.

 

Regarding the yarn, I think freezing the yarn would be a really good approach - This should kill adult fleas as well as eggs and larvae.

 

Here is a very good link to discuss fleas, life cycle and methods of control.

www.drmichaeldryden.com/fleas/3/fleas

 

Good luck - fleas can be challenging to get rid of, especially if you live in the southern climates where fleas are developing some resistance to our commonly used products.

 

Many traditionally trained veterinarians are very much in favor of using chemicals to fight fleas. Unfortunately, studies (and I can provide citations if you like) are showing that imidacloprid, an IGR and the active ingredient in many spot-on flea meds, is implicated in Colony Collapse Disorder, which is devastating honeybee populations worldwide. This alone is a strong reason to avoid them: no honeybees = 40% of our food supply will not be pollinated.

 

One of the links at the site you link to requires the reader to sign in or join to read the info. I'm on so many lists that I did not do this and simply moved on down the links.

 

One of the PDFs states: "Flea eggs usually hatch in one to 10 days, depending on temperature and humidity." This means that keeping the yarn in a sealed plastic bag with the DE for 10 days--as I originally recommended--will prevent those eggs from hatching *and* will dehydrate/desiccate the eggs, preventing future fleas from hatching.

 

Food-grade DE, when applied as recommended on the container label, is safe even for kittens. It's not "poofed" onto the animal in a cloud of dust. I take a pinch of it and place it under the arms (axial area) and in the thighs (inguinal area) of the cats, then gently rub/distribute the DE in those areas. These are where *my* cats tend to host fleas. I can flea-comb the rest of their bodies, but my long-haired male detests being flea-combed on his abdomen, so he gets the axial/inguinal DE treatment. Both cats get it in their food.

 

The specific brand of food-grade DE I use is "Lumino Diateomaceous Earth for Pets, an organic alternative for flea, tick and parasite control. Food grade. Made in USA. Organic Materials Review Institute [OMRI] listed. Net wt. 9 oz."

 

Here are some excerpts from the label:

 

"This remarkable substance is a desiccant--used externally it destroys the waxy outer shell of fleas and ticks, causing dehydration." "Internal Application: Safe to use daily. [then there's a table telling the reader how much to add to the food for kittens up to dogs over 100 lb]." "External Application: Massage into pets' coat, avoiding eyes and nose. Sprinkle around pet bedding as a further deterrent. Allow up to 72 hours for results. Safe to use weekly or as needed....Safe and effective when used as an organic wormer and to treat internal parasites. EPA approved as a food additive." "Warnings: For animal use only. Do not inhale. Dust may cause eye and respiratory irritation."

 

Mfr: Lumino Wellness Advocates, Vancouver, WA 98663; (800) 870-2170; http://www.LuminoWellness.com

 

 

Exterminators are notorious for their "chemicals first, last, and always" point of view. Many, many people react negatively to these chemicals, not always knowing that it was the chemicals that made them come down with "the flu" several days after the exterminator's visit. This is yet another reason for trying all possible non-toxic methods first:

 

1) Bathe the cats, following up with DE and flea combing on a regular basis after this crisis is over.

 

2) Wash the cats' bedding and anywhere else they've slept with hot water, followed by a trip through the dryer for everything that can possibly be dried. Clean hard surfaces to ensure that all eggs are gone.

 

3) Wash, in the hottest water they can tolerate, anything else where fleas are seen or suspected to be. Dry as in #2 above.

 

4) Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum. And, indeed, stock up on vacuum-cleaner bags. Vacuuming twice a day is not an over-reaction.

 

5) Stockpiles of yarn or fabric should be treated with DE or by freezing, whichever is manageable.

 

6) The yard/lawn should also be treated with DE. Rain will not destroy its efficacy, but may re-distribute the DE, so check for evenness of distribution after any rains.

 

7) It might also be worth your while to vacuum your car(s).

 

DCM

[losingmymind2]

I can testify the HARTZ brand otc products can be dangerous. Almost lost a dog to it and to this day he still has terrible itchy allergy attacks over 8 months after ONE bath in flea shampoo. Found a website with testimonials of many people whose pets have had problems including deaths after using their products.

[antara]

Thank you all for your suggestions. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you, it's been a long and stressful few days. I hate to do it, but I think I'm going to throw most of my yarn out. I'll save the more expensive stuff and give it some time in the freezer, but the rest will probably go. Last night I found out I miscarried our first baby. I was about 6 weeks along. Getting rid of the yarn will be a bummer, but it's probably the least stressful option I've got, and the last thing I need right now is more stress. Thank you all again for taking the time to answer my question.

[yarnjeannie]

My condolences to you on your loss. Sending prayers your way.

[DogCatMom]

Oh....that's just so sad. I'm so sorry. Please take whatever time for yourself you need, in whatever way you need it. You don't need to answer to us!

 

DCM

[antara]

Thanks, Jeanne, and DCM. I appreciate it.

[c.m.archibald]

Mint works really well too. We've had a particularly bad year for fleas this year, But i had a mint plant in our garden that had nearly gone to the stage where it would be classified as a weed (enough to fill 1.5 plastic bags) I spread it all around the carpet in our house, the pets beds, underneath our bed and left it for several weeks. No need to step around it as walking over it releases the oils into the air and carpet and repels fleas. Although, thankfully, I didn't have fleas in my wool, I put a few sprigs of it under my wool basket and in a circle around it so that they wouldn't go near it. The more mint you use and the longer you leave it there the better the result. As for wool that already has fleas in it, it might be advised to push a few leaves into the centre of each ball and a lay them out, after a few days you could put them back where you normally have them and place mint leaves in between all of the balls, underneath them and on top of them to prevent them from infesting them again. A few cotton balls soaked in tea tree oil and placed in the wool basket will also help although this will need to be replaced every few days (as it evaporates) until there are no longer any fleas in the house and/or yard.