Fleas

[orcatdog]

If you have checked the news, my home county in Oregon just had another confirmed case of the plague! Yes, mid evil, killed half of Europe plague. My wife's cousin is barely making it at OHSU hospital up in Portland after being diagnosed with Pneumonic Plague. He is the only person since 1995 to be diagnosed with it. The only other two cases of the plague (Bubonic Plague) were also here in Lake Co. Oregon. My dad said back in the 70's some other little girls died after getting it from playing with baby jackrabbits.
It is spread by fleas. Our family is still trying to figure out where / how he may have got it.
But the case has me really on edge. Here when trapping, especially when jackrabbit and cottontail populations are high, my bobcats are absolutely infested with fleas. Coyotes for some reason not as bad. It's practice to always carry a tote or a big plastic bag with a can of raid to let them marinate in it on the trip home from the line. But there is always stagglers in my beard or hair.
It's something to think about I guess.
Luckily if diagnosed early it's really easy to treat. However if you tough it out like my cousin, it may be too late.

[calvin]

I hear fleas in some parts of the country are real deadly. I tried the Raid deal here: put the yote in the bag and sprayed him good. Sealed up and when I opened it up, I got a hefty whiff of RAID. Figured the RAID would likely give me lung cancer and kill me faster than the fleas so I quit there.

Any preventative (for humans) regarding fleas...other than not getting any on you?

[foxcatcher1]

If the weather is cool leave them in the truck over night. After the body cools most of the fleas will be gone.

It works for me most of the time. I have had lice on coyotes crawl all the way to the tip of the hair and stay there BUT fleas usually jump off.

Don

[orcatdog]

Raid has been the only solution. I've left them out in the cold and once brought back into the warm fur shed to skin, some who were burried in deep come back to life once they warm up. It seems like there was once type of Raid that worked better than others. I think it's the blue bottle.
Some areas not a flea to be seen. Then 5 miles away, the animals are infested. Again it seems to me in areas where the cottontails and jackrabbits are thick is where they are.
Anyone got any other methods / chemicals / safety ideas?

[seldom]

Sept 20, 2011 9:53:43 GMT -6 orcatdog said:

Raid has been the only solution. I've left them out in the cold and once brought back into the warm fur shed to skin, some who were burried in deep come back to life once they warm up. It seems like there was once type of Raid that worked better than others. I think it's the blue bottle.
Some areas not a flea to be seen. Then 5 miles away, the animals are infested. Again it seems to me in areas where the cottontails and jackrabbits are thick is where they are.
Anyone got any other methods / chemicals / safety ideas[/size]?

Yes, I've been using a flea and tick upholstery spray for 4-5years now and like it far better than Raid. The directions on the spray bottle advised to spray it on and leave it for 1 hour so I do the same on my canines except I give it a quick rub-in. Spraying Raid into a bag is "dead-heading" the chemical(fumes) back into your face whereas the upholstery spray is applied outside and is "wet" incomparision to Raid so I'm not breathing "blow-back". It kills as advertised because in about an hour, no fleas are trying to pop into my beard!!