Vacuum Cleaners Effective Flea Killers

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sudsmaster

sudsmaster

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Recent research has shown that just about any vacuum cleaner is as effective as insecticides at killing fleas.

Apparently the physical trauma of the vacuuming process abrades the fleas' exoskeletons to the point where they can no longer survive. Rotating brushes were mentioned; I just wonder if vacuums without rotating brushes and with the fan behind the bag are as effective.

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Yes, I read that already in old texts from the time of the Third Realm (Hitler time) when the Nazis forced the electrification in Germany very much and it was said that "vaccuuming is the only hygenic way to keep a German house really clean and free of fleas as it draws the gaps between the floor boards clean" which were common at that time. Even dusting wasn't recommended at that time but the housewife should "use the vac to draw the dust away with the dust-brush attachement"...

Just for experience I did follow that hint once but found it really weary- and cumbersome.

So, there must be something right on that, because at that time rotating brushes were unknown here in Germany as we had only canister-vacs.

Ralf
 
Aspiradora peligrosa!

~Needham studied the cat flea, or Ctenpcephalides felis, the most common type of flea found in households.

Ctenocephalides.

CTENO- (from XTENA) COMB
CEPHALI- HEAD
IDES- a common suffix for nouns including bugs.

It's literal meaning (as best I can find it) is:
"Those litle bug things of the head and comb"

"felis"- cat as in feline.

Unless it means the head of this beastie is the shape of a comb... NAH!

The etymology of this word varies, but I have found similar interpretations on the web.

A friend owns an apartment building. One of his tenants doesn't own a vacuum cleaner. Their bedroom smells awful; perhaps like dirty dog-- something they never had-- nor was the rug exposed to one, ever. He surmises it's the shed-off skin cells (about 5 years worth in this case) rotting in the carpet. YUM!

I had heard a vauccum cleaner kills by the trauma of the insect being thrust agianst surfaces such as the wands, hose paper filter-bag and the air force that dries them out to the point of death.

 
Fleas FEH!

My house and yard are toxic waste areas constantly bombarded with the most powerful insect killing chemicals I can find. (BTW does anyone know where I can get some good old DDT?

I make sure the dog always has his "Reveloution" as well.

Never a flea in my house, yard or on my dog.
 
I used to dabble in entomology; often insects are named after what they resemble, so it's not impossible that the scientific name given to the cat flea is based on their appearance and not their lifestyle. Fleas are flat little things, that's for sure. Maybe they do have combs on their heads, like little chickens. Haven't look at a photo or drawing of one for quite some time now. And thanks to the combination of flea drops and vacuum cleaning, I don't see too many on my cats, either.

Previously I'd had some concerns that the fleas might be able to breed in the dust bag of the vacuum cleaner. But then I've never experienced a hoard of fleas jumping out of the dust bag, even in the years before flea drops became de rigeur. IMHO the biggest advance was when flea growth inhibitors became widely available as both drops and spot sprays. This hormone like substance causes the larval flea to keep on growing until it explodes - it's never able to pupate and become an adult flea. This is important considering the vast amount of eggs an adult female flea can produce - you can kill all the adults but still wind up flea infested unless you do something about the eggs/larvae. Flea drops with growth inhibitor work because the eggs/larvae are exposed from bits of dried blood in the adult flea's excrement, which is mainly what the larval fleas feed upon. Yuck.

I do remember a few years when we didn't have a vacuum cleaner. The family cat was full of fleas, even though we had hardwood floors and swept religiously.
 
The effect of vacuuming on reducing the flea population has been known for a long time. Vacuuming removes both eggs, larvae, pupae and food for the larvae from the floor. Rotating brushes are not essential for this, but can help on carpeting that is not glued to the floor. One should replace the vacuum bag after each use as the vacuuming process leaves most eggs and larvae unharmed and adult fleas are triggered to emerge from the pupae in the bag because of the vibrations.
 
Don't look at ME honey!

This is important considering the vast amount of eggs an adult female flea can produce - you can kill all the adults but still wind up (flea) infested unless you do something about the eggs/larvae.

FEH! Applies to lice and crabs as well.
 
Kidding??

I hope you are just kinnding, concerning DDT, Steve?
No further comment to your article so far...!

I had once fleas in my flat, which my dog brought in although had protection on it. I bought the same, longlasting spray that does the same thing to the pupae as mentioned above - they all disappeared within three days and never came back again. Nowadays I use an aloe-vera dog-shampoo with neam-tree extract and that works perfectly - even no more ticks! I shower her monthly and she looks so gorgeous with her gleaming fur which also appears as smooth as silk!
Last but not least I wash her cushion and her plaids monthly and give it a good shake out of the window every or every second day.
During fur change in spring I use the nozzel attachment of my Kirby which is supposed to be a "massage-tool" but isn't - it's a curry-comb for pets!

Since then I never had any problems with "insects" again!

Ralf
 
Fleas!

My first year of grad school involved living in a dorm at the Savannah College of Art & Design. I had just completed 4 years in dorms at Mary Washington College with no complaints. The SCAD dorms were another story. They were foul, unkempt, unsanitary, the dryers weren't vented, the windows were all sealed, there were a series of massive sewage leaks, and the place had FLEAS! It was an old HoJo that was hastily converted into a dorm. After several weeks, the school finally called in an exterminator. The exterminator did not get all the rooms, nor all the common spaces. They had to make several trips. My friends and I kept the fleas in our rooms down to a dull roar with the following method:
Wait until 4:00 in the morning.
Take ALL the clothes out of the closet and dresser and remove all bedding, then fill every washing machine in the laundry room and wash EVERYTHING.
While the wash was going, we would de-flea the floor (carpeted), mattresses, and furnishings with my Electrolux (Thanks Super J!).
We also cleaned our bathrooms and dresser drawers with the most toxic chemicals we could find that wouldn't melt our clothes.

It worked! (mostly).
When my friends and I got a house after living in the dorms from hell, right after we moved in, we bought some flea (and other living bugs and critters) bombs. We gassed the entire house to kill anything that came with us, anything that was already there, and anything that got in our way.

Fleas are a pain,
Dave
 
According to the article, the vacuuming process kills all stages of the flea - eggs, larvae, pupae, adult.

As I recall, the magic chemical flea growth hormone that gets rid of eggs/larval stages of fleas is called "Precor" (brand name). I think it's off patent now but I forget the generic name. Something like S-Methoprene. It's of low toxicity to mammals so that's a good thing.
 
Precor and it's competitors is the only thing that will truly rid the house of fleas, I have found. However, it has been very difficult to find recently. Enforcer was the big Precor manufacturer, and they no longer sell it on the retail market. I have to look in little, out-of-the-way Ace Hardware stores to find it.

I have hardwoods throughout the house. One gallon of water, one vial of Precor, 1/2 cup of Murphy's Oil Soap. Apply liberally with a mop, then wring out mop to pick up the liquid. Let air dry. Works wonderfully.

Says me of the 14 cats...
 
Down here on the Gulf Coast, fleas can run rampant. And they seem resistant to anything used to kill them.

About 10 years ago we used to send the dogs off to the kennel and bomb the house, then repeat the process in 8 days again. Then we would dump at least 200lbs of Dursban on the yard (well we did have a VERY lare yard) and we'd still get fleas.

Finally Frontline came on the market. We use it on our dogs every 6-8 months. The stuff is wonderful. We only have to put chemicals on our lawn once a year (In September, Chinch bug season you know). No more fleas, period.
And then we use a Miele vac. We vacuum twice a week. Once with the vac set on "Vulcan Death Grip" power setting.

Speaking of vacs, remember my sister (yes the one who hoards food and won't use the Miele dishwasher as it is "an investment"? )Well when she bought a Rumba she gave away her Kirby G4. She said the Rumba would do a good job on all the floors and it's soooo much easier to use! It's been two years now since she made that decision. With 5 cats (she's a cat person too) I wonder how odor free the Rumba has made her house?
 
Vacuums with brushrolls can be vicious to anything living in the carpet. When I read this it didn't surprise me too much, but I was glad to know it, but hopefully I never have to use that knowledge...

As for DDT, not to take over the thread, but it has been since proved that it was not the cause of the softening egg shells. Even though science has proven this fact many environmental organizations insist that is still be banned. Had they been able to use DDT millions of people would not have died...

http://www.freewebs.com/bfg75/vacuumvoicesforum.htm
 
Flees

My vet in PA where I lived at the time told me about a product called Ectoguard. it worked very very well on the problem places in the house as well as the Front line. those took care of the animals and the house.
For the large yard I had I used to use diatimasous earth. yes the same stuff used in pool filters. It would work very well. it would smother the flees when it got on them and it was a way to take care of them naturally with out a lot of chemicals that eventually end up in the water we drink.
I now live in sunny CA in the desert and we dont have fles
 
Flees

My vet in PA where I lived at the time told me about a product called Ectoguard. it worked very very well on the problem places in the house as well as the Front line. those took care of the animals and the house.
For the large yard I had I used to use diatimasous earth. yes the same stuff used in pool filters. It would work very well. it would smother the flees when it got on them and it was a way to take care of them naturally with out a lot of chemicals that eventually end up in the water we drink.
I now live in sunny CA in the desert and in summer its so dam hot they fry!
 
Since Insects and Spiders breath thru body openings called "Spiracles"The air blasts pulled through them by the vacuum cleaner can rupture the insects or spiders internal organs and the air blast just tears the bugs apart.Insects and spiders don't have lungs but the spiracles connected to tubes and ducts that directs the air right to the organs or parts where its needed-That is efficient though.Fan first vacuums tear the insects up from the fan.
 
I held her tightly in my arms,
I knew I could not linger.
I ran my fingers through her hair,
And a cootie bit my finger.

(Benny Hill)
 

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