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Friday, June 26, 2015

Getting rid of a flea infestation

This is an every year battle around here. I have a field of about 8 acres behind and beside my house. The county lets the grass grow till they have events. So they used a brush hog to cut it down a couple weeks ago. And we have had rain almost every day. A few days were dry in the lower 90's f. (32c) High humidity 70-90% at times. This led to the fea's in the field ruining into all the homes. It don't matter if you have a pet or not. You have flea's in the yard. They will jump on you and enter your home. Or get in like ants do. When it rains the ants come in the house too.
Over the years I have used Dish washing liquid and vinegar. I have tried clear bowls. But they do not work. I have covered the bowls in aluminum foil. That works. I have used white or opaque color, they work. In this photo I am comparing apple cyder vinegar and dawn with white vinegar and dawn or water with Borax. The room will be dark with only the light above them. We will see what has the most fleas. This works. But takes time.






I vacuum and pour salt around to dry up the flea eggs. I am going to try baking soda also. I have read it too, will dry up eggs.
Today I am trying to lower the humidity in the house. I have 2 window air conditioners and 1 dehumidifier going. With just the AC I am down to 53% humidity and 75f (24c) It is almost 4am in the morning. So It may be hard to get or keep humility down. It has been raining most of the night, temp of 70f outside with 83% humidity.

From Wickpedia 
 A laboratory study showed that vacuuming catches about 96% of adult fleas. In arid areas, less than 5% of flea eggs complete the life cycle. Because humidity is critical to flea survival, eggs need relative humidity of at least 70–75% to hatch, and larvae need at least 50% humidity to survive. In humid areas, about 20% of the eggs survive to adulthood. Dehumidifiers with air conditioning and vacuuming all may interrupt the flea life cycle. Lower temperatures slow down or completely interrupt the flea life cycle. Fleas thrive at higher temperatures, but need 21° to 32°C (70 to 90°F) to survive.

So with that info. I wonder if, I will only keep them inactive, or will they leave? 

I have wondered why do the flea's not die from all the rain? 

  • A flea submerged for up to 12 hours will appear to be dead, but can revive in about 60 minutes after being removed from the water.
  • A flea submerged for 18–20 hours will appear to be dead, but can revive in 4–5 hours after being removed from the water
  •  About 24 hours of full submersion fatally drowns a flea.
  • This also means they can survive on things you put into the washer. But should die from the heat of the dryer. 
Have a wonderful day and remember to laugh and play.Photobucket

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

The joy of raising chickens.

 May the first peep hole began
 12 hours later May 30th Lizzy was free from the shell. Later that night number 2 peeped.
May 31 Yokie was helped out of the shell by Lizzy.
June first they were both out of the incubator. At first Lizzy would peck on the smaller yokie. But she held her ground. I had them separated
.I cut up a cloths basket and made a wall. But Yokie kept getting thew. She put up with Lizzy. Soon they started getting along.
They started enjoying each others company.
 Now look at them June 10th. Little Yokie is not going to be told what to do much longer.:)
 She found a way to look Lizzy eye to eye and say. Hay, I am just as big as you. :)
Have a wonderful day and remember to laugh and play.Photobucket