Registered: Jun 2003
Location: East Texas
Posts: 828

i'm interested in hearing if anyone has used the micro-organisms known as 'nematodes' that are supposed to 'eat' flea eggs as a method of organic flea control. A fellow coonhounder recommended them to me stating he 'hasn't had a flea in years' since putting them out. our local feed store carries them now and the price seems real reasonable - 25 dollars should treat our grounds and last at least a year.

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Lynn Wilson Hill
Howling Hills Kennels
www.coonhoundcrew.com

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Registered: Jul 2003
Location: Texas
Posts: 4324

They work GREAT and the best part is there's nothing there to poison the dogs.
HOWEVER
You MUST keep the shaded areas where you distribute them MOIST. Since fleas don't live in places with direct sunlight, that's a help. I kept the program going for a couple of months - NO FLEAS. But if you allow the nematode areas to dry out they then die and you're back to no flea protection again.
I loved the program but it took dedicated time to keep the nematode areas effective.

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Anchorage,Ak
Posts: 1727

also if you go with the nematodes don't spray of put out any bug killer or you'll kill them as well. I didn't realize they were still being used we tried to sell them in the vet clinic i worked at back in the early 90's and no one wanted to try them.

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Registered: Jul 2003
Location: Texas
Posts: 4324

I forgot to mention that you can't spray for other insects & if you've recently treated the area with various sprays the nematodes won't even have a chance to "come alive" and do their job.
I'm pretty much resigned to using (for outside pens) Bio Spot and regularly spraying doghouses and surrounding area with Adams. Of course there's no flea problem in the kennel building because there's no place for fleas to reproduce. I believe many people don't realize that fleas live 80 percent of their lives OFF the dog. They are ready to reproduce after their first blood meal. They survive in moist, shaded dirt areas, dog dander/debris, bedding, etc.

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: ALABAMA
Posts: 5183

Five million nematodes cover 300 sq. ft. They must be applied when soil temperatures are 55-85 degrees.

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Registered: Jul 2003
Location: Webster, Fl.
Posts: 2584

They probably won't do me any good. It is hard to keep sand moist all the time and it is already getting up to 90 degrees already.
We use advantage and flea granuals. Seems to get the job done.

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