Philosophy on Bug- and/or Spider-Killing

[Converse]

I grew up in Australia so I say if the bug isn’t big enough to put a saddle on or you can’t tell if its grimacing at you- then leave it be.

But I live in a household with 2 teenage girls and a high femme, all of whom go from being Lara Croft to chair climbing, high pitched, eye closing, arm waving, mob bosses demanding that “it” die the moment a spider crosses their path. I’ve often thought about sending a note to their math teacher, asking why the teenagers believe that something smaller than a piece of rice is actually “at least 6 inches round”.

My femme, she is a little better, but put an earwig near her, and she makes the teenagers look like bouncers at a leather bar.

[PearlsNLace]

A friend just told me on Facebook that she was advised by her vet that the topical flea control stuff is not working this year.
She recommended comfortis- and her dog is flea free.

Im taking a deep breath here. The money we have been spending of flea stuff has really been adding up. But as I look over at my dog, I can visably SEE the damn things crawling on him.

[Nat]

Before you spend the 90 bucks on comfortis - my two dogs are on it and they still have fleas - not as bad as before, but they aren't eliminated.

[JustJo]

Originally Posted by PearlsNLace

A friend just told me on Facebook that she was advised by her vet that the topical flea control stuff is not working this year.
She recommended comfortis- and her dog is flea free.

Im taking a deep breath here. The money we have been spending of flea stuff has really been adding up. But as I look over at my dog, I can visably SEE the damn things crawling on him.

Originally Posted by Nat

Before you spend the 90 bucks on comfortis - my two dogs are on it and they still have fleas - not as bad as before, but they aren't eliminated.

This may sound crazy, but find an Amway distributor in your area and buy a bottle of LOC. It's very mild, organic stuff and I've used it safely even on rescued newborns puppies and kittens.

You'll pretty much have to wash everything...and the animals daily for awhile, because it's not a pesticide. It's an organic cleaner...and a serious wetting agent...so it breaks down the little air bubble that fleas put around them to survive a bath. Basically, you're gonna drown the little buggers.

It's a pain, but it's safe, and it works...and it's not poison. (And no, I'm not an Amway distributor )

[Converse]

Originally Posted by PearlsNLace

A friend just told me on Facebook that she was advised by her vet that the topical flea control stuff is not working this year.
She recommended comfortis- and her dog is flea free.

Im taking a deep breath here. The money we have been spending of flea stuff has really been adding up. But as I look over at my dog, I can visably SEE the damn things crawling on him.

Does your dog surf? 5 minutes in the ocean- I'm guessing its the salt water- and no more fleas! has worked for me (and the dog) every time. Not sure what you do about ones that might already be in the house though

[PearlsNLace]

Joxer would totally do it. Moose however, well, bless her- that 110 pound princess doesnt even like to get her paws wet on GRASS. So, no, surfing would be out for her.

Plus, the ocean is I think, at lease 6 hours away. SIGH.

I rather like the idea of THIS though..
http://www.arbico-organics.com/produ...de-fleas-ticks

has anyone tried one?

[Arwen]

My vet has recommended that I do Advantage then Frontline the next month. Says the fleas are getting resistant and this will help.

[waxnrope]

with garage opener, I entered the garage as the lifted ... felt a web across my face and uttered, "eeew." then, i felt a thud on my head, and I quickly started brushing my head as I ran screaming from the garage.
I did not put the garbage out tonight

[dixie]

As I posted earlier today on Facebook... unknowingly walking headfirst into a spiderweb is never fun, but doing so after just applying fresh mascara is hideous!!! *shudder*

In the house, I actually don't mind those whatchamacallit granddaddy longlegs things. I usually end up showering with 2 or 3 in the corner near the ceiling. They are never a nuisance. When I was a kid my grandmother used to pick them up and let them crawl over her hands, so I did the same. OTHER spiders, however, are a different story. Anything looking even remotely "hairy" is a deal breaker. If I spot them first, I can usually "trap and release", but heaven forbid they launch a sneak attack such as dangling down a web in front of my face or dropping onto my shoulder. Then, they get smacked and flung and stomped upon.

As for outside, that's their turf. They have every right to be there, as long as they aren't building webs for me to get stuck in my mascara. *still shuddering* I do check the type of spider though, if it's close enough to the house. I live in the NC mountains, and especially since I'm in the woods we end up with a lot of brown recluse and black widow. Sadly, if I spot one of those they get the 15-ft-away-foaming-bee-spray. I love that stuff cause I can stand far enough away without getting jumped on by creepy crawlies, and also because instead of just a liquid stream that could miss, it's a nice foam that will cover and then deteriorate within seconds. It's great for those with bad aim in the face of scary monsters! LOL

All this pretty much just covers spiders. Any other type of bug doesn't rate on my scale, so they're safe....lol

And as for snakes, well... I have a really bad habit of just grabbing them up, poisonous or non... I've had a snake fascination since I was a kid. Luckily I was taught at an early age by my grandparents and great-grandma how to distinguish poisonous vs nonpoisonous native snakes, and how to properly handle them. I guess it comes from living in the mountains for so long, and with my great-grandma it probably had a lot to do with her being Cherokee and seeming to know everything about everything in nature (at least to a kid..lol). I learned to respect nature early on. We, as with every other living creature, are just playing a role in the grand scheme of things. Even the tiniest insect has a purpose...