On Friday the vet found a small bit of stuff she thought might be flea dirt - asked me about what I was using (permethrin/pyripoxifen spot on and I told her he was due for another application on Sun). She looked more closely and decided it probably wasn't but that I might want to put it on early (I was out - planning to pick some up on Sat when we went to the show.)

Fast forward to this morning - Josh shows up with Jess and Archer, comes in the kitchen and annouces "Archer has fleas - found them with a flea comb."

I, in my own quiet way, went ballistic - we've been wondering for weeks why Archer has been scratching so much, I've asked multiple times if he's on flea protection - they said yes but I'm not sure about their "yes"

Anyway - today Archer got a dose of Ami's permethrin product, Josh picked up some capstar for me and both dogs got a tablet. The house is being thoroughly vacuumed, all dog and people bedding washed with borax and on the sani cycle (damn long - 3 hours per cycle). Also - the carpets will be dusted with Borax, left overnight and vacuumed again (I have central vac). I don't think Ami has had fleas more than 5-6 days - I've been grooming him rather regularly to get the excess hair out and the flea dirt really shows up against his very light coat, the first time I saw it was Fri. Archer had a significant increase in scratching the last time he came over about a week ago.

Anything else I should do? I am livid

Don't worry. Come winter they'll die.    just kidding!

If you still notice them after your mad cleaning spree you can buy flea spray for your carpets and things. I don't know if this is a good one, but it's an example of what I'm talking about http://www.homedepot.com/p/Harris-1-gal-Flea-and-Tick-Killer-HFT-128/202664658

I keep DE and salt spread on my carpets. Vacuum and reapply every 3 days or so. I also keep the dogs dusted with the DE. The DE is easier for the dogs to live on for extended time than the borax is.

I'll have to find a source for food grade DE - the pool stuff I have is very bad for lungs.

After I just about finished my drugging/cleaning frenzy - I remembered that their flea preventive also has an insect growth regulator so any flea eggs almost certainly will fail to develop. Whew. But, reading about permethrin closely, even though it is a monthly topical, for fleas it repels and kills for "up to" 4 weeks...which is different from "once a month". And, looking at the curve, its efficacy starts to decline after 3 weeks. And in the fine print, says can be applied every 3 weeks...

Whatever - its tick control has been, knock on wood, superb.

Wayne was talking to his Dad last night, told him of the flea bloom and I heard him say "nah, I don't have to do anything - just sit here and watch Amy run around like a chicken" - what he really was doing was detailing my Mustang from after the autocross in the pouring rain

Thanks for the suggestion (does the salt damage the carpet - he's been lying on the oriental in the family room and in our bedroom.)