Frequently Asked Questions

I’m pregnant and there are fleas in my home. Is it safe for me to use FLEA STOPPERS?

Yes. FLEA STOPPERS is not absorbed through intact skin. Unlike other borate products, which are dusty, our product is non-inhalable due to its granular consistency. Furthermore, FLEA STOPPERS has an oral toxicity level close to everyday table salt.

I have asthma, allergies and/or extreme chemical sensitivity. Can I use FLEA STOPPERS in my home without problems from the application?

Yes. FLEA STOPPERS is a desiccant that works physically by dehydrating rather than chemically by poisoning. You could compare it to pouring salt on a slug.

Can FLEA STOPPERS be safely used in homes with birds, fish, ferrets, rabbits or other small animals? May I use the product without removing pets from my home?

Yes. Unlike some of the other dusty boron-based flea products on the market, FLEA STOPPERS is granular and presents no problem to smaller animals due to inhalation. I have a pair of Yellow Nape Amazon parrots and have been using this product for 15 years with them walking around on the floor as I treated. Fish tanks do not need to be covered either. Because of the granular nature of the product, it does not coat the hair or paws of smaller animals, limiting the ingestion from grooming.

I have toddlers and/or a newborn who stay on the carpet. Can I use your product without hurting them?

Yes. FLEA STOPPERS is not absorbed through the skin and will not hurt your children or pets from contact exposure.

Can I apply your product on hardwood, tile or linoleum floors?

No. The material is very slippery due its granular nature and chemistry of the material and could be dangerous when used in this situation. These surfaces do not lend themselves to holding the material like carpet would and we would not be able to warrant it for a year in this situation.

What can I do if I have hardwoods or other non-carpet type surfaces?

Treat your pet with a two moth residual program and practice rigorous hygiene. By this I mean sweep and mop those areas daily if possible because fleas are immobile during three phases of their life cycle. Every egg larva and pupa that you pick up by this method will be one less flea to bite you or your pet and this may enable you to avoid the use of pesticides. However, if your infestation is extensive, you may opt to use a spray or bombs to give you some immediate relief. You may also use FLEA STOPPERS on your upholstery and carpet remnants placed in strategic areas throughout your home.

I have bombed my house numerous times and cannot get rid of the fleas. Why is this?

Bombs, or fumigation devices, are known in the pest control business as “flushers”. This means that they kill insects upon contact, but have no residual (long lasting) effects. Consequently, bombing and spraying a non-professional product will only kill fleas that are there that day, so it must be done weekly to control the emerging pupae. Another factor that reduces the effectiveness of bombs and sprays is the widespread use of stain resistant carpets. These carpets are moisture repellant, which means that the fogged material cannot penetrate the nap of the carpet where the fleas tend to live and breed.

My pet sleeps on my bed and furniture frequently. What should I do to treat those areas?

FLEA STOPPERS can and should be applied to both areas. Furniture should be treated by lifting cushions off sofas and chairs and sprinkling the material lightly on the ticking where the cushions sit as well as in the wells of furniture (the crevices where the body of the furniture meets the back and sides) as fleas tend to frequent these areas. Beds should be treated by lifting the mattress and lightly sprinkling the material between the box springs and the mattress. The material should not be applied directly to the tops of the cushions, beds or animal bedding because its’ granular nature makes it irritating (it would be like sliding your body across sand) and its’ dehydrating effect would make it doubly irritating. You may also want to apply it under pet bedding in a similar manner.

Can FLEA STOPPERS be applied to my pet?

No. It would not stay on the pet. Because it will not kill the fleas on your pet, it is very important that you treat your animal with an approved flea control product. Otherwise, your pet will continue to bring fleas into your home and recycle them.

Can I use FLEA STOPPERS in the yard?

Not unless you hate cutting grass and other greenery. FLEA STOPPERS is a dehydrating agent and will kill plants due to this effect-it is an herbicide. There are several other easily obtainable products that can be used in the yard to kill fleas. You may use a granular pesticide such as diazinon or bifenthrin, which requires nothing more than a glove and a bucket or you may broadcast spread it with a fertilizer spreader. We recommend granules for customer use because it eliminates the need for special spraying equipment and the hazards posed by mixing and disposal of rinsate as well as giving a better residual control than sprays which tend to break down more quickly with exposure to rain and ultraviolet light.

If you are concerned about using pesticides you have several options for control. One of these is the use of nematodes that deed on fleas in the initial stages of their life cycle and do no damage to plants or other animals. The nematodes are packaged and applied with a sprayer and garden hose; hoever, they may not be alive in the packaging and do not do well in areas where temperatures are above 90-100 degrees for any length of time, which of course tends to be where we have the biggest flea problems! Diatomaceous earth is a mix of ocean-mined materials (primarily the interlocking skeletons of algae colonies called diatoms that consist of abrasive silica) that breaks down insect exoskeletons leading to dehydration in a fashion similar to FLEA STOPPERS. A third organic method for insect control is planting marigolds, mums, burdock and pennyroyal as they are all natural pyrethrin-bearing plants (pyrethrin is one of the most common ingredients found in bombs and sprays) and will actually kill and repel many types of insects as well as sprucing up the appearance of your yard!

What is the biology of a flea?

The flea life cycle is comparable to a butterfly’s. A female flea lays 30-50 eggs per day, which hatch in 3-5 days. The larva that hatches from the eggs is the equivalent of the caterpillar, which looks like a tiny, hairy fly maggot. For roughly 7-10 days, the larvae crawl around in carpet and upholstery to feed on organic material and store energy for the next phase of the life cycle. Like a caterpillar, the larva spins a cocoon around itself and is than called a pupa. Under ideal conditions, the fleas are in the pupal stage for 10-14 days; however, they can lie dormant for up to a year if there is not moisture, movement and warmth. While pupating, they cannot be killed, whether you use FLEA STOPPERS or chemical sprays, because the cocoon is like a tiny self-contained womb for the metamorphosing insects. Upon emergence from the pupa, the adult flea will live for approximately 21 days, sucking your and your pet’s blood and generally making life miserable! If you add the amount of time in each stage of the life cycle, you will see that it may take 50 days to rid your home of fleas from egg to adult death without intervention.