# Flea Control for my Yard



## Tair (Feb 6, 2013)

We have a good sized, fenced in backyard in Orlando with four dogs and one five year old sulcatta. He/She eats the grass, varies weeds and plants growing in the yard. Our dogs have developed an immunity to frontline so we've switched to another but we have to spray our yard to rid it of fleas. My worry is putting something down that will negatively effect our tortoise, Any suggestions?


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## Team Gomberg (Feb 6, 2013)

stray cats brought fleas to my yard this summer. yuck.

i sprayed with a 50/50 water and vinegar mix. then just 100%vinegar. it is supposed to kill the fleas and be safe at the same time.

did it work? maybe... i dont have the flea problem right now..but its also winter

good luck


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## wellington (Feb 6, 2013)

I don't have any solutions for the fleas. However, the dogs and tortoise are not allowed together correct?


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## theelectraco (Feb 6, 2013)

Diatomaceous earth(food grade) may be something to look into. It HAS to be food grade though. Since your tortoise eats your grass, all the commercial brand over the counter ones ( usually containing pyrethrin) will be harmful. Good luck!


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## CtTortoiseMom (Feb 6, 2013)

Flea and tick prevention usually contains ivermectin which is excreted in your dogs feces. Ivermectin can be fatal to tortoises. 
Actually I just pulled down my dogs and looked and the ivermectin iis in the heart worm prevention. So I would pick up the dogs poops if they share a common area with your tortoise.


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## mainey34 (Feb 6, 2013)

I read that Diatomaceous earth the food grade is good for flea removal. But my concern is that it is a powder made of small shards of glass. Inhaling the dust would concern me. Animals put their noses to the ground....


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## theelectraco (Feb 6, 2013)

mainey34 said:


> I read that Diatomaceous earth the food grade is good for flea removal. But my concern is that it is a powder made of small shards of glass. Inhaling the dust would concern me. Animals put their noses to the ground....



Diatomaceous earth is fossilized plant plankton algae. It is mainly silica, so no you probably don't want your Animals inhaling it. It would be most effective to remove the animals from the area and apply d.e. and then to house down the yard the next day or so. Then do another area of the yard.




theelectraco said:


> Diatomaceous earth is fossilized plant plankton algae. It is mainly silica, so no you probably don't want your Animals inhaling it. It would be most effective to remove the animals from the area and apply d.e. and then to house down the yard the next day or so. Then do another area of the yard.



Hose*


Whatever method you use, your animals are going to need to be removed from the area. You just don't want any harsh chemicals remaining after its applied that the tort could eat. I use d.e. with my yard last summer but I didn't have a tortoise then.


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## Tair (Feb 7, 2013)

you guys are awesome, thanks for the insight. 
Our tortoise (Tair) has free range of the yard, we have close to a half acre fenced in with old florida swamp creeping from all sides. The dogs hang out in the yard and pretty much ignore him (we're not sure on the gender). Originally we had a fenced in pen for Tair to keep him separate and then would put him out when the dogs were in. Tair hated getting put back in the pen, we built him a pimp burrow with a heating pad and let him rock out the yard. That was about a year and a half ago, in the warm weather he hangs out under a pile of brush in the back of the yard.


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