In the past, before I was owned by my fids, if we had fleas in the house, we would use eucalyptus oil and it would either kill them or chase them out. It has a very strong smell, but it's not unpleasant. You just put a few drop on a cotton ball and vacuum it up and while you are vacuuming the smell gets into the carpet and air. I just got a puppy the other day and I have seen several fleas on her and the poor thing has had to endure a bath each night now with flea and tick shampoo. I am worried that the fleas are going to get into my carpet and start multipling. Does anyone know if the smell from the eucalyptus oil would harm my fids? I can't just put them outside while I vacuum either, because the smell stays in the house for several days. I would think that if parrots in Australia eat the leaves and flowers from the eucalyptus trees that it would be safe, but I do NOT want to take any chances at all!!!! Does anyone have another solution for ridding your dogs and house of fleas? HELP!!!!!

I wouldnt use the oil because of the birds. How old is the puppy is the f&t shampoo safe for it's age? Ask your vet if Frontline is ok for her age I forget....

I never use(d) any chemicals or oils either for that matter with animals at home or in my pet store. And I never vaccinated my dogs because of adverse reactions but I DID use Frontline. One application between the shoulder blades and you're done. Wear gloves and stay away from the birds if it gets on you though.

I'd act quickly before you have to bomb the house...

Frontline is safe at 8 weeks of age. Advantix can be used at 7 weeks so you should at least be able to use that. I would recommend them over most shampoos. The only thing bathing aid I've found to really work is the flea/tick dip that can only be done at vet clinics. We had to wear gloves and masks when using it so it's strong stuff.

Although all Australian parrots interact with eucalyptus trees, the flowers, fruits, leaves and bark are quite different from oils. Depending upon the process, the oils are either extracted, distilled or removed in some other way. This results in a concentration of phenols and other plant extractions that is much stronger than anything the birds might come in contact with in the wild. Plus there are certain chemicals used in extraction processes that may not be bird safe. But a few drops along the door and window sills might be very helpful. We keep small eucalyptus branches in our cupboards to keep out ants, roaches and flour moths. They are very effective without adding any flavor or odor to the food products.

Remember that fleas are very host specific and only feed on other hosts in extreme circumstances or in the total absence of the host animal. I am a firm believer in imidacloprid, the active ingredient in Advantage and other long term flea controls. It is an extremely safe pesticide and is widely used in all sorts of horticultural and animal applications. HOWEVER, it is toxic to birds and fish. I would use one of the imidacloprid products on the puppy (if it is old enough) and use a simple product like baking soda on the carpets. Sprinkle it light on the carpet, allow it to stand for about 1/2 hour and vacuum it up. Diatomaceous earth (DE) is also an excellent topical pesticide. Use only garden grade DE, do not use pool filter DE. Some products for pool use may contain other fillers or cleaners. You need to check the label for 100% pure DE. Look at your local nursery in the organic gardening supply area. You'll find it there. It can be applied to the carpet and vacuumed up in the same way as baking soda. DE cuts the exoskeleton of insects and when ingested by the insect dries up the internal organs. It is very effective against a wide variety of insects and they do not build up an immunity to the material. To the best of my knowledge, DE is not harmful to birds. Just my two cents.