[sunshine809]

Stupid question but coming from Colorado where there is a minimum of bugs..

Do you have any problems with your pets and fleas in Florida?

Are they easily controlled with Advantage, Frontline, etc?

[StarfishKey]

Flea protection is a must, and it is year-round, not just seasonal. I have used Frontline in SFL for over 6 years and never had a single problem.

[doggiebus]

Year round flea protection is a must, I try to do it every three months, flea and tick meds. I don't do it every month as I've found the stuff lasts pretty long. I also have the yard sprayed twice a year typically early May (right before rainy season starts) and at the end of the rainy season in November or December. There too I try to limit the amount of chemicals going into to my lawn because of the dogs.

My neighbor has her yard sprayed every month which is just awful for her dog and the aquifer. The county wants us to spray as little as possible. Yet some people are old school in their beliefs of how to treat your yard.

[sunshine809]

Thanks for your answers. Do you have to spray your yard?

[HarryWho?]

Trifexis works very well here. You really need to spray the yard quarterly (4 times a year). But not just for the dogs. You also have bugs which will eat your lawn, and of course, fire ants... Then there's brown spot (fungus), weeds, etc.

[jambo101]

Besides ticks and fleas theres other varmints to watch out for.
10 Snakes, Spiders and Other Creatures That Are Dangerous to Your Dog and Cat

[StarfishKey]

I strongly disagree that one needs to spray one's yard. I live in SFL, in the land of bugs, and have never even heard of spraying a yard for fleas in all my life until this thread! That sounds insane to me, putting chemicals into our land and runoff into our water sources and ocean is not good for PEOPLE, much less wildlife! It is no wonder chronic illnesses and cancers and conditions like Autism are on the rise, given the hordes of different things people spray for! Real talk: I have never done such a thing even once, and lived in both Miami and the Keys, and have never had a single flea in my dog's entire 12 years of life (nor have any of the other dogs I have had my entire life). It is totally unnecessary to spray anything. Frontline is enough. But I do apply it monthly, as with Heartworm medication. Spare the yard and put the medication directly on the dog, where it is needed. The yard doesn't need to be free of fleas, the dog does. Be a responsible Floridian and please don't add to the huge environmental problem we already have here because of the way people have thought about such things here in the past - their answer for everything is more chemicals, but if you look around that has not actually solved any of our problems, and we seem only to have more problems now, like coral reef bleaching, honey bee die-off, and more human health problems. It is totally unnecessary, and actually harmful to your community and your environment. Plus it costs money, which is a total waste.

[HarryWho?]

Originally Posted by StarfishKey

I strongly disagree that one needs to spray one's yard. I live in SFL, in the land of bugs, and have never even heard of spraying a yard for fleas in all my life until this thread! That sounds insane to me, putting chemicals into our land and runoff into our water sources and ocean is not good for PEOPLE, much less wildlife! It is no wonder chronic illnesses and cancers and conditions like Autism are on the rise, given the hordes of different things people spray for! Real talk: I have never done such a thing even once, and lived in both Miami and the Keys, and have never had a single flea in my dog's entire 12 years of life (nor have any of the other dogs I have had my entire life). It is totally unnecessary to spray anything. Frontline is enough. But I do apply it monthly, as with Heartworm medication. Spare the yard and put the medication directly on the dog, where it is needed. The yard doesn't need to be free of fleas, the dog does. Be a responsible Floridian and please don't add to the huge environmental problem we already have here because of the way people have thought about such things here in the past - their answer for everything is more chemicals, but if you look around that has not actually solved any of our problems, and we seem only to have more problems now, like coral reef bleaching, honey bee die-off, and more human health problems. It is totally unnecessary, and actually harmful to your community and your environment. Plus it costs money, which is a total waste.

Frontline (Fipronil) and Heartworm medications(Imidacloprid, Moxidectin,Ivermectin, etc.) are pretty scary chemicals in their own right. And if they're on and in the dog, they're everywhere... PS I don't spray the lawn for fleas. I spray for chinch bugs, sod web worms, and fire ants. The fleas are collateral damage.

[bmw335xi]

Originally Posted by sunshine809

Stupid question but coming from Colorado where there is a minimum of bugs..

Do you have any problems with your pets and fleas in Florida?

Are they easily controlled with Advantage, Frontline, etc?

Yep, just use legitimate monthly flea/tick/heartworm medication and you'll be fine. I like using Advantage Multi, which does all of them in one application. You need a vet prescription for it though.

[Bernie6408]

We moved to SWF two years ago with two dogs. Both are on Sentinel for heartworms, which also protects against fleas. Fleas aren't the problem, ticks are. The lawn (if you can call it that) is sprayed for fire ants but the woods is not. Our smaller dog loves to tunnel through the palmettos chasing squirrels, bunnies and lizards. He is like a tick magnet.