Continuing from last week’s fleas, fleas, fleas…
Professional pest managers will always do a great job at controlling fleas because they are professionals and they do this for a living.  Since fleas are in so many different life cycles, give the exterminator at least two weeks for their product to work.  
As mentioned last week, the flea population are in several different life cycles at any given time.  Adult fleas only account for about 2 percent of the population, the rest are in the egg, larva and pupae stage.  
When treating fleas, it is good to treat your animal, your house and your yard. This three-prong attack gives you the best results.  
 If you are a “do it yourselfer” there are a few products that can make a difficult job easy.  
Fleas can be controlled by starting with your animal.  There is a very safe product called Petcor that can be sprayed on a towel and rubbed on the dog, or sprayed directly on the dog. Petcor is a great product because it kills adult fleas for up to two weeks and sterilizes flea eggs for up to 60 days.  For less than $14, I can treat my dog for about three years.  If you have ever listened to the radio show, you know “The Super Garden Hero” and my wife consider me very cheap.  Compare the cost of Petcor ($14) to the “flea pill” that many give their dog.  This is quite a savings.   
Ultracide should be sprayed inside your house. As mentioned last week, it is important to vacuum your house daily when you are trying to control fleas.  If your vacuum has a bag, you want to remove it and put it in a plastic bag, and put it in the trash can outside after each vacuum. Ultracide has an adulticide that will kill the biting fleas as well as a growth regulator that will prevent the treated population from maturing into reproducing, biting adult fleas. Ultracide’s active ingredient, Nylar, does not photo-degrade nearly as fast as Precor.  
Since I am cheap, I usually limit my spraying of the house to a few key areas where my dog hangs out. Remember from last week, when a dog gets up from a nap and shakes, he or she is shaking eggs off of his or her body.  This is why I concentrate my spraying in and around those areas where he usually naps.  A can of Ultracide can also last several seasons with this method.    
Outside use Lebanon Insect Control in the yard.  Be sure to treat mulched areas because the larva like to live in moist wet areas. This product will knock down the adult flea population. Lebanon Insect Control will also control chiggers, ticks, chinch bugs, grubs, mole crickets, fire ants and many other pests. After you put out Lebanon Insect Control also spray Nylar IGR.  
Nylar is a growth regulator that will prevent the fleas from becoming reproducing adults. Be sure to spray the Nylar in your beds as well. Nylar is a great product outside because the sun doesn’t break it down like some growth regulators (Precor).  It is also packaged in 1 oz., 4 oz. and 16 oz. packages so you can purchase only what you need. Nylar can be used indoors as well. Nylar is an insect hormone that can be sprayed around mammals, reptiles, birds, you, your pets and children. It also controls roaches and mosquitoes as a bonus.
Like any control strategy prevention is the best method. You can control fleas by applying Nylar inside and out four times per year beginning in March.  If you do this you can apply Nylar IGR alone and you will never have to deal with biting adults.  
Always read, understand and follow the product label.

(Bill Lamson-Scribner can be reached during the week at Possum’s Landscape and Pest Control Supply, 481 Long Point Rd in Mt. Pleasant (971-9601), or 3325 Business Circle in North Charleston (760-2600).  Fax your questions to 406-2700 or e-mail them to your newspaper’s editors.  You can also call in your questions to the Garden Clinic, Saturdays 10:00-Noon, on News Radio 94.3 FM (721-TALK). See more columns at www.moultrienews.com.)