How can mom get rid of fleas safely?
Tuesday, October 12, 2004 7:49 AM PDT
By Dr. Sue Abell
Printable version
E-mail this articleWe have a flea problem, and two small children. I keep reading the cautions on the bug bomb type of product and am afraid to use it with my kids crawling around on the floor. I was told that there are two products that are safer, called "Roach Dust" and "Diatomaceous Earth." I've never heard of either one.
What are these, are they really safe for small children, and do they work?
Dear Mom,
I can't give you any personal testimonials about how effective these are, but rumor has it that they do work, slowly.
The product called Roach Dust is reportedly 100 percent Boric Acid. Boric Acid can be toxic in large amounts, according to its Manufacturer's Safety Data Sheet, but it has low toxicity in the amounts you would be applying to your house.
The Environmental Protection Agency, though it does cite instances of eye, skin and mouth irritation, feels that boric acid in low exposures should not be hazardous. It can certainly cause respiratory irritation if large amounts are inhaled. It shows no evidence that it causes cancer.
When very high doses were given regularly to lab animals, there were some changes in their final body and brain size, as well as the size of some of their glands. Boron is actually a naturally occurring element in the crust of the earth, and normally is present in very small amounts in human blood.
Boric acid is available in two different forms for use as an insecticide. The bait formula contains something to attract insects -- either food, such as flour and sugar, or insect hormones, or both. The dry powder may also have added attractants, and is used along cracks and crevices, or may be applied lightly to your carpet. Insects walk through this powder and it sticks to their legs.
When they groom themselves, they ingest it, and it acts like a poison. It also gets carried by the insects who contact it back to the larger group of insects. Because it stays around for a long time, it takes care of insects that hatch later.
When applying, pay special attention to cracks, crevices and areas that crawling critters like, including the area around baseboards, under and behind the refrigerator, the stove, the sink, the dishwasher and your washing machine and dryer. Also sprinkle some around drain pipes and electrical conduits and in corners of cabinets, cupboards and closets.
For fleas, the powder should be applied directly to the carpet after vacuuming the floor twice. It should be worked in deeply. If any powder is visible, make sure you keep brushing it in until it can no longer be seen. Try to avoid vacuuming for three weeks after application.
Diatomaceous earth is made from the crushed exoskeletons of tiny sea creatures called diatoms. This fine powder is usually marketed to kill crawling insects, like cockroaches, ants, earwigs, silverfish, crickets, millipedes and centipedes, though there have been reports that it works for fleas, also. It is applied in the same manner as Boric Acid, but works a little differently.
It acts as a desiccant, which means it literally dries the insect out, killing it within 48 hours.
Diatomaceous earth has similar safety data to Boric Acid, with the same possibility for eye, skin and respiratory irritation. There is one additional concern with it, however, and that is that it contains variable amounts of silica, which could pose a greater risk for long-term lung problems.
(Silicosis is a condition in which scar tissue develops in the lung in response to silica: diatomaceous earth has not been associated with this disease as far as I could tell, but the possibility is worth considering.)
I would feel comfortable advising you to try Boric Acid for the flea problem, with the warning that all children should be gone for the day to avoid inhaling significant amounts, that you should be sure all powder is brushed deeply into the carpet, and that it should be stored in a safe place so the kids can't get into it and put it in their mouths. If either of your children has asthma, I would first discuss its use with their pediatrician for further input. I would also advise that the person applying the powder wear a dust mask.
Dr. Sue Abell is a pediatrician at the Child and Adolescent Clinic in Longview and the mother of four children. She welcomes questions on children's health and parenting issues, by mail in care of The Daily News, P.O. Box 189, Longview, WA 98632, or through e-mail at zimmerman@tdn.com
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