Insecticides to Control Adult Cat Fleas, 1980

Abstract

Abstract Flea infestations commonly occur in carpeted areas of homes and apartments where cats and dogs are kept as pets. The most common carpet in new homes was selected for these studies. In consisted of 196 double multi-fiber nylon strands/sq in, was backed with jute, and was about 5/8-inch deep. Pieces of carpet were sprayed with insecticide and adult fleas were confined to residual deposits. Two series of tests were made with adult cat fleas 1 to 4 days old that were offspring of adults placed on laboratory cats. Flea eggs dropping from the cats were collected in glass jars fitted to the bottom of cages in which the cats were housed. Larvae were reared in a mixture of dog chow, dried beef blood and brewer’s yeast and pupated in find sand. Pupal cocoons screened from the sand were isolated in 1-qt jars. An inverted funnel fitted with #16 screen was fastened to a jar lid to allow adults that emerged from the cocoons to be separated for the tests. When liquids were applied for Series 1, discs of carpet (3.5 in diam) were sprayed at 20 psi with an automated lab paint gun sprayer equipped with a fine-fan nozzle. Dusts were worked lightly into discs with a stainless steel spatula. Aerosols were sprayed from a distance of ca 6-8 inch. In Series 2, a 1-gal compression sprayer with a fine-fan nozzle (Spraying Systems Multeejet No. 800067) was used to treat ca 3 sq ft carpet. Spray was applied at 4, 2 and 1 qt/800 sq ft rates. A more dense, 15/16-inch shag carpet containing 400 double strands of nylon fiber/sq in was included in Series 2. For each test series 20±5 fleas were confined 24 hours to each of 3 treated and untreated pieces of carpet placed at the bottom of 3.5-in diam x 15-in plexiglass cylinders. After exposure, all fleas were forced into a basin of cool water where dead and live could be counted. Fleas were considered dead if they exhibted no coordinated movement or could not remain upright on the surface of the water. Percent mortality was corrected with Abbott’s formula. Each treatment was tested after being aged indoors at 73°F for 1 day and 1, 3 and 6 weeks.