Friday Roundup, buggin edition

Thankfully, enormous flying cockroach season here in Little Pink was brief, and now we're on to dragonfly season.

That dragonfly isn't the only insect Coopy's been trying to chomp lately. He has been absolutely tormented by mutant fleas for a month now, maybe even longer.

So far we've tried Frontline (these mutants are immune), Advantage (immune), yelling at the fleas really loud, feeding him garlic, putting on a flea collar, washing and spraying all bedding, drenching him in a natural pet & bedding anti-flea spray, flea-killing shampoo, and this:

Within the hour after swimmy fun time, he was scratching again.

Not letting him outside is not an option. (You try sitting here all day while he's scratching the door.) I looked at the yard and indoor sprays on the PetCo site, did a little Google-aroo, and learned their active ingredient, permethrin, has been classified by the EPA as a carcinogen. Wow, how is this still such a common active ingredient?

So departing from that site, I found one natural solution where you introduce nematodes into the yard, which eat the flea larvae. Once I get over the slight ickiness of distributing literally 5 or 10 million critters that eat other critters, this seems much preferable to bombing everything with toxic chemicals. Has anyone tried this tactic?

And then maybe we can just have the dog hang out in a baby pool out there all day?

*
I suspect our mail carrier treats himself to Lite Load Tuesdays. They're kind of like the reduced summer hours that some offices have, only presumably LLTs are self-imposed, and might even be year-round. I've been noticing that on Tuesdays, we only get a collection of coupon circulars and no actual mail. It's tricky--because of the fliers, there's the appearance that mail came. If you're not a suspicious work-from-homer for whom the mail is an exciting event, potentially containing one or more payments or contracts, you might not notice. I find it hard to believe that for the past three or four or more Tuesdays, there just happened to be no real mail for the two human occupants of this house, when we get at least one envelope on almost every other delivery day of the year. Our neighbro confirmed having noticed the same thing.

I'm on to your game, Mailman.

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This has been getting linked all over, but if you haven't seen it, I love this blog idea: Things Younger Than McCain. (I was disturbed to realize that my dad is just barely younger than him by about four years. He has a lot more hair, though.) Some other things younger than McCain include nylon, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the state of Alaska.

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Holy Stockholm Syndrome: We had more dramatic weather Wednesday, a tornado watch or something, I don't remember, just heavy rain and thunder. But something about this view, between the way the ever-leafier branches hung almost to the ground, and the darker brown of the wet fence, and the heavy rain made me fleetingly think I love it here right now before I realized what I was thinking. I don't like the way this state is tricking me. That's how they get ya. That, and heat/humidity unfit for human life. You physically can't escape. Also, you are too fat to return to New York.

*

This one's for the New York tri-state area (audio NSFW):

Sue Simmons: a treasure.

Comments

[Elizabeth]

Colleen, that is a BEAUTIFUL picture of a dragonfly! Seriously, it looks almost metallic. Very nice.

I am very sad that my friend Coop is suffering. The problem is that you have to kill the flea eggs or the cycle just keeps continuing. Inside, you need to vaccuum everyday - floors, couches, etc. Outside try this:

"Using diatomaceous earth in the environment (around the house, both inside and out,) borate products inside on carpeted areas, and microscopic beneficial nematodes in the yard (the ONLY thing that also kills the resistant flea coccoon) complete the natural treatment for fleas. While feeding small amounts of fresh garlic and brewer's yeast to the pet have not been shown in controlled studies to be effective, many pet owners swear by their use and continue to add them to the diet to aid in parasite control."

PS - I am way jealous of the heat & humidity that you're hating on. And I miss the thunderstorms (we have those tropical type storms in south GA, too). This is my least favorite time in NYC cause I freeze my Southern ass off. It's friggin 50 or 60 degrees outside and no heat inside so I have to sit around under like three blankets just to no expire from hypothermia. Want to switch places??

[Lioux]

HAVE YOU TRIED YELLING AT THE FLEAS EVEN LOUDER?

Maybe try using an air horn. That may annoy them enough to leave. [I've seen this type of thing in action].

And if those don't work, and you really want to send the fleas heading for the hills, just tell them you're in LOVE with them.

Oh, And.

You're welcome.

[therese]

I heart Sue Simmons. Kaity Tong ain't got nothing on her.

[Elise]

Poor Coop! I hope the fleas go on vacation real soon!

[Amanda]

I was so completely shocked to hear that clip the other day. But I do love me some Sue Simmons. Therese - WAY to GO with the Kaity Tong reference. Seriously, though, when I fly on Jetblue and watch TV, since the satellite signal only beams up the New York stations, I always put on the news. Only to see my old friends, especially S2.

Speaking of - have you seen Rosanna Scotto these days? She's a couple stitches away from becoming Joan Rivers.

[roopa]

Awww, poor Coop!

The Sue Simmons f-bomb incident cracked me up. As does her groundhog impression.

The weather here in Bmore is retarded. One day it's sunny, clear, and 82 degrees, and the next it's 58 and cold and rainy. It makes leaving the house in the morning difficult - should I bring a warmer jacket and an umbrella or nothing at all?

Damn global warming.

[Butterbean]

Colleen,

You might want to try Promeris for Coop. My dog was becoming immune to all the other standard flea preventives and the vet recommended this. It seems to be working so far and it has a nice eucalyptus smell when you apply it.

[Kartek]

Poor coop. Do you know where the source is? It seems like they just keep coming back.

[Jules]

I love your dog. He is so cute. I'm sorry he is so itchy! :(

That pic of the dragonfly is really great.

[Ellen]

That picture of Cooper come out of the water is sooo cute! He's so smiley. It looks like he is saying, "Ahhhhhhhhhh".

[Kevin]

"I love it here right now"

Blogs About Rednecks. I am Foot in His Mouth. Do you see that I am your friend?

[Big Daddy]

Dirt, is younger than John McCain.

[Beth]

Just like when I hear about a kiddo having lice-I am all itchy right now.
Poor Cooper. That pic of the rain made me feel very cozy and anxious for summer.

[Sarah]

My friend Serena says nematodes work real good, and she knows stuff. And stuff.

[jade b]

learned a friend's pup had some sort of flea allergy? just one bite makes it seem like 40. maybe your dog is allergic to fleas???

[elder_flowr]

You have to kill them in the yard. I'd spray that shit down, personally, before the critters infest the couch. Trust me, it's gonna happen. Then put Coop on Sentinel, a combo heartworm/flea preventative. You have him on heartworm pills, right?

[elder_flowr]

You have to kill them in the yard. I'd spray that shit down, personally, before the critters infest the couch. Trust me, it's gonna happen. Then put Coop on Sentinel, a combo heartworm/flea preventative. You have him on heartworm pills, right?

[sunta73]

What a buggin edition! :)
I believe the mailman is MIA due to the bugs!
We here in Maine have mega-issues with mail delivery. My mom sent me something from NJ and it took 8 days to get to me! Hello? Snail mail!
I do not have any advise for Cooper, I am sorry! I hope it gets better real soon!

[emily]

my cats had fleas really bad for a while. i finally sprinkled borax on all the furniture and carpet and let it sit before vacuuming it up. it worked!