Evening star., 1947-08-21
This and That
Bu Charles E. Trace1UeH.

The flea IS small, but he is one of the large
hazards of going away on vacation.
When the family comes home all nicely
tanned, the fleas may have taken over.
Almost every household with pets has had
this experience and sometimes even families
without pets find their rooms fairly oVerrun
The absence gives the pests an opportunity
of multiplying, which they take advantage OF
with speed and deXterity.
BY the time the family swings open the big
front door, the flea hordes are in possession OF
the living and dining rooms, the bedrooms and
sometimes the bath.
Technically, there may be some slight differ
ence between the dog and the cat flea, but for
all practical purposes they are the same.
In this country they are the human flea, too,
as far as everyday living goes; they bite some
persons, leave others alone.
There is no telling what the reaction will be,
or why some are not bothered, others driven to
distraction.
But certainly from every esthetic and prac-
tical standpoint heas are not welcome guests
in any human home.
The best thing to do is to keep them down to
the vanishing point all the time, beginning
with july and carrying the measures through
September.
After that, the dormant season of the flea be-
gins, whatever the weather, and whether the
house is hot or cold
The vacuum sweeper with modern reinforced
speed is becoming the great instrument of flea
destruction.
This is because it gets rid of both the active
specimens and their eggs.
1t gets into cracks of woodwork and crevices
in rugs, and especially into the slight spaces
which may be found between the boards Of
even the best laid hardwood floors
All persons owning pets should use the vac
uum cleaner on all rugs and floors at least once
a day in hot weather.
Whether this will be enough to keep them
down when the house is empty is another
matter.
The use of DDT sprays and powders is
fraught with some danger to the common
household cat
The dog manages to discount this choral hy-
drate derivative, but the common cat is often
a sufferer
Symptoms are 1ogineSs or convulSons.
Cat fanciers have found it best not to use
DDT in any form, especially the powder, since
the cat may roll in it and then lick off the
powder.
1t is believed that Persian cats are more
resistant to DOT than common cats.
Flea powders should not contain DDT, if used
on cats
There are other materials, particularly ro-
tenone, which do about as well, and do not offer
dangers. Vomiting will rid the cat of them, at
the worst
Cats found listless after the use of DDT in a
house should be watched carefully and are best
taken to a competent cat doctor, who by in
jections may save their lives
Sometimes the problem of Kidding an unoccu-
pied house of fleas is major one.
Often the place must be sprayed from top to
bottom, and left untenanted for from three
days to week.
These bad cases mostly occur in families
where, for some reason or other, nobody is bitten
by f1eas, and hence no one recognizes the
danger until too late.
There is some disposition on the part of some
persons-usually those not bitten-to minimize
this problem by attempting to turn it into a
joke.
Fleas are no joking matter, however, and
the best way is to treat this problem seriously,
as it deserves The role of insects as disease
carriers has been proved
What has not been proved is the entire list of
diseases inimical to man which these creatures
carry.
Kidding a house of feas, and keeping 1t
clean of them is only sensible hygiene, but it
may also keep the family from some obscure
disease.