First we had ants, and caulk and Seventh Generation Granite & Stone Cleaner and a little bit of Black Flag came to the rescue.
And then as soon as we got rid of the ants, the back yard was overrun with fleas. And I do mean overrun. We’ve tried so many things. Mr. Sandwich (who is doing most of the combating–neither Wicket nor I has gone out back in days) and I woke up one morning and compared notes to realize that BOTH of us were having dreams about diatomaceous earth. Last night was Midnight Dog Bath. This seems never-ending.
It’s also very hot.
The floor tiles in our eat-in kitchen (extending into the back entryway and 1/2 bath) are starting to come loose. I am not a fan of tile–it’s too hard to stand on at length. But what’s good in the kitchen and bathroom? I asked Twitter, and as usual, Twitter was practically no help at all (although apparently laminate is not the answer).
Oh, and since Wicket has been bitten by fleas a lot, we need to take her to the vet–and also have him look at the weird bump on her side and what is either pinkeye or a reaction to the flea shampoo, or something else entirely (what do I know? I’m not a vet).
I missed you asking Twitter about flooring. We have laminate floors in our kitchen and dining room and I don’t see any problems. They’ve been here since we moved in and have held up well to our abuse. I don’t know that they are any easier to stand on than tile, though. Also, we don’t have super fancy aesthetics, so take what I say with that in mind!
I’m sorry the universe is ganging up on you. I hope it stops soon!
We aren’t super fancy, either. And I think we’ll probably start by trying to repair the tiles we have. But some day, when we’re able to take on a bigger project, I’d love to replace that floor.
Wood floors, as long as they are sealed–which they usually are–are good. Softer to stand on. Our current house has wood throughout the first floor and it’s fine. Linoleum, not vinyl, is also soft to stand on. Also, both are easy to clean.
Ants! I think we live on top of an ant city. They like to get into the bathrooms when it’s dry out, to get water. They like to find the dog’s dish. One day they got confused and got into a canister of salt, I guess thinking it was sugar. Boy were they sorry! Or they would have been if they hadn’t been dead. It’s a never ending battle. I think fleas are even more of a nightmare–they hide better.
Good luck!
I have a sneaking suspicion that there may be hardwood under the tile. The flooring came with the house.
I’ve been reading about salt, but we haven’t tried it yet. I don’t know if the dog will eat it, and that seems like something she doesn’t need.
We had terrible fleas years ago, and Frontline (or was it advantage?) worked great and finally got rid of them. You put a few drops on the dog’s coat and it gets rid of fleas and prevents them for about a month. None of our dogs have had any problems with it. Ants, in my experience, require very toxic stuff. The kind of stuff that kills all the wildlife, children, and horses for a mile in all directions. This is the only thing that gets rid of the ants. They sell chalk that I hear works in Chinatown, but it’s illegal, so you have to ask for it at the counter. But, I wouldn’t know about that, because it’s illegal, so I’ve never used it. And I don’t know anyone on Chinatown who sells it. So, no need to notify the police or INS, because no one in Chinatown sells it. Because it’s illegal. So, don’t ask them for ant chalk at the counter. They don’t sell it. You use it like chalk in front of all doors, windows, outlets, or anywhere ants might enter. But, I’ve never used and don’t know where they sell it. Because it’s illegal. Don’t let children or pets near it if you find it. I don’t know where you might find it. Because they don’t sell it in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Los Angeles’s Chinatown probably doesn’t sell it, either.
I have heard of this illegal miracle chalk, but have never pursued it, because I don’t know how to go about buying things that are illegal, and I can’t imagine that you do, either. However, Mr. Sandwich is repeatedly coating the entire backyard with diatomaceous earth. It looks like a winter wonderland out there, which is as close as we’ve gotten to winter in a long time.
A Sigma Kappa sister who lives in Palo Alto told me about it, and has bought it. They sell it in Chinatown in SF and probably LA. You have to ask for it at the counter in drug stores there. I was joking about them not selling it, because it’s illegal and I wouldn’t want someone to get arrested. I don’t think they’d really get arrested, though. Surely the police have better things to do than pursue illegal ant chalk sellers. I suspect there is a reason it’s illegal, though, so I would see if the diatomaceous earth works, first, before using something that might kill everything within a 10 mile radius. Large amounts of Raid sprayed every day around all outlets (that’s where mine were coming in) actually worked for me. I haven’t had an invasion in years. But, A.S. in Palo Also said the ant chalk works, and it does seem more fun.
The fun thing about diatomaceous earth is that it isn’t toxic, BUT you have to wear a mask and eye protection while applying it to avoid getting it in your eyes or throat and getting tiny scratches from the particles.
The air puffer thing I bought actually is kind of fun, though.
I have free dog-sitting, whenever we have to go out of town . . . but the dog always comes back with fleas. The strategy is the same – give the flea-killer right before we leave, then come back to a flea bath (Benji really does not enjoy the bath tub).
Still doesn’t matter – formication reins on, every time.
Our dog-sitting is also free, thanks to Wicket’s good behavior, and thankfully the most she’s come home with was an ear infection (not due to the dog-sitting, but probably due to the trip to the groomer just prior). She’s mostly an indoor dog, so that does help limit access.
We have a click to lay cork floor in our master bathroom and I love it. It’s warm and soft to the touch, cleans up fantastically, doesn’t show any nicks and is naturally water resistant. The warranties are often voided when you use click floors in bathrooms/kitchens but our has survived for 10 years with little care and looks as good as the day we installed it. Bonus: It’s sustainable.
I love the idea of cork, but I’ve wondered about it with water. This is good to know! Do you have to watch which shoes you’re wearing?