Well, after faithful use for 3 months, Advantage has pretty much stopped working for us. Whether it's critters that get in the backyard and drop fleas or flea eggs or what, We are at wits end for my 3 senior dogs. We find adult fleas, baby fleas, and young adult fleas on our dogs.

I researched Comfortis and considering our one pup's super sensitivity to vaccines (muzzle rubbing and extreme listlessness) and Advantage (listless for 4 hours after an application), I don't think that's an option. Besides, what a choice--topical poison or ingested poison.

Meanwhile, we've been changing and washing our bedding and their bedding every 3 days, and doing daily vacuuming the furniture, hardwood floors and the linoleum and the one carpeted room we have.

We're continuing to find and kill fleas with the

1. "squash 'em between our fingers, cut them in half with our fingernails, smoosh 'em between our fingernails method

2. the q-tip/olive oil method (I think I invented it! ha ha)--dip q-tip in EVOO and apply to any fleas you find. Remove fleas... and

3. with the flea comb and a bowl of soapy water method.

I hate fleas.

I'm considering also using diatomaceous earth (food grade, not the stuff they sell at pool supply stores) directly on the dogs' bodies--we'll have to make sure they don't inhale it, and we'd brush it off of them within 5 minutes or so. I read that diatomaceous earth is more effective than borax on fleas.

I'm also considering rubbing the dogs with undiluted tea tree oil, or spraying them with a water-lavender essential oil spray (10 drops essential oil per ounce of water)--does anyone know if there are any problems using full strength tea tree oil or lavender oil topically on dogs? (well, other than an oily mess perhaps). I only read of one incidence where a dog had a reaction to undiluted tea tree oil applied to its body.

AND I also read about giving the dogs a bath with blue Dawn or with Shaklee's Basic H to kill the fleas. Apparently, Basic H2 is a different formula, and Basic H works better.

Does anyone have any thoughts or personal experiences about the safety and effectiveness of these ideas?