Hey Sammie!

I am trying to understand your situation, please bear with me.

How did you come to the diagnosis of midget flies? I have an interest in insects and cannot find 'midget' fly, but 'midge' flies is a group of flies that include mosquitoes; is it possible your cats are getting bit by mosquitoes [as opposed to midget flies]?

Do the cats have any gunk in their ears? Or are the ears clean inside in the ear canal?

My first thoughts are:

If the ears have gunk and its not due to ear mites, order some ZYMOX for ears - available online if you google.

Next, if the flies respond to oil, then a mineral oil or other oil preparation that is all natural/organic and suitable for human babies that repels mosquitoes should be applied to the external ear - make sure you slather it on the outside and inner ear flap - but don't work it deep into the ear canal. Avoid products that are not natural, that have artificial perfumes and the like as things like 'baby oil' - mineral oil with fragrance - will sting raw or chapped skin.

It may be you will have to treat the ears daily during fly season to keep the cats parasite free and comfortable.

Dear Samie,

Have you tried Diatomaceous Earth? (Also known as fossil shell flour?) It is great for killing small insects. You could just take a pinch and rub it into the ears. It takes care of all sorts of parasitic creatures. You would want to repeat this daily, maybe as long as a month. But just a pound or two of DE would last you a long time and it has many applications.

Another possiblity would be garlic oil. Crush up several garlic cloves into some coconut oil. Warm it (but don't cook it) and let it sit overnight. Strain out the garlic pieces. ) Rub this into the ears. Dilute it more if it seems to irritate the ears. You might need to do whatever you do for a month to break the life cycle of the critters.

~Mama to Many~

Thank you Mama to Many - I will put diatomaceous earth in his ears and try it

theresa I have accually seen it as I cleaned him plus eggs under magnifying glass and it never ending flies keep laying eggs in his ears

Hey Sammie!

I have been in hot pursuit of your midget flies. The best I could track down, they are most likely sand flies causing the fly strike in your cats:

http://www.merckmanuals.com/pethealth/cat_disorders_and_diseases/skin_disorders_of_cats/flies_and_mosquitoes_of_cats.html

As MTM suggested, Diatomaceous Earth (DE) is one way to kill the maggots - read up for maggot cleansing protocol:

http://bronxace.homestead.com/MAGGOTS.html

The bigger issue is the constant reinfection. Are your 4 cats indoor cats? Is there a way to screen the flies away from the cats?

You can over time kill off the maggots with DE or garlic infused oils, and you can heal the skin with varying antibiotic ointments, but unless you can keep the flies away the cycle is destined to repeat itself.

Cedar oil is a fairly effective topical pest repellant, but care must be taken in choosing products for cats as many products that contain essential oils also contain phenols which are toxic to cats. Wondercide Cedar Oil is safe for use on cats and might be a good choice for to keep the flies away from your cats.

Yes Theresa, my 4 babies are inside and last 2 days been treating all 4 with DE. It's working! I will do it for 30 days. Also, cold air that's coming will help but I will need to get this thing completely out of my house. Also have changed their diet and putting Apple Cider Vinegar in their water to improve their health. During this past year, I have had put DE all over the house since spraying didn't work but never thought to put it in their ears, thank u very much. They are resting much better now and I am getting also rest from washing their ears out 4 times a day. What a relief!

Mama to Many: last night the cluster of invisible flies hit my eyelashes and attacked the cat that received 2 hemotomas because of these flies, there fighting back and still putting DE in there ears have been putting citrenalla candle in my burner since I can't burn the candle in my house, is there something else they hate that I can burn in my rival slow cooker to get them out of the house?

Hi Samie,

Wow-these flies are mean!

You could try putting any of these herbs that you have on hand in your crock pot to try to deter - sage, thyme, lavender, peppermint, garlic, rosemary.

Neem oil or garlic oil in the ears might help. (Not essential oils. ) Garlic oil you could make by warming garlic in olive oil for 45 minutes and strain out the garlic. A lot of parasites do not like garlic. You could even try garlic powder mixed with the diatomaceous earth. (I wouldn't do the oil and powder... that would be messy.)

Here is a link to a recipe for a insect repellant that people have used on cats. She sells the stuff, but gives the recipe. If you have some of the ingredients, it would be worth a try.

http://www.bulkherbstore.com/The-Vinegar-Of-The-Four-Thieves

So sorry about his plague on you and the kitties!

Let us know what works (or not! )

~Mama to Many~

Hi again Samie,

Dave has an interesting post that you will find on "Real-Time Posts" (RE: Diatomaceous Earth for Bed Bugs. ) He highly recommends Cedarcide for bedbugs and lots of other pest insects. It sounds like something that would work on these mean little flies, and from a little research it looks like it is something that is used safely with cats.

~Mama to Many~

Hey Sammie! I'm still curious as to the species of your noseeum! It's curious they went after your eye lashes; did they bite you anywhere else on your body?

It appears you are dealing with Ceratopogonidae as opposed to Phlebotominae:

http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/aquatic/biting_midges.htm

The only way to get these nocternal nippers out of your house is to improve your window screens with a smaller mesh size [please read up in link above.]

Midges, and flies, et al do NOT lay eggs in wounds - they lay their eggs and raise their larvae in moist swampy areas. The flies that are laying eggs in your cats wounded ears are house flies, blow flies, bottle flies, or flesh flies; these are active during the day and much bigger than the midges, and you should be able to manually remove the adult flies seeking to lay eggs in your cats' ears with a swatter, however one of those sticky strips you hang from a ceilng fixture might also work well for you.

This person has developed a repellant for midges and may have helpful products or info for you:

http://www.stopbite.com/midge/

This link offers come home recipies for potpourri:

http://www.ehow.com/info_8465086_mosquito-repellents-home.html

You can make a simmering stop top potpourri that will help with these ingredients:

• Fresh eucalyptus leaves (2 cups)
• Fresh lemon grass (1/2 cup)
• Essential oil of ginger (5 drops)
• 2 cups distilled water
• Nonstick saucepan

Method:

Fill the nonstick saucepan with the distilled water, eucalyptus leaves and lemon grass.

Set the temperature on a stove burner to its lowest setting.

Let the contents of hte pot simmer on the lowest setting for aprox 45 minutes at a time to release the aroma.

Add up to five drops of essential oil of ginger to the simmering pot to add an under-note to the potpourri scent.

Read more: How to Make Simmering Eucalyptus Potpourri | Garden Guides http://www.gardenguides.com/98516-make-simmering-eucalyptus-potpourri.html#ixzz2glYYgM1J

Whatever they are am not able to see them warmer not working as soon as I get it in the air a/c takes it out so I bought cedar chips put all over the house in buckets poured 1 gal of vinegar over it let it naturally leave as I continue to clean there ears and keep an eye on them also noticed they don't like menthol so as they go to itching around the neck I use foot powder since it has mental. DE clean in the ears cleans the ears then it attacks there neck so I use gold bond powder to repel it.

Hey Sammie!

This is not sounding like a flying pest - not if they are now going after the neck. A midge/mosquitoe/flying no-see-um would go after the easy pickin's, ie the naked inside of the ear; its not like them to fight through fur to get to the skin on the neck.

Is it possible you have fleas? This time of year they sure seem to find a way to hop on MY clothing and come into the house to get at pets. I normally don't have fleas in my back yard but this has been a very bad year in some areas.

A simple test you can do to check for fleas is just to go over your cats; there will often be flea dirt on the chin, and sometimes you can find them on the belly in the groin area. If you don't see any you still need to check the environment. You will need a white plate - it doesn't have to be a plate, it can be a shallow microwave meal container - it just has to be white, fair sized and shallow. Get a desk lamp with a higher watt bulb - 75 or 100; you want the lamp to emit heat so a 15 watt bulb is out. Put the lamp in the area where the cats are being bit and put the white plate under the light - so it shines down on the white plate. Then add water and a few drops of dish soap; the kind of dish soap doesn't matter so much, just one that cuts grease and oil. *IF* you have fleas in the room they will be drawn to the heat of the lamp, and will jump onto the white plate as they tend to be attracted to white or light colored coats, and get dunked in soapy water; the soap breaks down the oil on the flea's body so they will drown quickly.

Try the flea trap and see if you get any fleas. This is probably the easiest way to rule a flea problem in or out.

I would like to know if foot soap can be used on cats to get rid of fleas? I have read posts stating that borax is great getting rid of fleas. I also read where iodine in small doses is good for some cat ailment, I can't remember which. Johnson's foot soap and any of the generic brands have borax, iodide, baking soda, bran and something called "sodium sesquicarbonate" in it. I would like to ask Ted, or any other knowledgeable person, if these ingredients are harmful or useful in getting rid of fleas in cats?

Hey Mew!

There are a couple of ingredients in the foot soap that are bad for cats - I would not use this in my house to combat fleas on my cats.

You may wish to try the flea trap using the lamp and white dish of soapy water to guage the severity of your infestation before starting on the whole house de-flea process below. At the very least, a flea bath is in order if you suspect your cats have fleas - process is outlined below.

It looks like its flea season all over; when the temps start dropping at night, fleas start looking for a warm body to hop on to, and indoor/outdoor cats and dogs are their perfect vehicle to catch a ride indoors!

The first step to combat fleas in the house and on the pets is to clean, clean, clean. Start by tossing all pet bedding into the wash and wash in hot water and whatever laundry soap you use - adding borax would not hurt! Make sure you use a heavy duty cycle to ensure you drown and wash out any adult fleas and larvae in the bedding. If your pets sleep with you, this means all of your bedding also goes into the wash. Also wash any throw rugs, and any blankets and pillows that you use on your couch or chairs. Pretty much anything that is fabric that isn't nailed down should go into the wash; the idea is to remove fleas, larvae and eggs from any place they could sneak and hide in or on. If your pets are in the house and you need to undergo this task, it may be wise to crate them or contain them in one room while the bulk of the house is being cleaned to avoid fleas jumping off the pets and onto newly cleaned surfaces.

Next, vacuum. Vacuum every corner, every niche, everywhere. Take the couch apart and suck under the cushions and then vacuum eash cushion thoroughly, making sure you get the seam lines where fleas can hide. Do this will all the furniture. I have actually bagged up in big plastic leaf bags my newly vacuumed cushions and stowed them in an empty room while I cleaned to avoid any chance of fleas jumping on to the newly cleaned cushions. If you have carpet, my condolences. Vacuum the carpet thoroughly, over and over, particularly in the areas where your pets frequent. If you have wood floors its a bit easier, but you still have to vacuum the cracks in the wood floor carefully to ensure any parasites are removed.

Next, once the whole house is torn apart and the floors laid bare, its time for the powdering process. Apply your borax, or your diatomaceous earth/DE. Borax taken in large quantities and ingested by the cat will upset their stomachs; DE when airborne is an irritant to lungs and sinuses. So, if you are using DE, wear a mask, and if you are using borax be aware of where your pets may step during the powdering process. I have used DE and I dumped a couple cups on my wood floor and used a broom to work it over the floor, pushing it into corners and floor cracks. I move all furniture and swept the DE into the corners, floor boards and cracks. I then lightly swept it up, and put the furniture back into place. I took DE and put it into the couch with the cushions off and gave it a few pounds to work it in deeper. I took each cushion and pounded DE into the areas where the seams were. I then assembled the couch with cusions and awaited the next steps. If you have carpet I would not hesitate to use borax as it is likely far cheaper than DE to purchase. I would liberally spread the borax all over your carpet and use a broom to womp it in, so the borax goes deep into the carpet, to the base of the fibers and not just dusting the top of the fibers; the same applies if you are using DE, work it down to the base of the carpet fibers and not just dust the surface. Do this throughout the entire carpet, corner to corner, edge to edge and give particular emphasis to pet areas.

By this time your house may be a dust cloud inside, and your furniture covered all in white dust of one sort or another. When I did this I had one room that was spared, and I did this on the weekend so I could sleep in the untreated room with my pets while the DE had a chance to lay out for 24 hours. Besides, it is a huge undertaking and there was so much laundry, you really do need a block of time as this ideally is done in one fell swoop.

While the dust settles now its time to address the critters. I had four cats, each not happy because they knew what was coming when they heard the tub being filled! I first trimmed the sharp hooks off the claws on all four feet of each cat. I filled the tub part way and had a plastic cup on hand for wetting, and I had my fine toothed flea comb handy. But first things first; a proper flea bath starts at the head. I had no special cat shampoo, I only had Dawn dish soap on hand and that is what I used. For ONE bath only, it did not dry out the cat's skin; I do not recommend you make a habbit of washing cats in dish soap because it will dry out their skin and give you all sorts of kitty skin problems. But for my dipping purposes that was all I had at the time, so I used it. Start inthe bathroom sink - the tub comes later. Start at the nose - use a wash cloth dipped in very soapy water and use that to apply the soap in a controlled way on the face. Work the nose and especially the whisker area as the buggers will drink from the corners of the eye or mouth, so work those areas carefully; the idea is to drive any fleas on the face down the neck to the main body. Take your time, work the nose and mouth carefully and then work around the eye area and towards the ears. Make sure you work the soap down to the skin. When you get to the ears do the inside of the ear first -check for fleas who are trying to hide in the ear and work them down the neck. Once you have a cat with a completely soaped up head and neck, you can now take the kitty to the bathtub, where things will go much quicker. Or not, depending on your grasp on the cat. I set the cat in the water and apply the soap, working it down from the neck and shoulders across the back. Once the cat is soaked to the skin I pull the plub on the tub and allow it to drain. I then work up a good lather all over the cat, making sure to get the arm pits and groin area and under the tail. Let the cat sit, wet and soapy, for 10 minutes. If you have multiple cats it will help to have a crate for each, and to soap each cat up in order and crate wet while you soap the next. When all the critters are soaped then fill the tub part way and start the rinsing process. Hopefully by now the scores of laundry you have been doing has resulted in many clean towels. Take the cat and put him in the tub and start rinsing; I use a plastic cup to pour water over and over again on the cat. A mild solution of vinegar - 1 part vinegar to 30 parts water - will help cut the detergent and rinse it out of the fur. So rinse the soap off and use a wash cloth to rinse the face, and then when you think you have all the soap out use the vinegar rinse to get all the soap out and help restore the skin's PH. Bundle up kitty in a dry towel and put back in the crate, and work on the next cat. When it comes to drying, some cats will tolerate a blow dryer, and some will scratch your eyes out. If you can blow dry, great! If not, keep on toweling and toweling and change to a dry towel as needed to keep on absorbing the moisture. Now use your flea comb. Have a dish of soapy water at hand and start at the head - comb in short sections and look for any fleas caught up in the tines of the comb. You may have seen fleas in the tub - whoo ray! But some will stick in the coat and while you may have done your best to kill them some have a way of defying death, so you want to comb carefully else all your work will have been for naught. Once you have your cats fairly dried and combed out and are certain they have no more fleas, keep them crated please, as you now have the rest of the house to deal with.

Start by dust mopping wooden floors -but don't do a perfect job, allow any powder you applied to remain in cracks and in the corners and along the floor boards. Leave a film of dust under any furniture, working on making only the main traffic areas well cleaned of dust. When you vacuum, do only the surfaces that will come into contact with people or pets and for carpets, just remove the top layer of dust, leaving any dust worked down into the base of the carpet fibers to remain there - same for the furniture. So not only have you removed all the adult fleas and any obvious eggs, but by allowing the dust to remain deep in the carpet pile and deep in the crevices of your furniture you have eliminated any future outbreaks from occuring. Its also a good idea to wash pet bedding on a daily basis until you are sure you have the flea infestation nipped in the bud.

When I did this process - cleaning the whole house, doing all laundry, and dusting with DE - I nipped a bad flea outbreak in my 4 cats in the bud. I made sure after their baths that they did NOT go outside and pick up more fleas - and kept them indoors until the first hard frost. The residual DE dust deep in the carpet and floor cracks, and under the couch cushions and chair covers kept fleas away for years. My four cats passed on years ago, and I am now several generations of cats later, and no flea issues. And I am still finding DE in the floor cracks!

where do I buy DE or wondercide cedar oil?

Hey Sue!

Go to wondercide.com for the cedar oil, and google 'food grade diatomaceous earth' for the DE - you should be able to find it close by.

Hi, there is a powder called Diatomaceous Earth. Diatomaceous earth is 100% natural, 100% non-toxic. (*treat D.E. like baby powder, you dont want to get it in you/pets eyes/nose). It will mechanically kill ANY BUG with an exoskeleton! * It can also De-worm your pet & do a restorative cleanse on your pet as well as YOU! If your pet had joint issues it helps restore joint, bone, skin, & De-Worms too!

Make sure it's food grade diatomaceous earth. The other kind is used in sugar refineries, pond scum removal, and oil spills. I've been using it since 1998, my Gran' who was an herbalist first told me about it. I hope this helps.

Hi, are you putting the DE on the outside of the ears or the inside? My cats are getting bit on the outside of their ears, we just moved into a new home and both of them are getting bit like crazy. I put coconut oil on the ears and that seems to help but it doesn't last. And when I vacuum I notice a lot less biting but a week later and it's back.

I did put DE all over the carpet, I didn't notice much of a difference with that. I also sprayed the carpet with vinegar and water.

Dear god!! You are ringing a dinner bell with the vinegar in his poor Ears! And it's very burning to their delicate thin skin... get out of his ears w that!! YOU are drawing the flies to him!!! Poor angel kitty....