@khanis:
I have NEVER heard of these legendary fleas or mosquitos….
and I am a Portland native...
and have NEVER had a flea issue with my basenjis [Whippet, IG, RR, Newfs, or cats].
Our home ranges from 3-6 basenjis on average and still no problem, even with dogs that come/go for showing or boarding.
The only time I have treated them [my dogs] was prior to traveling to the midwest or east coasts.
During the time I lived in Portland, which is at the very northern end of the Valley and has more wind than the lower Valley, I noticed a lot fewer fleas and 'skeeters. I can understand why you haven't experienced them. Try camping on the shores of Fern Ridge sometime. Make sure you take lots of DEET. I grew up there and, man, the 'skeeters are horrible!:eek: I can remember our dogs and cats had a rough time of it, too. We were always picking fleas off them. But that's the difference between living in the city and living in the back woods.
The conditions in the lower Valley are perfect for the growth of fleas and mosquitos: standing water everywhere and very few hard freezes. (Gramma lives in the "sticks" too and has lots of both in her area outside Salem.) But, again, back to the subject, she used Brewer's Yeast and had pretty good results with it.
