The one thing I hate about my job!

[Paul in NZ]

Jeeze a bit rough blaming the sick as an excuse for those WT love bites? (PT)

Nah! Know what you mean. We used to go back to this 'flash as' old money house in ChCh every three months to replace phone cabling corroded by cat piss... aaarrgghh!

It went on 'till one of the guys nearly died from blood poisening and refused to go back.

Same with working on phone boxes. You had to be super careful 'cos people used to piss in them all the time.

However, it's when you kids go to school and come home repeatedly with nits etc that you start to wonder. One ethnic woman refused to believe her child had nits and refused to let him wash his hair (for cultural reasons) and you can't seem to kick them out....

[yungatart]

Often we go to patient's who live in deplorable conditions, where you have to navigate through the rubbish in the house, your sinuses shut down from the stink of cat piss and other smells too horrible to contemplate, you can't see the carpet for the dirt etc. And you get the person to hospital and then you feel it.... there's something moving around on your skin and you're starting to feel really itchy. One time I got 42 flea bites in half an hour. And those little suckers get everywhere - in your clothes, in the ambulance, on station and if you're really unlucky, they come home with you!
I've got 14 bites on my tummy and arms from yesterday and the itching is driving me mad.

Now I know that tea tree oil combed through hair is a good preventative for nits - so does anyone know of anything I can use to deter fleas (apart from putting on all my wet weather gear then taping all possible entry points up before entering a house)?

I don't think that they like Lavender Oil so if you don't mind smelling like an old lady, try that. It has to be pure essential oil tho.

[Beemer]

Hey, what about a flea collar? They work on cats!

I don't envy you your job, and I promise not to have fleas if you ever have to visit me...

[scumdog]

Often we go to patient's who live in deplorable conditions, where you have to navigate through the rubbish in the house, your sinuses shut down from the stink of cat piss and other smells too horrible to contemplate, you can't see the carpet for the dirt etc.

Sounds like you visit the same houses I do.
Not flash eh!!

[WINJA]

JUST LET THE FUCKERS DIE IN THEIR FILTH,
DID YOU KNOW "PENNY ROYAL" THE LITTLE WEED WITH PURPLE FLOWERS KILLS FLEES , THE LOCAL FARMERS USE IT IN THER DOG KENNELS