I see that this is an old post, but no harm in bringing up pest control periodically, is there?
I would try Diatomaceous Earth- NOT the type for pools!!! Food grade, like Chop Suey said. I actually feed it to our horses, cats, chickens, dogs, and even take it myself sometimes. I just mixed some in with the rabbit pellets yesterday- it is supposed to be a natural dewormer and also passes in the feces, supposedly it will kill fly larvae in manure. The chickens like to dust bathe in it too. We have a gray mare that the cattle flies seem to love- they sit on her back and belly and bite away, but when I powder those areas with DE they leave her alone.
I also used it for flies in the bunny barn a couple times- the flies seemed to think that we built the barn so they could roost in the rafters at night. When I ordered the DE I also ordered this powder blower thing called a Dustin Mizer, so I blew DE all over the flies on the rafters and chains, and the next evening the fly population was down by about 90%! I spray it on the manure too.
A couple years ago we got bedbugs- not something I would wish on my worst enemy- which is what spurred me to get DE in the first place... we applied it around all the baseboards and around the legs of our bed, under the mattress, etc. and it killed them. They would get a night of biting in, but then would die. They were coming from a maternal bat colony that roosts under the roof.
To treat a flea problem you would apply it to the carpeting, baseboards, dog's bed, etc. Always vacuum first (the vibrations stimulate the eggs and cocoons to hatch) then apply the powder and leave it for a few days. Outside, you would apply it in shady moist areas- fleas don't lay eggs in exposed areas (i.e. your lawn). You should also apply it topically to your various furred friends. Thankfully we don't have dog or cat fleas at our elevation, but I have successfully eradicated fleas in the past by obsessively flea combing our pets.
I use it in the garden to kill aphids too, but I only apply it to plants that are not in flower so I don't kill the bees and other beneficial insects. It will not harm earthworms, and it is good for the soil. Microscopically DE is very sharp, and it works by scratching the chitin and causes the bugs to dehydrate. It does not kill them immediately, but they don't last too long. Works great in your stored grains (for humans or animals) to prevent or treat weevil infestations. A few weeks ago we had ants coming through a crack in the grout on our counter top so I put some DE there and the next day they were gone and have yet to return.
DE... gotta love it! Google "food grade DE" to find it in bulk- I ordered 200lbs of it from Wolf Creek Ranch if I remember correctly. They are in Lake Elsinore. The shipping is expensive, so I would recommend trying to find a source relatively nearby to keep costs down.
