In general, Permethrin and other pyrethrin-based products are
considered safe for ferrets, and they both repel and kill arthropods,
be they ticks, fleas, or bedbugs. Pyrethrin is a natural plant-based
concentrate that is very effective.

The main danger with pyrethrins is that they don't just kill the pests,
but repel them as well. I have had the sad experience of helping a
friend spray his grossly flea-infested dog, and immediately thereafter
we started getting bitten by fleas, when before that we had not. The
way it works is: fleas and other pests tend to prefer the animals with
(a) fur and (b) higher body temperatures, like dogs, cats, and of
course ferrets. But if they are repelled from those animals, they will
bite the next best thing... which is you.

If you use pyrethrins, you should take everything you plan to spray,
including the animals and all bedding, outside to the same small area.
Spray them well, then walk away, and leave them for a little while, say
15 minutes.. That way, when they leave the sprayed items, they don't
just jump onto you or your carpet and start problems all over again.

Spend the 15 minutes vacuuming well and afterward launder the bedding
well with hot water and soap.

Also, if you have bedding that you cannot launder, like mattresses for
example, you can take it out in the sun and spray it very thoroughly
with Lysol, both sides, then let it air and dry. This works against
mold as well as helping with certain pests. And if you have a bedbug
problem, spraying them with pyrethrin also probably would not hurt
anything, as long as you let them air in the sunlight for a while
after.

Pyrethrins are not known to be toxic to warm-blooded animals. Just the
same, it is best to be on the cautious side.

Lonny Eachus
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[Posted in FML 7193]