Help Needed! Help with fleas

[sheshistory]

This isn't a bulldog issue necessarily - thankfully we have Truman on a flea preventative - but somehow our indoor cat contracted fleas and, as such, so has our house. She's been laying on our beds and area rugs, all of which I've washed and vacuumed. I treated her with Frontline Plus and sprinkled diatomaceous earth around her areas. I also steamed the carpets and mattresses.

My questions is: has anyone ever had a flea infestation in their house? How did you successfully treat it? How long did it take?

To complicate matters, I have a toddler and a newborn so I can't really use anything involving poison or toxicity.

I apologize if this is under the wrong heading...I'm so upset I'm dealing with this right now! Ugh! I just want them gone!

 

[Donnam]

When I was a kid, we went on vacation for a week and boarded our cat at the vet. As soon as we got home and walked in the door of our house, we were attacked by fleas! We had to call an exterminator before we could spend anytime in the house. Those critters multiply in the carpet. That was forever ago. I would think that now there are ways for exterminators to get rid of fleas using some safe stuff. I know when I used an exterminator this year, I made it clear that we couldn't have any harmful chemicals in the house because of my dogs and grand babies. They assured me that they only used safe stuff. I would call an exterminator that does environmentally safe extermination and see if they can treat for fleas. Good luck!

 

[Roseann]

One of my cousins went to my grandmas lake house with their flea infested dog and it took the rest of is all summer to get it taken care of. We would spray then no one would be back for a couple weeks and more would hatch. I hate fleas. They kind of freak me out and the bastards hurt when they bite! So my sister and I finally went down and sprayed every weekend for a few weeks when we came and when we left and they finally were gone. You have to spray then wait so many days for the eggs to hatch and spray again and then wait again and spray again. It was a can of pesticides that were for fleas. Definitely not safe for the dog babies! I would call a pro or send the animals with a friend or relative and then just clean up good after. It's horrible I know. If it were me I would cry first then probably cry to the exterminater til they were in my drive. I think you can spray and then clean up in a couple hours. Vacuum and carpets and counters and well, every single thing. It's one thing that I try to not let get out of hand because I'm kind of a bug-phobic type person and I freak out at crap like fleas and mice and snakes and spiders. Let's just say I'm a huge sissy. My daddy is so not proud. Haha Good luck.

 

[2BullyMama]

Hey Jill -- UGH, this sucks! But, the only way my sister got rid of them, same reason, house cat got them and the house got infested. They had to 'bomb' the house and leave it for 48 hours... she also had two toddlers at the time and she did everything before going that route... it was the only thing that got rid of them.

Sorry.

 

[brutus77]

Yup, I agree with Christine. When I was first married we rented a house and the first day we walked in, BOMBARDED with fleas! We had to essentially move out for a few days and bomb the house. It was so bad that the first time didn't work and we did it again. The safest thing to do is leave the house during treatment, and then when the suckers are dead, come back and thoroughly clean everything. Do not put stuffed animals in bags or your bedding, the fleas will survive the treatment if you do, and then you will be back to square one. I told Gary if we ever had a flea problem again, I would just move. It would be easier!

 

[sheshistory]

[MENTION=13140]Donnam[/MENTION] [MENTION=10908]Roseann[/MENTION] [MENTION=2894]2BullyMama[/MENTION] [MENTION=9370]brutus77[/MENTION] - Thank you for your insights!

Can I ask a few follow ups since I am pretty sure I have a minor problem as fleas go but perhaps you could confirm:

My 2 year can walk and crawl on the floor and not get bitten. I have hardwood floors and area rugs on my first floor and I haven't seen any fleas there at all, nor has anyone got bitten. Upstairs, the two kids rooms seem fine - no fleas, no bites - but the two guest bedrooms, where our cat slept, did have fleas. I have since washed, vacuumed, steamed, and set flea traps in those rooms and I haven't seen anything. I then had my nephews and sister sleep over in those rooms and no bites. Our master bedroom is where I have gotten bitten. I have seen a flea in my bed several times. Since then I have washed, steamed, and cleaned and caught 5 fleas in my flea trap.

Does this sound like a minor issue or am I being lulled into a false sense of how big or small this problem is? Should I continue to be vigilant and keep cleaning or would you go right to the exterminator?

Thanks again, I have no experience with fleas so I don't know how bad is.

 

[2BullyMama]

@Donnam @Roseann @2BullyMama @brutus77 - Thank you for your insights!

Can I ask a few follow ups since I am pretty sure I have a minor problem as fleas go but perhaps you could confirm:

My 2 year can walk and crawl on the floor and not get bitten. I have hardwood floors and area rugs on my first floor and I haven't seen any fleas there at all, nor has anyone got bitten. Upstairs, the two kids rooms seem fine - no fleas, no bites - but the two guest bedrooms, where our cat slept, did have fleas. I have since washed, vacuumed, steamed, and set flea traps in those rooms and I haven't seen anything. I then had my nephews and sister sleep over in those rooms and no bites. Our master bedroom is where I have gotten bitten. I have seen a flea in my bed several times. Since then I have washed, steamed, and cleaned and caught 5 fleas in my flea trap.

Does this sound like a minor issue or am I being lulled into a false sense of how big or small this problem is? Should I continue to be vigilant and keep cleaning or would you go right to the exterminator?

Thanks again, I have no experience with fleas so I don't know how bad is.

It does sound minor, but they spread and fast. I know my sister thought she had it under control twice before she did the 'bomb'. maybe bring the exterminator in to treat the masterbedroom and you can treat the cat... remember dawn dish soap killers them

 

[brutus77]

You can also put on white socks and drag your feet across the floor. If they are there, you will see them on your socks. They do breed really fast though, so maybe if you see any on your socks, call the exterminator.

 

[ddnene]

Ugh Jill, I'm so sorry...

We had a horrible flea infestation w/our cats onetime when we were staying in GA at my parent's house. We tried several treatments, but in the end Christine is right… we had to literally bomb the house and do a second treatment to get rid of the next round of laying eggs. At the same time we had the cats dipped and that finally got rid of them all.

We did it on a weekend that we were away so when we came back to the house it was all clear. Good luck…

 

[sheshistory]

It does sound minor, but they spread and fast. I know my sister thought she had it under control twice before she did the 'bomb'. maybe bring the exterminator in to treat the masterbedroom and you can treat the cat... remember dawn dish soap killers them

Dang, that's why they've been around since the dinosaurs!

I've done the white sock things a few times on my carpets [MENTION=9370]brutus77[/MENTION] and nothing was there. I've given the cat Frontline Plus and kept her in quarantine for a bit but I hear what you're saying ... it's so hard to know but maybe I should call just to see what the exterminator says, because I think she got them in the basement, which wouldn't be a big deal if they bomb.

ACK!

 

[Goob14]

This isn't a bulldog issue necessarily - thankfully we have Truman on a flea preventative - but somehow our indoor cat contracted fleas and, as such, so has our house. She's been laying on our beds and area rugs, all of which I've washed and vacuumed. I treated her with Frontline Plus and sprinkled diatomaceous earth around her areas. I also steamed the carpets and mattresses.

My questions is: has anyone ever had a flea infestation in their house? How did you successfully treat it? How long did it take?

To complicate matters, I have a toddler and a newborn so I can't really use anything involving poison or toxicity.

I apologize if this is under the wrong heading...I'm so upset I'm dealing with this right now! Ugh! I just want them gone!

Not sure if you have already dealt with the flea problem that you are having but I suggest getting diatomaceous earth (food grade). It's a powder that you sprinkle on the carpet or corners of the house or in your kid's beds...anywhere! It is non toxic, you can even eat it. We use it around all of our doors and window sills to keep bugs out. My mother-in-law had a couple flea battles and she said the DE took care of them. Hope you find something that works!

Diatomaceous Earth-Organic Pest Control for Home & Garden

 

[sheshistory]

Not sure if you have already dealt with the flea problem that you are having but I suggest getting diatomaceous earth (food grade). It's a powder that you sprinkle on the carpet or corners of the house or in your kid's beds...anywhere! It is non toxic, you can even eat it. We use it around all of our doors and window sills to keep bugs out. My mother-in-law had a couple flea battles and she said the DE took care of them. Hope you find something that works!

Diatomaceous Earth-Organic Pest Control for Home & Garden

Great advice - yes, I'm ALL about the DE! I have it all over but I'm so impatient and I know the one thing that you need to kill fleas is TIME. But great to know it worked for your MIL!

 

[NigelsMom]

I've been dealing with this recently and I've used the Raid Flea Spray which kills them instantly and the eggs up to 4 months. I also read that Pine Sol mixed with water can be sprayed out in the yard and I also use the Cutter Bug Spray which you spray using the hose - it kills mosquitos fleas and other bugs. I searched online for easy ways to help rid my house and the Dawn Blue Dish Soap is good for combing the jpets and dunking the fleas into hot hot water with Dawn in it - kills them instantly. I'll bathe them with the Dawn but only occasionally.
Lavender works too so I use the Fabuloso Lavender for mopping my floors. It has helped.
Good luck!