Gross pet question (fleas, eww)

[katie80]

Was going to post on Pets but it doesn't seem like it gets much traffic...

We have fleas. 🤢 Both of my cats are indoors but one likes to escape and I'm guessing he picked them up on a run around the yard. I just picked up the good topical medicine from the vet and have put it on them so hopefully that helps. Here's my question:

What do I need to do to clean my house to get rid of as many eggs as possible? I know the drugs I just gave them only kill the adults (and the vet said I can dose them again in about 3 weeks, which should be the life cycle of any eggs that are out there now) I'd really like to avoid doing bug bombs but if that's what I have to do, I will. Bleach? Wash everything I can on a super hot setting? Mop the hell out of everything? We don't have any carpet so hopefully at least that helps.

Ugggggh it has been at least a decade since I had to deal with this.

[mala]

Wash as much as you can, pet bed coves, couch covers, etc. Theres some powders or sprays you can apply to soft surfaces to kill eggs & larvae. Vacuum everything to suck up the eggs and larvae. Really, as long as the animals are treated it's not the end of the world.

I've heard of people using food grade (that's important) diatomaceous earth. I haven't used it myself though.

[TBM]

We've used borax (the laundry stuff-20 mule team borax) the few times we've had flea problems. There are other products, but this works and is pretty inexpensive.

Get everyone out of the house. My daughter didn't have anywhere to go with her cats, so they put them in the bathroom and put a towel under the door to block to opening from the borax dust. Sprinkle it on all carpets, rugs, soft furniture (wear a mask or hold a damp washcloth over your mouth and nose so you aren't breathing the dust), let it sit, then vacuum (again, with a mask).

We used to leave it overnight, but my daughter only left theirs a few hours before vacuuming, and it took care of a bad infestation. The small amount of residual after vacuuming helps take care of any new fleas for awhile, and isn't harmful to anyone but bugs.

[pooh8402]

Ugh, I used to deal with this on a regular basis when I lived in an apartment where someone apparently did not treat their animal(s) for fleas.

Capstar pills (you can get them from the vet, they're not over the counter) to kill whatever is currently on your animals. Get them and everyone else out of the house.

Flea bombs have always been effective for me in the past but I know not everyone likes the chemicals. And you have to stay out of the house for a day or so. The was this one lemony smelling powder I got from the pet store that was very effective and mostly natural.

Wash and machine dry what you can. Powder and vacuum the rest.

Diacetomaceous (sp?) earth in the yard.

[Leeham Rimes]

I just hired an exterminator. It was at or under $120. It included one initial treatment and one follow up treatment. I didn’t wash any of my bedding or anything nor did they tell me to.

I’m lazy and if I can afford to throw $ at a problem to make it go away, I do. I’ve tried DIY about 10 years ago and it was just the worst.

If you find that the flea problem continues, you can do a yard treatment one every 4 months, which cost me about $50/$75 every visit. (Can’t remember exact cost)

Worth it bc the fleas lived in our yard and we brought them in on our socks/pant legs

Yay Florida

[katie80]

Hmm exterminator didn't even occur to me. I've already got some powder so I'll try that but if it doesn't clear up I may call somebody. I just remember what a hassle bug bombs were the last time we did this, and that was in a much smaller place when I wasn't worried about kids getting into the chemicals.

[vanlatte]

We live close to the ocean, so sand fleas can be a problem. We have pest control come out every other month to spray both inside and outside, and it has eliminated the flea problem completely. I'm not sure what chemical it is they use, but it's purported to be kid and pet friendly.

[kitty63]

We had luck with Seresto collars after trying sooo many other things. They’re not cheap but they’re what finally got rid of them.

[Leeham Rimes]

May 31, 2018 16:00:44 GMT -5 katie80 said:

Hmm exterminator didn't even occur to me. I've already got some powder so I'll try that but if it doesn't clear up I may call somebody. I just remember what a hassle bug bombs were the last time we did this, and that was in a much smaller place when I wasn't worried about kids getting into the chemicals.

Our stuff was safe for Kids and pets

[flamingeaux]

I've found the Adams Flea and Tick spray worked excellently. We were able to spray it on the dog, the couch, and the carpets, with no damage to any of them.

[thatgirl2478]

When we've had cat fleas, we've treated the cats with Advantage 2 (or whatever the cat flea version is). Then we've vacuumed the areas the cats sleep in most and sprayed the Adams Flea & Tick spray in those spots. It's always stopped the problem pretty quickly, for a lot less than an exterminator.

Since we also have a dog, we also treated the dog at the same time. But we never sprayed the Adams spray on the animals, just the environment.

[wilmaflintstone]

My sister is a vet and she actually recommends not doing anything to your house. The fleas want to live on your pet, not anywhere else. Once you treat your pets, they begin to shed skin cells that have been treated. The fleas will feed off these skin cells, as well as your already treated pet, and will die. So you actually want your pet to lay in the places that it always lays, and kill some fleas. Unless your house is really bad and you can’t stand them.

[whiskeytails]

I’m late to the game. But get Vets Best. We had a yard that rabbits constantly left fleas in. The dogs would pick them up. This spray kills on impact and can be used on the animals, on carpet and even on humans. It’s made of peppermint and cloves. Works so well!

[fernweh]

We washed sheets, pet beds, everything that would fit in the washer. Rugs/carpet/upholstery got sprinkled with borax