Flea Infestation

[McFrosticles]

Dear god, I hope somebody has some advice for me.

My girlfriend and I moved into an apartment together about...4 months ago. When we first moved in, we saw a sweet cat outside and took care of it for awhile before finding out it belonged to someone.

Well, this "sweet" cat brought us a new pet. FLEAS.

Good lord, I have never been so frustrated in all my life. These things are devils. I am allergic to them and I am constantly itching. My girlfriend on the other hand, does not get bit at all!

I have bombed the house twice, I vaccuum at least once a week, and still they come back. I can't afford to hire an exterminator without paying for some stupid 1 year contract.

Wanna know whats worse? I have HARDWOOD FLOORS. No carpet whatsoever. My landlord SAID he has sprayed outside for fleas, ticks, mosquitos, etc.

Any advice?

[The_Jazz]

You need to bomb the house again. That will kill the live fleas. If you vacuum immediately afterwards you should get a lot of the eggs. Vacuum more frequently, like every day, for a couple of weeks. Make sure to get every horizontal surface you can, including the upholstery (that's likely where they're laying their eggs).

You may want to look for things that kill the eggs. I know my mom bought some years ago when our dog had a bad infestation, and they never came back.

You may also want to consult your cat's vet to see if they have any suggestions. If the cat's not rid of the fleas either, then you need to think about that too.

[ShaniFaye]

/puts on exterminator hat

You need to vacuum WAY more than once a week...at least once a day. Last time I checked (and its been awhile since I was in the business) there was nothing that killed the eggs already laid.

You need to wash everything in the hottest water you can, (including your own bed sheets) if you can wash it, spray it with something (bombs arent all that great, spray is better) vacuum EVERYTHING, if you have curtains, they need to be vaccuumed, vacuum the hardwood floors, vacuum furniture cushions and the couch/chairs themselves. as soon as you're done vacuuming take the vacuum outside and empty it, the heat and vibration from the vacuum will cause the eggs to hatch and if you dont empty it outside, they WILL get out of the VC and back in your domain.

your landlord MAY have sprayed outside, but that isnt going to affect the fleas INSIDE.

[eribrav]

Don't mean to sound silly but are you sure it's fleas? You've actually seen them? There are other possibilities that could be causing itchy litle bumps.

[Psycho Dad]

My sister-in-law infested us with fleas last year (s-i-l didn't have fleas herslf, but brought them here with her shit). I bought the Sergents carpet treatment powder at Wal-Mart and reused the Sergents containers to spread borax. I let the Sergents and borax sit overnight and then vacuumed the next day. I also let the Sergents and borax remain under couches and beds and whatnot for at least a week. No more fleas and no more sister-in-law.

[McFrosticles]

Originally Posted by eribrav

Don't mean to sound silly but are you sure it's fleas? You've actually seen them? There are other possibilities that could be causing itchy litle bumps.

Yes, these are fleas. I have seen them, and they frequent around my ankles.

The cat is not a problem anymore cause her real owner took her back.

[Elphaba]

In addition to what everyone else has recommended, flea bombing treatment is a two-step process. First bombing kills the adults, and a second bombing 7-10 days later kills the juveniles from eggs. Good luck!

[Psycho Dad]

I was in a rush when I posted earlier...

Something that may be important to remember about the vacuum is to change the bag. I'd think that the trip Electroluxville while wild, is not enough to kill the eggs. And then the adult fleas that survive the trip are going to use the bag as a hangout to meet new mates. Once I vacuumed up the Sergents and borax, I quit changing the bags though I did kep the vacuum cleaner in the garage.

I'm not sure how much the borax does for the war effort, but I know I haven't seen a flea off of the cat or dog since I put it down on the carpet. One thing it did do is make the carpets clean as a whistle the next time I shampooed them. And borax is cheap so it is no biggie if it doesn't help.

[Titan_Uranus]

Sprinkle salt on the floors ,especially carpets ,leave over night & vacuum the next day, cheap yet effective way of sorting out your problem.

[dlish]

are u sure its not bed bugs??? to me it sounds like bed bugs

[McFrosticles]

These are NOT bed bugs. Trust me. I see them jump on me, I have looked at them up close, these are definitely fleas.

I just bombed again today and washed all clothing and bedding. Gonna vacuum tomorrow morning and lay salt overnight on the floor. Thanks for all the advice!

If I don't see improvements after a week, time to call the bug man I guess =\

[jbrooks544]

I'm no expert, but I've had houses get fleas a couple times. I just buy the flea and tick powder for carpets and follow the directions. This has always worked for me, 100%. The first application kills all the living fleas. The second application has to be timed to kill the next generation that hatches from the eggs, before they breed and lay new eggs. done.

[cookmo]

I don't know what kind of heating your apartment has, but if you have a central unit then you also need to change your furnace filter because the lil buggers can keep re hatching from there.

[ritzy]

you need to especially treat around the skirting boards and around the heating system in your house