What am I being bitten by?! (Vom)

[bananallamas]

Moved into a new house two weeks ago. Most rooms have carpet and although we will replace them at some point we haven’t ripped them up yet as we’re planning to decorate everywhere soon. Previous owner was an old lady with a dog, lady passed away, house was empty for about 4 months between her death (and presumably the dog’s departure?!) and us moving in. But since we arrived I’m being bitten to death. About 2-3 new bites per day mainly on my legs even though I’m always wearing leggings/jeans. What can it be?! DH and DD aren’t getting bitten at all. I’m WFH so here all the time basically but so is DH. Maybe he’s just not very tasty.

I’m worried someone is going to tell me the house has fleas and I’m going to have to burn it down...

Yep, sounds like fleas, but no need to burn the house down just yet, try Indorex (available from Amazon).

Can they live for that long without a dog/human to feed on?!

Yes the eggs can stay dormant until new life comes into the house and then they hatch.

Best thing is indorex as already mentioned and hoover twice a day every day. The hoovering prompts the eggs to hatch and they'll eventually all get sucked up or killed by the indorex.

Bites around ankles definitely sounds like fleas. Individuals differ in their reaction to the bites as well - hence why it feels like they're only biting you.

yes another vote for indorex.

strip bedding to wash,
hoover, the vibration brings them to the surface, then spray indorex on all floors (hard and carpets) and on sofas, bed legs etc, everywhere basically. Then hoover again to hoover up dead ones.

It kills eggs, larvae and fleas.

I never get bitten, neither does dh, ds or dd1. In our house they just eat dd2! As soon as she tells me she is being bitten I know I need to spray. But Indorex does kill everything, I only need to redo occasionally because we have pets

Flea traps are effective, they use a warm sticky pad.

www.amazon.co.uk/s?ref=nb_sb_noss_2&k=flea+traps&tag=mumsnetforu03-21

A flea collar in the vac. would help too, if you can get one in without messing up the works. It is supposed to sort out the ones that are missed by the spray.

Ensure you have windows open with Indorex, it contains some very potent stuff and is not good for any living creature to inhale.

Well this is gross.
Thanks for the recommendations. I want to get rid of them (obviously) but am worried about using something very toxic as a) I’m pregnant and b) my DD spends all day crawling around the floor and I’d worry about her ingesting something. Any non-toxic solutions? I will order flea traps. I’ve googled and read about using salt or bicarb but is this actually effective?
My DH just suggested ripping up the carpets but then we won’t have any for X weeks while we order and wait for new ones. I think he’s just trying to get out of doing any hoovering.

Ripping up the carpets won’t do anything, I had my house professionally treated years ago and they only sprayed all round the skirting boards as apparently they mostly live on the edges of the room hiding in the skirting. Exterminator said that eventually over a period of 2 weeks they would all end up round the skirting at some point or another and that the spray would kill them. So even if you rip up the carpet you will still need to spray all round the skirting and edges of rooms.

When we stayed in a short term let I became convinced that we had bed bugs. Only I was being bitten, I had bites in a line (classic bedbug sign) but then I found some stagnant water outside with mosquito larvae. I bought some inset repellant plug ins and it all stopped. I would have thought that fleas would be biting everyone? But maybe wrong. Anyway, PP might be right but consider other options and no harm in trying repellant or insect killers?

Honestly just use the indorex. It is contact safe once dry so I would get someone else to do it if possible or wait until your DD is out for a while and do it then. uk.virbac.com/products/parasiticides/indorex-defence-household-flea-s Has FAQs at the bottom and states contact safe once dry and safe to use whilst pregnant.

The Indorex will get rid of them. I hate to admit it because it makes me feel gross, but we had quite a bad infestation at one point and it was the Indorex that sorted it. I've used it when my kids were really very young. I would hoover, open the window wide then spray round the edges of the room. Shut the door for an hour or so. Go back, hoover again. Room is done. I did the stairs and hall/landing when kids were out with DH. Get two cans.

Ok Indorex it is.
I’m now lying in bed thinking about the fact that I often sleep in socks (I put fluffy bed socks on when I get into my comfies in the evening) and I would have walked all round the carpets etc with them on and then gone to bed so they are probably in my bed now I also have a bite on one bum cheek and I don’t really want to think about how that happened.

Diatomaceous earth is non toxic but very dusty.

Needs to be food grade. I used it for an infestation of carpet beetles a few years ago, discovered them when we moved in.

Previously used Fullers Earth, also dusty but it cleared a whole flat of fleas left by previous tenants, that was a long time ago and was the recommended solution. Also non-toxic.

I was told that one can of Indorex would do a whole house but I ran out before I had finished. If you really do a thorough job you may need two cans. I do not have an enormous house either!

We've recently done our 3 bed semi house with Indorex (brilliant stuff), and went through two cans easily. Definitely get more than one! It has worked I am pleased to report

Indorex worked for us too. We got a new kitten and he must have brought them with him. It was a horrible horrible experience so I feel for you OP! Wash all your bedding, soft furnishings on a hot wash too