Posting for flea help - am desperate!

[Ispini]

We moved into a rental property about a year ago. The person who lived here before had eleven dogs and left the place in a total state. Our landlord gutted the house recarpeted and painted and we moved into what we thought was an ideal home. We are very happy here and want to stay long term. I should mention it is a rural location.
However, recently we have started to spot fleas downstairs, it is as you can imagine totally freaking me out. Both my daughters and myself get bitten regularly, my DH seems ok but as he says himself he has the skin of a rhino! We have had the house fumigated and the guy said they can stay dormant for a few years and that’s why they may have just appeared. It doesn’t help that our next door neighbour feeds all the stray cats where we live and I am sure they are not helping the situation. We have tried everything and it costs £100 every time we get the house sprayed.
Has anyone got any ideas/success stories? I have lived rurally all my life and have never had a flea issue. Even when I don’t see any I sit itching and I think I’m going to have to get rid of our furniture going forward. We can’t afford to move although I know my Dad would only be too happy to help if I asked. My MIL and FIL are coming for Christmas and I couldn’t possibly expect them to sit getting bitten. My skin is crawling constantly and my DH just doesn’t seem to get it as it’s not affecting him.
So what do I do? Keep fumigating until they go or look for a more drastic solution. It’s really making me so depressed, I was on the loo yesterday and one literally jumped from my arm to my leg and I’ve actually started to have baths laden with Savlon to deter the little f*ckers!
please help!
I should also mention that we have two cats who never had a problem but we treat them very regularly, there are also foxes in the area that eat the cat food left out by the neighbour.

Deflea the cats and move em out for a few weeks and go nuclear. The cats are the problem.

Fleas generally won't persist where there aren't animals

Indorex every inch of the house. Nothing will survive it.

It will almost certainly be the cats bringing them in though.

Second Indorex, great stuff! Also flea treatment might not be working on cats, only thing that works on mine is Advantage spot on.

Move the cats out for a few weeks if you can, like really really really try to.

Use a good hoover, my shark has pulled so much out the deep depths of the carpet. Hoover everything. Inners of sofas and beds. Get a good flea spray, zero in ultra power. Spray everywhere. Clean cushion covers and bedding on hot wash.
Repeat in a 2/3 weeks.

That's what I did.
I found them crawling on us, even when we weren't in the house 🤢

The cats are defleaed regularly and where do I move them to? I have had animals all my life and never had this problem, I was just hoping that someone would be able to recommend a magic potion!
I’m just sick of my neighbour encouraging wild cats. I understand she is being kind but it’s affecting my pets who are treated by both the vet and at home regularly. We’ve had the cat for six years and never had this problem.

I just sent mine to a family member.

I've had cats all my life and only one proper infestation, but this was how I dealt with it. I stuck my cat in the bath, straight into a freshly cleaned cat box and straight out the door. They got treated with spot on (stronghold) when they got to my sister's. They lived there for about a month while w annihilated the house with foggers and indorex

The cats will help break the cycle as long as you are using a good flea treatment. Sometimes over time flea treatments because less effective. It must be something prescription strength from the vet, we use bravecto.

Thank you for the suggestion, that’s helpful to know!

Also indorex and hoovering. Lots of hoovering.

Thank you, some great tips there!

Check what the active ingredient is in your flea treatment. I used a fipronil based one for many years OK, but the fleas started coming back, like you I was getting bitten and the itching was driving me made.

Vet said that as fipronil has been out a while some fleas are resistant to it and recommended a imidacloprid based treatment. Advantage is imidacloprid based.

If you are de fleainf regularly, it might be worth changing the brand you are using and trying a different base ingredient

I think we might have to consider a cattery with isolation facilities. Will start to research. Will keep you posted on the case. I have another fumigation booked for next Monday, here’s hoping!

I second Bravecto. If the cats are treated properly, they should be helping kill them off. We used a fogger which did for most of them, but it did take a couple of months until the last ones were gone.

Will ask the vet, thank you.

Another vote for Indorex - one of our cats got infested when I bought an over the counter treatment not realising they are rubbish. I only use the treatments from the vets now. Lots of hoovering and indorex did the trick for me.

Will mention to the vet, gosh I have quite a mission but I know it will be worth it. I have never in my life experienced anything like it! To add insult to injury I’m not actually too crazy about the cats, they were bought for my daughters when we first moved to the uk. And of course in a typical family scenario I look after them! 🤬

Over the counter treatments are rubbish. If you haven't already, enrol your cats in the monthly health plan with the vet which will include monthly treatments of effective stuff.

The fleas should then die as long as the host is treated (they will die if they bite an animal that's recently been treated with proper treatment). Fleas can't live off biting humans alone, although humans can carry them to other animals within a very short timespan on clothes etc.

What are you treating them with. If you are just buying something at pets at home etc, that's your issue. You need something like Stronghold, only available from the vets, along with a big can or two of indorex.
Most commercially available flea treatments don't work.

Indorex 1 can for each floor of the house. Hoover to disturb them, then spray, then hoover again after they've died. Repeat again a few weeks later if they're still there.

How often did you use the fogger? We’ve used a few but maybe not regularly enough. Anyway will see what the guy says on Monday. Thank you everyone for some great pointers!

I am only ever treat our pets with prescription level flea treatments as we live in the country and fleas are an issue.
Cats should go to the cattery or a friend once treated for a few weeks ideally.
Fog every room in the house
Indorex in the corners
Vacuum.
Empty bag or hot wash the cylinder immediately.
Spray all beds and wash every single fabric in a hot wash if you can or spray.

You can get on top of this, but it might take a few months.

Another vote for Bravecto. You only have to apply it every three months.

Just once - plus sprayed a few areas periodically for a few weeks.

I think I'd suspect your cats having built up resistance to the flea treatment tbh, in this scenario.