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General health

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Original poster

It's official, I found a FLEA this morning, I want them out now, how do I make them die?

58 replies

bohemianbint · 21/03/2009 08:15

Eurgh...I've been getting bites on my ankles but I thought maybe it was mosquitos or something as DH is unaffected. Anyway, yesterday I thought I saw something that could have been a flea - and this morning I caught one in my magazine and it is, officially, a flea.

We do have two furry pest carrying bastards cats but we stopped letting them roam the house freely when one of them shat on the floor in the front room where our toddler plays. (We are looking to re-home them as they now just cause us trouble, and expense that we can't cope with with two young children, and this just reaffirms my wish to get them gone.) But anyway, the fleas are still in the house, living merrily on me, and my babies and I need them out of the house right now.

Are floorboards worse for keeping them alive? Is there any sort of repellent (natural) we can put on us while we get rid of them? Is it going to be really harmful to have insectisides in a house with small children?

Eurgh, I feel so twitchy. Tell me what to do!

OP posts:

PuppyMonkey · 21/03/2009 08:21

Go to wilkinsons, get some flea spray and follow the instructions!!! You have to spray all over house.... watch out for pets etc. Had this happen to me and the Wilkinsons spray sorted it...

Local council might have a service to do your house too, but it would cost you. Try the spray first.

Farking cats.

Original poster

bohemianbint · 21/03/2009 08:25

Thanks Puppy. Will we have to move out - DS2 is only 7 months and don't really want them exposed to chemicals.

I assume we have to wash every single item of fabric in the house too?

If I wasn't vegetarian I'd casserole the little feckers (cats, not fleas) and be done with it.

OP posts:

MissisBoot · 21/03/2009 08:27

You need to get rid fast. Flea eggs will have fallen down through the floorboards and will then hatch.

Get some of of this to spray on floorboards and skirting boards and anywhere the cats sit.

Then treat the cats with this every month. Have just done mine.

You'll also need to treat your hoover bag with the spray.

Don't know of any natural repellant sorry.

This is prime flea breeding time as its starting to get warmer.

MissisBoot · 21/03/2009 08:28

Your ds will be fine - just spray and take him out for teh day - should be fine when you get back.

PuppyMonkey · 21/03/2009 08:31

The spray I've got is a bit smelly. but not harmful to kids. I last did it one day just before we all went out for the day and came back and it was fine.

Yes, I'd have a big bed washing sesh today too just in case. And spray the mattresses really well.

Original poster

bohemianbint · 21/03/2009 08:34

Will I need to wash curtains and all the clothes in the house too - or is that going over the top?

Thanks for the advice. Am on a mission to deal with it this morning. DH doesn't seem too arsed and it's really infuriating me. I'm just itchy all over and I'm sure some of it is psychological.

OP posts:

shootfromthehip · 21/03/2009 08:36

There is NOT a natural way to get rid of fleas IMO. Frontline your cats and spray everywhere. It is same after about 15 mins I think but will smell for a couple of hours- leave a couple of windows open. We have fleabags lovely cats to and were plagued with them on and off for a couple of years until I went down the chemical route!

shootfromthehip · 21/03/2009 08:37

too not to! Oops

ilovesprouts · 21/03/2009 08:39

it is you always itch esp when mums talk about head lice as well my cats are not allowed in the room/bedrooms ooh im scratching me self now !!!

Original poster

bohemianbint · 21/03/2009 08:42

ANyone want a couple of manky skanky cats?

OP posts:

thesockmonsterofdoom · 21/03/2009 08:42

we had fleas recently too, minging. I treated the cats with frontline and got some defest stuff to spray around, did it at night when the dc had just gone to bed and the chemically smell was gone by the morning, it lasts 12 months.
I am a little bothered that you want to get rid of your pets because one shat ont he floor and they now have fleas which really is your fault for not treating them for in the first place. People really do seem to find their pets very disposable these days. It is good for children to grow up around animals, it is also good for children to learn that if you make a commitment to something you should carry it through. I think if your children are allergic to your animals that is different but to dispose of your animls because they are no longer convinient is a little unkind.

PlumpRumpSoggyBaps · 21/03/2009 08:43

You don't need to wash curtains and clothes. Just make sure you spray all the soft furnishings, rugs etc. And that you've treated the little flea carrying buggers cats too.

And if you're mega itchy, try an anti-histamine.

Oh, and if you catch any felas, you have to split them in half with your thumbnail or drown them. Squashing them doesn't kill them.....

PlumpRumpSoggyBaps · 21/03/2009 08:44

Grr. fleas not felas.

Original poster

bohemianbint · 21/03/2009 08:47

sockmonster - the cats have been treated but obviously not well enough! I appreciate that whilst I'm being quite flippant here it sounds like I'm just being a cow but there are several other factors involved that I haven't gone in to. It would be kinder to re-home them than keep them here but that's another thread.

OP posts:

Mandragore · 21/03/2009 08:51

Ok a couple of things here...

Curtains should be fine.

Fleas can't survive on human blood. They're only being kept going by the cats - a few weeks without animals in the house and they will all have died off, even if they are biting you.

You shouldn't need to spray, if you keep the cats. What you do is treat the cats with something that inhibits the fleas' reproduction, Program is really really good. Frontline does something else, it kills adult fleas and Frontline Combo inhibits egg hatching etc as well, but Program is the best as it actually stops them breeding - they bite the cat, it goes into their bloodstream, the fleas have been given contraceptive basically. Flea spray is generally nasty, there is one that contains silicon to bind them up instead of poison them, which is safer, but still not necessary if you can bear to be a bit patient.

3.Flea eggs can live for up to a year and hatch when someone is nearby, or the heating goes on - so these days winter is as bad as summer, if not worse.

I hope that helps. Program needs prescribing by a vet and is a bit dear but does solve the problem.

When we moved into a house one time it was full of fleas who just jumped onto my ankles every morning for about 2 weeks - all I did was pick them off and put them in a glass of water, washed them down the sink, they got fewer and fewer and were gone very soon.

Mandragore · 21/03/2009 08:52

I think it is fine to rehome your cats if you so choose, as long as they go to a good home. They're not your children!

shootfromthehip · 21/03/2009 08:56

I'm often keen to rehome my children! .

Am now itchy as anything too!

thesockmonsterofdoom · 21/03/2009 08:57

Only you know your circumstances, sorry if I was a bit ranty it is just somthing that I seem to be coming across a lot at the moment.

nikkid21 · 21/03/2009 09:00

We had this problem a couple of years ago. Really struggled to get rid of them in carpet upstairs even with hoovering and spraying. In the end bought a chemical hand grenade type thing called a flea bomb from Wilkinsons.

You set it off in the room with all doors and windows closes. Then don't go back in for 4 hours or so. Then you open the windows and air the room. We didn't sleep in it for a couple of days after but it did get rid of the problem immediatley.

redsock · 21/03/2009 15:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

cornsilk · 21/03/2009 15:09

Ask the vet to treat them. That's meant to last ages and the fleas in the house then die off without their food supply. Then take them back regularly. I think it's every 6 months or something like that.

cornsilk · 21/03/2009 15:11

Blimey redsock chill out. Even the most ardent cat owner might change their priorities once they have children.

smee · 21/03/2009 15:31

ditto redsock. Abuse is ott - especially if you read OP's post explaining a bit more. There are ways of putting your pov. Can't see how that one works.

wotulookinat · 21/03/2009 15:47

Get some bug bombs from Wilkinsons - you need one for each room.
Use Strong Hold flea treatment for the cats - it also trets the surfaces they sit on.

Mandragore · 21/03/2009 16:00

Redsock shut up.

Who said pet ownership had to be unconditional? She didn't give birth to them.

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