have we got fleas?

[MeltedFlumps]

I was itching all last week and on my foot had 5 small red lumps, like bite marks. After 10 days i am still itching a bit, not a lot, just a little bit her there and everywhere. No marks, no new bumps etc. Then yesterday dh started itching too but his scratching seemed to stop at work and then start again at home. No marks on him anywhere.

As a precaution I have hoovered the whole house and the sofas and bare beds, changed all the beds and washed every towel, flannel and item of clothing we have used and put everything out fresh after we all had showers. (What a fab day I have had)

But tonight dh and I are still itching a bit.

We don't have any animals by the way, and the children are fine.

Any thoughts? I am feeling really creeped out, as well as being itchy!

I've been bitten by fleas before (back-packing in Asia) and yes, I had the same marks and symptoms. Is there a chance you can call a pest control guy in? That would get rid of them for good and they know how to treat this stuff. I found tea tree oil on the marks stopped them itching. Hope it gets better!

I don't think that you would have animal fleas unless you have animals (unless the previous occupants of your house had animals?)

Could be bedbugs which can be picked up anywhere - check your mattresses for tiny spots of blood.

Could be scabies?? Don't know much about this one but I'm sure others will.

Apparently there has been a huge increase in bed bugs, particularly in the homes of those who commute on the underground/train around London. The commuter is advised to change immediately on rtn from work AND keep work clothes/suits/coats away from bedroom/soft furnishings/other clothes....

er right. like anybody does..

Oh and not sit down on the train. Well that at least is easy since you never get a seat.

If you do have fleas (and bites on feet are pretty classic) then vacuum cleaning & washing etc. won't be enough to remove them from your home. They can come in via animals or people and once they camp out in your carpets and furnishings they are a devil to get rid of. Try to catch one in the act.... tap on your carpet with a bare foot and sometimes they'll jump on board.

Professional pest control fumigation is a good solution if you have them. Alternatively, go to your local vets. They sell flea sprays and flea 'bombs' (aerosols that you set going in a room, shut the door & leave) that are more effective than the sort they sell at supermarkets.

there were fleas in our house when we moved in, and the bites we had were the same as yours. Fleas are a bit like nits in that they prefer the taste of some people, so that couls be why your kids aren't suffering yet!

I second the tea tree for soothing bites, and we got rid of ours using flea bombs. One in each room, strip beds, lift up rugs so the smoke gets everywhere. You need to be out for an hour when you let them off and then air the house for a few hours after. But sprays didn't help us, and £20 on bombs was a lot cheaper than getting pest control in. it's best to do the whole house at once too otherwise they could spread back to treated areas. We haven't had a reinfestation and are a year on.

I have the same issue but i have a cat
I gave him the tablets
which didn't work
so I got the ones for bigger animals and gave him that

I have bombed the house doing this in every room and have done it 3 times in the last 2 months. I have striped beds, wash cloths used repellent on my self but I am still getting bitten
I read about using Eucalyptus oils and I used a whole bottle in my bedroom
I have bombed my car
my boyfirends house ( I am am there a lot )

but I must now have about 50+ bits on my body and every day another 4 or 5 from home

how do I get them off my body ( I see them some times and feel them bit )

desperate

what else can I do

sssssssss - go to the vets and get the drops to put on the back of the cat's neck. They work a treat.

sssssss frontline and staykill spray, both from the vets. Do the frontline every 4 weeks, staykill works for a year. No fleas here now, and there was a point when they were everywhere.

For the ones who got pets

we got this for our house and its excellent stuff a it really worked and also it kills house flies too, plus the bonus side of it its child's friendly too

and also the tabs are Johnson's veterinary fleas tablets 11.4mg....got that from a pet shop...costs £4.69 yes its expensive but it really works too.

and the drops are frontline...and flea collar too.

the first thing you do is give the tablets and then spray the whole house....(i found i had to spray the house twice over over 2 days before i could see the results)..

good luck!

I think you can get Frontline legally - and a lot cheaper - on the internet. If memory serves correct this medication was reclassified and so is available on general sale. Always worked well on my mog. (tho' he could hear the sound of me cracking open the little capsules from far far away!)

Yes triphid you're right. You can also get it from chemist's, I remember now.

Don't waste your money on frontline, we were using it on our cat and last year she got infested with fleas. The frontline did nothing at all, according to the vet its been around for so long fleas are becoming resistant to it. He recommended advocate, its a spot on treatment like frontline and it worked straightaway.

ssssss - don't give your cat anything that is not for a cat - you might kill it see here

Indorex spray works, as does Advantage and Advocate. Frontline Combo is good but those three you have to get from the vets. Some good advice on the link.

Fleas are really resilient and nasty biters.

I second the Indorex spray. Buy it online as vets add on at least £5 to the price.

Make sure you spray the carpets under your beds too and then hoover. It took two doses to rid our house of fleas this year but they've gone now.

I tried RIP Fleas spray but that didn't work.

You could also use insect repellant on yourselves whilst you're waiting for the Indorex to arrive.

Stronghold is a good flea treatment to put on cats. You can get that online too.

All these chemicals are pretty toxic but a flea infestation is horrible and nothing else seems to work.

sssssssss - I know just how you feel. I recently had a flea problem and was the only one getting bitten. I took one Vitamin B tablet each day and it worked for me. The fleas hopped on, didnt like the taste and hopped off again. The one or two bites I did get after taking the tablets did not turn into the usual huge red lumps. They went a tiny bit red then disappeared, and no itching either.

Lavender essential oil diluted with water in a spray and spray away! Fleas dont like the oil on them - it clogs their pores apparently and lavender is a natural repellant too. The bed and settee were liberally done.

Thanks for joining mumsnet, reinstating zombie thread just to promote your company on this and two other threads. Ive reported them all. You need to pay for advertising.