Help, I have fleas in the house!!!

[Luxmum]

My neighbour, curse her, has given me fleas, so they are now in my animal-free house. I found one and killed it, but think there are a few more lurking around. I have no pets to spray/dose, and two small toddlers, so chemical sprays are out... what can I do other than hoover lots and wash all laundry, and I dont think that kills them anyway?? It's driving me mad, I am covered in bites...

Oh, my sympathies. My dog got them once and spread them everywhere.

But I had him treated at the vet and his treatment killed all the fleas in the house. I really don't know what to suggest if the originating animal doesn't live with you.

Sounds ridiculous, perhaps, but would a vet be able to help you with your enquiry?

hoovering and washing stuff is good but if you have proper infestation it wont cure it. Call the council, I know you probably dont want to but they will really be able to help. If they are not sure there is an infestation they will leave a trap for a couple of days, which is just a heat lamp with a sticky pad underneath, that will tell you if you really have a problem.

If you do the only treatment is chemical sprays I am afraid, but the council do it for free, you have to clear as much floor space as possible as that is where they tend to lay their eggs, then you vacate the house for half a day and the man from ghostbusters comes and sprays everywhere.

The main problem is you cant hoover for ages, I think it is about 3 weeks but it will defo sort out the problem.

This happened to me about 8 years ago so I know exactly how you feel, I had a dyson hoover at the time and for months afterwards I had to examine the contents of the hoover to see if there were any fleas in it, I did become obsessed.

I had a toddler and a baby at the time (and 4 cats so it was my fault really) and I was horrified at the thought of chemicals and no hoovering, but I spent as much time as possible round at my mums etc and it really sorted the problem

Good luck, it may not be as bad as you think

You can get a spray called indorex from a vets - its quite expensive but very good and is designed for furnishings / carpets etc rather than animals, and AFAIK its safe for animals and children - although the vets will confirm that.

It really is the only effective way. Stuff from supermarkets is no good.

buy a spray from the vet

spray everything
floors
beds
carpets
curtains
mvoe the furniture and spray every thing

i did this recently when our cat got fleas and my dd1 was COVERED in bites after onenight - ltierally about 30 bites

it took me 8 hrs to do the entire house - we then went out for about 4 hours and they vet said that waslong enough not to irritate the childrens skin and lungs etc when they got back and it would be safe for them to sleep in the beds

it worked

dont cut corners cos you will regret it

good luck

i panicked a bit and threw away lots of towels (the cat had slept in the airing cupboard) and all our duvets and pillows and bedding and just bit the bullet and bought mre

you can spray bedding but you have to wash it - you can do this at the laundrette (duvets)

insecticide-free flea spray that works

www.skooshthefleas.com/