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Original poster

fleas...oh the shame..!

25 replies

krocket · 30/09/2004 08:52

We seem to have fleas in our house eeeeurrgghhhh YUCK
I understand that for every one you see there will be 100 others, makes my skin crawl. Anyway, the weird bit is that we don't have any pets. I think a local cat might sleep on our front door mat at night, could that be it.

Anyone had to deal with this? What's the best thing to do?

OP posts:

carla · 30/09/2004 08:57

Not had any experience of this, but I'd phone your local council and see what they say.

littlemissbossy · 30/09/2004 09:02

hi krocket, where are the fleas? in a carpet?

Original poster

krocket · 30/09/2004 09:09

I'm not sure, I guess they must be in the carpet but I just don't understand how they got there. This morning I found one on DS; horrible.

OP posts:

littlemissbossy · 30/09/2004 09:29

ok, well you can buy a powder that you sprinkle on the carpet, leave then vaccuum
If you have a look at your local council website, address will be www.(name of town/area).gov.uk, they'll have details about pest control with downloadable information sheets on how to tackle the problem... it's easily solved, we had it once because of our dog
HTH

Tickle · 30/09/2004 09:41

hi - fleaban is the name of the powder. you're local vets should have it or similar. it's safe - basically a dessicant so dries out the eggs so they can't hatch. i know, double eughkkk...

don't be tempted to use the organophosphate sprays - they are very strong! animal fleas will bite humans cos they are hungry but can't live on them, so you should be clear soon. meanwhile hoover under all beds sofas etc - they like the dark warm spots to lay eggs.

it's like head lice - makes you itch just thinking about it!!

Angeliz · 30/09/2004 09:44

krocket, are you SURE they are fleas??
It's just saying you found one on ds, they are b=very hard to spot, especially when they are alive.
We were infested last year and i'm afraid i had to do the house about 4-5 times before we got rid

zebra · 30/09/2004 11:02

Put down salt & leave it 4 3-4 days. Salt kills the lasrvae. Vacuum up & repeat. Vacuum frequently 4 that matter. Every household w/ pets in Southern California has fleas...

SoupDragon · 30/09/2004 11:11

We had this when we had cats - truly disgusting! Small black specks that hop away when you get near them? That'll be fleas I remember finding them on DS1 when he was a baby.

Bunglie · 30/09/2004 11:14

When I moved into my house, the previous owners had dogs and cats and left us some 'little visitors' in the carpet. They were very hungry fleas. I was horrified, and thought that everyone who came in would know....
Well I covered everything in flea powder and vacumed it up 24 hours later, I did this 3-4 times for about 10 days, and it seemed to do the trick, until I turned the central heating on and out they popped again! After a repeated dose of fleapowder I was told to put a flea collar in the vacume cleaner as it kills the live ones and the eggs when you vacume them up. I have not seen any since I started doing this and now I am do scared to take the flea collars out, (I think they last about 6 months) just in case.
You really do have my sympathies because I understand your reaction. The slightest thing like a hair on my back had me scratching. In the end I got over my paranoia when a friend told me that they only bite humans when their natural food is not about.
I put a dog and cat flea collar in the vacume cleaner because I was not sure which kind of fleas they were and apparently they are different. (Oh and apparently they like newspaper to breed in as well, so don't leave piles of papers on the floor)
Goodluck.

Twinkie · 30/09/2004 11:20

DP's office has them (he works for a huge bank in the city) and he is often coming home with bites onhis ankles - is grosse and his work don't seem to take it terribly seriously!! (They also have lots of mice too youck!!)

Bunglie · 30/09/2004 11:24

I forgot to say, if you are not sure they are fleas, sellotape is a good way of catching them and you can then have a good look and check. A red/black oval shape body with long legs....and you have fleas. If you have pets don't forget to take them to the vet and get them treated or the problem will persist.

TeriS · 30/09/2004 11:41

Sympathise with you, we had the flea problem last year due to our dog!

The flea collar in the vacuum is a great idea, and it does work. My first instinct was to vacuum the house constantly, but apparently this makes it worse, as it's hoovers up the flea powder, and gives them a place to breed! I was told to put down flea powder/ spray, and leave the hoovering for at least a week! Nightmare!

KangaMummy · 30/09/2004 11:57

we used these bomb things from tesco you let one off and leave the house for several hours and it you need one per room.

we used to use progam on the cats but don't seem to able to get it any more

We spray them each week as they catch mice and other things outside so they keep getting more on but the spray stops them either jumping on or kills them.

If you leave the house to go on holiday the fleas "go to sleep" and as soon as you go home the vibrations start them up again and the eggs hatch

If they are really a problem you can get a jamjar with water and washing up liquid and catch the fleas and put them under the water it drowns them

alterego · 30/09/2004 12:07

WE had this when we moved into our previous house. Tried dealing with it ourselves (also had two cats of our own and was paranoid about them getting them.) Our methods didn't work (various sprays for hosue and cats).Called the council and they recommenede a pest disposal firm (like Rentokil). £45 I think they charged and got rid of all the fleas. Well worth it in my book.

Original poster

krocket · 30/09/2004 12:18

thanks everyone, Angeliz, they are definitely fleas, my mums cat used to have them and i used to catch them and drown them (gross I know) since if you try to squash them or whatever they jump off. But I'm confused, we don't have pets so where the hell can they have come from? is it possible that neighbourhood cat could have left them on the front door mat?

Also, and I almost can't bear to say this, can they live in mattresses?

OP posts:

Original poster

krocket · 30/09/2004 12:19

OMG have just had a horrid thought, could MICE be bringing htem in? no evidence of mice but just a thought

OP posts:

Tessiebear · 30/09/2004 12:30

If you had mice you would know about it - beleive me! How long have you lived in your house? Fleas/ eggs can lie dormant for a while i think i am right in saying?!?

triplets · 30/09/2004 13:57

Hi,
A subject close to my heart as we have cats and so does my Mum. Now we have ours under control, but my Mum has had a real problem this summer. So she has spent around £30 on sprays all to no avail. Finally las week she called the local council who sent their man and dealt with it, cost £30 but not a flea seen since! Yes Tessiebear they can lie dormant for up to 10 years so prevous tenants could have had pets.

pixiefish · 30/09/2004 14:04

they can lie dormant up to 8 months

poppyseed · 30/09/2004 14:07

Aha!! Only solution is to buy the chemical sprays that you can get from the vets. We had to do ours with Indorex spray and then gave the cat monthly dosings of frontline. The spray is a bit expensive but works - we sprayed everything, especially under radiators and then went out for the day as it was a bit of an overpowering smell. They indeed do lay dormant for ages and it's their eggs that are the problem - they hatch around this time of year when we put the heating on iyswim. Have a good spray andhoover and they'll soon be gone.

pixiefish · 30/09/2004 14:08

remember to throw the hoover bag after every hoover until they're gone otherwise you're just reinfesting the house

poppyseed · 30/09/2004 14:17

[yuck faced smiley] good point pixiefish....

Aero · 30/09/2004 14:34

Yes - mice do carry fleas - discovered this to my horror when pg with ds2! We used rug patrol powder from the local pet shop and havent had a problem since - obviously we got rid of the mouse too and our (new to us) cats will be front lined every month!

pixiefish · 30/09/2004 14:39

Ah Aero you're frontlined cats are the best defence in the front line of flea control...
Science bit coming on;
Right here goes:

Cat has frontline on skin- this kills fleas when they jump on to cat and try to eat cat.

cat enters house

fleas think mmm dinner

eggs hatch and fleas jump on cat

fleas get frontlined

fleas die

this happens until all the eggs are hatched and fleas are gone from your house...

so the best thing you can do to get rid of fleas is GET A CAT OR DOG (works with dogs as well) and keep said cat or dog frontlined for a few months. This will rid the house of infestation...

Holds head and shuffles off into corner... exhausted after science bit... told this by guy from council who fumigated a house we rent out after last tenants moved out...

aloha · 30/09/2004 15:03

I am a catcher and drowner too! I can sense the horrible little things. Had a really nasty infestation this summer. Treated the cat, sprayed the whole house (esp cracks in floorboards, corners and carpets) and hoovered daily and it got rid of them. They are vile.

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