fleas biting me...

[3andnomore]

well, gotten rid of the fleas on the anumals, and have now treated the hosue twice with flea spray...but teh little blighters must be still around and alive, because I am being bitten like mad...yuk....I have had enough of being the flea food...wish I could put the darn frontline on myself, sigh....

Which flea treamtents are the best for teh house....or is it maybe so bad that I would need to call pestcontrol to get rid of them?

sorry, naff spelling there...

we had them really badly once and we got a spray from the vets. Was a bit vile - had to gut the rooms spray leave then hoover. It worked but was a big job and the chemical smell made me think it was quite bad for us all really.

We just keep up witht he frontline in the hope that they will all eventually die if they can't bite the host.

(Hi btw - did a crap stick up for you on the lunchbox thread - bu was - as I said - crap)

are you sure they from the pets, dd gets really badly bitten every september and gets cream from the dr, the dr says its cos the beasties outside are dying off and are biting everything to stay alive, i'm not meant to hang my washing out cos i'm bringing them in on clean clothes

Hmm I assume cats or dogs right? The fact is that fleas can only live three days without biting the host animal - they cannot live on human blood so my dear, your animals are still infested.

What did you treat them with? You may need to retreat them. Also bear in mind if you've just put your heating on, it will have woken up all the hatching eggs and now there is a fresh crop so if the protection is wearing off you need to retreat the pets.

FYI if you are using Frontline and getting it from your vet you may want to buy it online (I think it's petpharm we get ours from) it's half the price of vets practice for the same stuff.

When we first moved into this house, there were fleas. Horrid things, and no amount of flea spray or cat collars etc. and interminable hoovering worked. What we found effective was a lamp contraption that attracted the fleas, and when they jumped onto it, they got stuck to a gluey disc. The other key thing was to make sure the animals where Frontlined.

Thanks BBBee

Will ask vet for flea stuff for the house....did use Zodiac spray and then topped up with a Johnsons one!

Chocolate....but I only treated them with frontline a few days ago...well, on Monday...and I have also flea combed them ...do you think I really need to redo the frontline again? Is it o.k. to do it so quickly again...also, my poor dog actually has that allergic dermatitis thing, through the flea bites, and well, is still a bit sore (althoguh better, so, ab's obviously are working)...so, would it be o.k to redo the frontline so soon in those circumstances?

scienceteacher, are those lamps specific to fleas, or is it one of thsoe insect lamps...because we got one of those....

Clayre, well...it's defiantely the pets I would think...i.e. they were quite riddled (had treated them both with over the counter stuff...which is apparently less then useless....well, and I have learned the hard way....

Oh 3andnomore, just going through this too! Had a holiday abroad, not a bite in sight, then a day back here and bitten to high heaven!!

Have done the bomb things in the rooms today but think it's going to be ongoing.

Thanks whomovedmychocolate about the online stuff, think will get onto that tomorrow!!

Not sure, 3 & no more. I think it would have been strongly suggesting of eradicating fleas, specifically. (This was 1997).

It's about 6-8 inches in diameter, and about 4 inches tall. There's a lightbulb - not small as in a torch, nor large as in a house light.

We found it very effective, but we had fleas in specific areas, so it was probably easier to target them.

thank you...
will go and search for those lamps now

I assume this is what you mean?
link to Flea Killer trap

That's the one

I just read the Frontline instructions, and it does say you shouldn't treat more often than once a month...so...hm...not sure if it is actually alright to retreat the animals already then? Especially as the Cat is really still a kitten, of only 20 something weeks...

sue, oddly enough, it also seems only me that is being bitten......well...obviously I am glad that my boys aren't....but hohum...I ratehr not be bitten neither...lol!

try taking some garlic capsules yourself or eating something garlicy - it tends to repel fleas a bit so you are less likely to get bitten.

Indorex spray is great for the house - kills adults in the environment and also spreads a juvenile flea hormone around too to that other stages of the life cycle can not develop back into adults again. It will be effective for about 12 months once used. Can get it from vets.

See other flea threads for advice about on pet products. If you think your pet still has fleas on it despite using a product come back to me and tell me what you used and when on your pet and I'll try to help more.

bg...I used Frontline on both of them...think, is, I also fleacombed them, and at first I did then find some fleas and also those black dots, which are apparently flea feaces (sp?), and now there is nothing...the cat scratches occasionally and the dog a bit more often...but...the dog was diagnosed with that allergic dermatitis to flea bites and is being treated with ab's against the skin infection he develloped...so, having allergies, and eczema myself, I wonder if he is partly still scratcing, because the dermatitis isn't gone yet...!

Funnily enough, I am a great garlic eater, unlike dc's and I am still the only one bitten..however, insects tend to love me, seemingly, things like moscitos and mitches and well, anything that bites or stings tends to atttack me, sigh!

For the house I used the Zodiac spray and then retreated with a cheaper one from Johnsons...the Zodiac spray is meant to last for 12 month, though...I mean the effects of the treatment...but will ask vet about the spray you mentioned...and may also order some of those program tablets, aswell, to interupt the cycle.

The Frontline mentioned you are not allowed to treat more often then once a month...and seeing that I only used it last monday...I probably would overdose them...

TBH, with some bites I am starting to wonder if they are actually not fleabites...but oh, don't know some other bites...because of the area where they are (around my waist, on my bum, etc...)

OH, and I didn't really treat my sofa as such as it is a eleather one, and I wasn't sure I could use flea spray on it...but shall later use a disinfector solution on it, maybe that is where they linger...
I have changed my bedding several times this week as I am paranoid that I have fleas in the bed...!

On a good note...I think I have not been bitten since yesterday...so...maybe they are dying away now...

I HATE FLEAS

sorry to ramble...

Oh, and the reason I started to assume that maybe my pets have still fleas afterall is because of this post:Hmm I assume cats or dogs right? The fact is that fleas can only live three days without biting the host animal - they cannot live on human blood so my dear, your animals are still infested.

What did you treat them with? You may need to retreat them. Also bear in mind if you've just put your heating on, it will have woken up all the hatching eggs and now there is a fresh crop so if the protection is wearing off you need to retreat the pets.

FYI if you are using Frontline and getting it from your vet you may want to buy it online (I think it's petpharm we get ours from) it's half the price of vets practice for the same stuff.

Always found that Acclaim household flea spray worked best..

Saw on the news a couple of days ago that the good weather we have been having has increased their population - so you def won't be alone.

I do, know, however that you shouldn't re Frontline your animals, as this can be toxic for them

Agree with the Acclaim Spray. We got two kittens recently who were completely infested when they arrive so things have been a bit out of hand (frontline is not doing the job properly)

The nurse at the vets explained that you need to spray the inside of your hoover bag and underneath the hoover. Then hoover through out. Wash all bedding etc.

Spray each room round the edge and under things like the bed and on curtains etc. Then do a few squirts up in the air into the middle of the room and get out of it and shut the door. Leave for an hour then go and hoover again and air.

Flipping hard work but I think they have finally nearly gone (seems to take a few days for them to vanish and we had more on us after we sprayed for a day or two)

Hm...what can you give on top of frontline though?
I know you can give program tablets, and I will do that, but they will just make sure the cycle gets broken...but to get rid of the fleas on the animal, what can you give aswell as Frontline?

If you really think they are on the pet still then get some stronghold from the vet - compared to frontline it is not the same type of chemical at all so you are pretty safe to use this on top. If you are still getting bitten though it does suggest either that this is not fleas biting you, or that the household is the source, as the fleas on the pets really aren't going to be that interested in you when if they have just had a nice pet feed.

When you used frontline did you bath them within 48hr before or after the application of it? If so that does reduce the efficacy of the product.

Program treatment will only solve the environmental problem with time - the only fleas that will not be able to sucessfully reproduce will be those that bite after you give the program. The eggs and larval stage of the flea can live for MONTHS in carpets/bedding (dont forget to treat the car if the dog/cat been in there) so even if you give program now, if the rest of the house is not sorted properly then they could in theory continue to hatch over the next months. Zodiac is not a spray I am familiar with, but I know the Acclaim that others mention and yes agree is is also a good one.

Another idea for you too - have a look on the packaging for the frontline and give the manufacturers a call. They have a customer support team who should be able to help you.

thanks bg...
oh, and I didn't give them a bath or anything before or after treatment...because it does say that in the instructions, about making it less efficient...

but what choclate sais, is that true, that if they don't have a pet meal, then they die off...because I have read on some websites, that fleas can actually go for yup to 2 years without a meal...
also, now that it is getting cooler, and if I keep my heating off, would they die naturally anyway?
And will ask my vet, he might know Zodiac...and will give me an opinion...or, actually, would it be better to steam the carpets etc...?

Oh, and have an appointemtn at teh vets in 2 weeks again anyway, forkittens 2. vaccinations,e tc...so, I shall see how I fare, I suppose...as I have come to the conclusion that not all bite on me look the same, so, am thinking some of them are midges, etc...rather then fleas...

We had this problem very recently - I did a thread. Only myself and dd were bitten, but my ankles looked like I had some terrible disease by the time I thought it could be fleas. We also use Frontline regularly, so it didn't occur to me at first. Anyway, I used zodiac spray and also some Raid insect killer in the crevices when the zodiac ran out. Not completely convinced they'd gone, I took Custy's advice and bought a load of flea bombs and fumigated the whole house. None of us have been bitten since, so I'd recommend them.

The adults I dont think have a particularly long life span, but the larval stages can effectively be in a delayed development state so can literally survive for years. The cooler it is the longer they will survive (in a house setting anyway, frost perhaps a different issue!) but the less will be activated at any one time. Warm them up again and an army will appear - hence the need to treat the house with something strong enough to inhibit the larvae from developing.

Do you have kittens in the house now? How old and did you spray them with frontline or use the spot on the neck?