i need some serious flea help :-(

[MelodyPondering]

Ok its a nightmare, my bedroom is awful. Here is what I have done:

Stronghold on cat

Acclaim sprayed whole house

Used entire can of indorex in my bedroom

Washed bedding etc

I'm STILL seeing them

I have two more cans of indorex on their way, but is it normal to still be seeing them after all of that?

I'm at my wits end, I can't sleep as it icks me so much, we are going on holiday in two weeks and its just awful.

What else can I do? Help please, I am truly desperate

Is it ok to put cat in our room so they bite him and then die?!

Thanks for any help, I need it!

[Lonecatwithkitten]

Putting soft toys in plastic bags and then freezing them for 24 hours is the best option.

[Archfarchnad]

"Can I spray Indorex on soft toys?" I wouldn't risk it if your DC are going to be cuddling them close to their mouths. Most effective would be to stick the whole lots in a bin bag first of all and bung the lot in the shed or wherever out of the way. Then you take them out in batches and freeze them for 24 hours (obviously in a sealed bag) - that will kill the feckers off and is chemical-free. The same applies for getting rid of headlice.

Our vet told us the biggest problem with getting rid of fleas is that people don't realise how much they have to concentrate on the corners of the room, carpets and skirting boards. You have to keep on hoovering and then either empty the hoover bag or clean out/disinfect the bagless dust container. Only after that do you Indorex or whatever around the room.

[Carrierpenguin]

That's useful to know that fleas don't like lavender, I think I'll spray it over my bedding.

Does anyone know how long you have to wait between giving frontline (useless) and advocate? I put some frontline on my cats but need to apply advocate asap as the frontline didn't work, just don't want to overdose the cats...

[xmickyxmoox]

Having the same problem at the moment. Absolute nightmare. To the point I've considered moving to get away from the pesty fleas.
I made the worst mistake of my life using frontline on the cat and dog this month as since then I've seen fleas jumping around my home, biting myself and the kids.
Our vet was very sympathic and said to use advocate on the cat and dog, to let them wonder around.
He also recommended indorex so today is the day my whole house is being done..
Nightmare!!
He also suggested bathing the children in a lavender oil bath as they don't like the smell of lavender which has stopped my children being bit throughout the night.

I've sprayed all the soft toys in their room with indorex as my washing machine has been non stop getting everything I can physically remove washed and being kept in black bags in the shed once they have came out the tumble.
I will get rid of these vile creatures

[daffodil100]

Hi, Can I spray Indorex on soft toys? My daughter has nearly 200 of them, and the cat has definitely walked amongst them. I haven't seen fleas on them but I want to be sure. I can't wash 200 toys, so can I safely spray them with Indorex? Does anyone know ?

Reading all this is making me laugh - with relief because it's exactly what I'm dealing with right now. And it's so much better than the crying I've been doing!

[MelodyPondering]

Oh you need the cat inside! Once its been treated it's your flea killing machine!

[MelodyPondering]

I think so....(touch wood, fingers crossed and all that!) We got back from a 2 week holiday yesterday and it seems ok.

In the end we used about 5 cans of indorex, stronghold on the cat and some advocate two weeks later. Cost a fortune.

I really do hope we have cracked it, its a nightmare. I would use 3 cans of indorex in one go, treating the worst rooms first and treat the cat with something other than frontline. Oh, and don't forget the car! Good luck

[rach2602]

I'm hooverin like a mad woman, washed everything, pulled carpet up in room, cats been outside for 3 weeks, no bites though x

[rach2602]

Did you solve it? I'm having same problem, flea bombs, frontline, indorex, helped situation but not solved. Still gettin them jumping on me n kids, its awful. Sat itching as I type :( makes me mad when I see em on kids. Got two more cans of indorex on way n more frontline. More expense but right now I would pay anything to get rid. It's been 3 weeks now x

[MelodyPondering]

I'm going to get rid of most of the soft toys I think, they just sit there anyway and I've been trying to get Ds to get rid for a while (he's a hoarder in training it appears)

Off to the vet in an hour, more money!

Only seeing them in dds room now (poor dd, I've set up loads of traps though)

I'm going on my honeymoon in two weeks, I should be excited and packing and instead I'm dealing with these little Bastards!

You have my sympathy makescakes that must have been a total nightmare with a newborn.

Thanks so much for all your help BTW, I bloody love Mumsnet!

[MakesCakesWhenStressed]

I just washed cat and human bedding at 60, combed them with a flea comb, hoovered thoroughly twice and sprayed the rug and skirting with acclaim.

Ir was only when we used advocate that they went away.

just what you need post partum

[Grumpla]

Also (sorry for disjointed posts) I "quarantined" clean stuff in sealed bin liners with a sprinkle of flea powder stuff in each.

[Grumpla]

After I did the great launderette / smoke bomb mission I only ever saw dead ones, by the way.

If you are still seeing live ones they are still breeding. The two weeks needs to be from the last live flea IYSWIM.

[Grumpla]

Honestly I would just wash EVERYTHING.

You need to do it all at once at the launderette otherwise the fleas will just merrily hop from one pile of laundry to the next, the little bastards.

You can also freeze things if they can't be washed - needs to be for quite a long time? Might be an option for precious cuddlies.

Handwashing in tepid water won't do it. Needs to be hot to kill the bastard things.

You have my sympathies you really do!

[MelodyPondering]

Doesn't indorex kill any that hatch for two months? (Still spraying again in two weeks either way, mind!)

[MelodyPondering]

Oh cuddle toys?! Fuuuuuuuck! I might just use it as an opportunity to get rid of some....can they go in the washing machine? (Apart from both Ds's precious ones. Those will need to be very very carefully handwashed.

I. Hate. Fleas.

[Rikalaily]

You'll need to wash all cuddly toys on a 60 wash, for some reason they will hang around them, spray all the edges of the rooms, into any cracks in the skirting boards, under rugs, spray the edges of lino or all laminate, under beds, hoover the sofa and spray loads into the corners and edge under the cushions, especially if the animals sleep on the sofa, there will be tons of eggs there. You literally have to get everywhere.

We had them bad last year after Frontlining for years, I acclaimed every 2 weeks, did it about three times and gave the cats 2 months of Program to break the lifecycle before switching to Advocate. Have been flea free since.

[MelodyPondering]

grumpla I sprayed some indorex in the Hoover. I've washed all bedding, hoovered mattresses, got rid if my rug, washed a lot of clothes (but not everything, that would take me weeks, should I start now), sprayed indorex and acclaim and used stronghold on cat. Plus there are traps everywhere....going to Hoover the Hell out if the car today as well as the house again.

How long did it take until you all stopped seeing fleas?

[MelodyPondering]

Thanks so much for all the replies

Shit, do I really need to do all the clothes? That might just push me over the edge! I have to say I'm feeling better (despite finding a flea on me at 6am) the ones I am finding are dopey and I can catch them, also I don't seem to be getting them in the traps anymore.

makescakes its just vile isn't it, I took Ds swimming yesterday and after his lesson there was a flea in his hair, it must have been there the entire time? That was a 'phone dh and sob' moment...

How much was rentokil sighing (desperatly hoping I've almost cracked it though!)

[Grumpla]

Have you put a flea collar or something in the Hoover?

Have you boil-washed everything ?

We eradicated a hideous infestation by taking all curtains, bedding, cushions, very item of clothing we owned, rugs, etc to the launderette and washing on hot, tumble drying.

Lost a few jumpers and cushions but coupled with smoke bombs in every room a fortnight apart daily hoovering it did the job.

I also steam-cleaned the carpets.

Airing cupboards, wardrobes, back of fridge etc all need to be done. No good just doing the room itself, has to be all the nooks and crannies.

Can you do the council one and ask a friend to let them in to do the second batch while you are away?

[MakesCakesWhenStressed]

I blame the mild winter and damp summer

[Sighingagain]

when this happened to us I called out Rentokil, they cost less than the fortune I had already spent trying to resolve myself

[violetwellies]

I went out and bought a sebo dog and cat, actually quite,enjoy vacuuming now, and have been flea free for months .. shouldnt have posted that, ill get invaded :)

[CornishKK]

I think there's a lot of it about this year, I was using Frontline on my cats but it just didn't seem to be working. I have done the carpets/house with RIP Flea/Acclaim every other week for 2 months & switched to these collars (recommended by a Mumsnetter) Flea collars

We are now flea free!

I buy household flea spray online, much cheaper than the vets.