Fucking fucking fleas

[MrsHathaway]

Last month we had fleas - I'd been using the shop flea treatments, not realising that they're utter crap. So we went to the vet's for the spot on and the house treatment stuff and we sprayed and hoovered and steamed and boil washed fucking everything and observed the containment and ventilation protocols and everything.

THE LITTLE FUCKING BASTARDS ARE BACK - or possibly just hid away more likely - and although the cats aren't particularly bothered, I am absolutely covered in fucking itchy bites that make me want to grate my skin off then bathe in acid. I just caught one of the little arseholes putting a hole in my arm I hope his squashy death was infinitely painful.

HOW HOW HOW do I get the jumpy little bastards actually out of my house for good? Should I actually take the cats to the vet's to be treated or is the problem likely to be in the soft furnishings? Theoretically the cats aren't allowed in the parts of the house where there is carpet but that's easier said than done

Should perhaps have nc as "I have fleas" is not a very MN boast.

Hi, we went through a flea infestation last Summer, it was not pleasant. What I did learn is that the flea spray does not kill the chrysalis stage of the flea life cycle. So after a couple of weeks, they pop open when they sense vibrations and heat. That is probably what you're going through now. Hoover thoroughly to hatch all of the little buggers paying attention to cracks eg where carpet meets walls, cracks of soft furnishings etc. Re spray and re wash what you can on high. Hopefully you'll crack it. You will still see some more as they hatch, but as they jump on and bite the treated cats they will die.
One more thing you can do is get the program injection for your cat, which means any female biting flea becomes infertile. I did this as an extra measure, it cost £30 but worth it!
Good luck, fleas are bastards.

We have just eradicated fleas (we have 3 cats). Posie's advice is what we did. I'd add that the best house fleas spray seems to be Indorex; you can get a 3 pack on Amazon. You'll need to do the entire house and then do it again a few weeks later, but it works.

No idea. We first "got" them last summer and they are still here!! Sprays,powders,foggers. Electric flea traps and the sticky ones. Cat treated with shop stuff and vet stuff(he still fucking gets them!!). Everything washed,sprayed etc. It's driving me up the walls,and I constantly worry what school might do because dd has bites(it goes in cycles too,she'll have none for weeks,then wake up with 10 at once) . Cat has been "advantaged" this week,i hoovered and sprayed today and will use the foggers tomorrow before work,but not holding much hope.

Also, frontline doesn't work, if that's what you've been given ask for advantage or advocate.

I use advocate on ours.

Program is good, it won't stop puss getting them but stops the fuckers breeding. You need both ideally & a can of indorex.

Read the instructions carefully on indorex.

Thanks for all your help.

I can't remember what the spot on was but I think Broadline? Spray was Indorex and the tin isn't empty.

DC unaffected, thank goodness, also DH. None of them ever gets bitten by midges either so it may be a blood type thing - I must taste like cat

Cats are both boys. I'll talk to the vet if you think they'll have alternatives to offer?

So just keep going and prioritise the hoovering?

I'd get them a program injection. Broadline is a high dose of the active ingredient in frontline.

Ask about advocate, you can get a private prescription & buy online.

One more thing you can do is get the program injection for your cat, which means any female biting flea becomes infertile.

I misread this as pertaining to the sex of the cat. Now I understand.

So you'd say Broadline isn't worthwhile and it was only the Indorex that reduced the buggers last time?

I really feel your pain! We had a really nasty infestation last summer. Had two visits from pest control, cats were both treated at the vets. Went on holiday for two weeks, cats went to the chattery. Arrived home and within seconds our legs were covered in fleas. Awful. I'm still not convinced they've gone. There's no quick fix unfortunately.

Indorex and Advocate sorted our fleamagddon one summer. That was after cattery and kennels - eggs in the carpet hatched as frontline had been ineffective. Theindor x sort d out the carpets, the animals mopped up anyfleas which were then sorted by the Advocate. They were gone in about a week I would say after a couple of indorex sprays andlots of hoovering.

So it might be more efficient to burn the house down?

It's is often suggested onMN to put a flea collar in the hoover bag.

Kidding. Very frequent hoovering.

Cross posted. Very clever! Will do!

Frontline and broadline were ineffective for us so the vet recommended advocate, we haven't had fleas (to my knowledge!) since.

Don't worry, you don't need to hoover frequently for long if that is a problem... you can slack off after a week or so.

I feel your pain. After going down all usual routes, I tried other methods - you can sprinkle normal table salt all over your floors - leave for 24/48 hours, and hoover up. It dehydrates them. Also, lsminate/wooden flooring - mop with warm water with eucalyptus oil in it. Spray bottle with the same mixture, and spray into skirtings. Both of these work (so far!!). The other method I haven't tried, but is supposed to be very good - bowl of warm water with fairy liquid on the floor at night, next to a light (torch) - they're supposed to be attracted to the light, jump in the water and die - yeah - I know how that sounds !!!

Any recommendations for foggers? Have Amazon Prime and am disinclined to wait.

Oh I have hard floors (engineered so neither solid wood nor laminate) and I have eucalyptus oil (euc stag if that makes a difference).

I found a few of those lamp things with the sticky disc underneath to entice the fleas to jump towards the warmth - (apologies for crap description) were very handy. They're a useful indicator of how the myriad -useless- treatments are effective or not and an early warning sign if the fleas are regrouping for another go.

Ash they're electric flea traps. They do work,but only to give u an indication of how many of the buggers you have in the house. Ours is on all the time, dd thinks of it as her night light lol.

Foggers are generally crap. Broadline contains the same ingredient as frontline so I would avoid. Don't burn the house down just yet, you'll beat the buggers.

Diatomaceous earth, tried in desperation ( didn't really believe it would work), did the trick here. It's messy but worth it!

I don't understand how vets can still recommend frontline. Broadline covers parasites so I guess they could recommend it on that basis, but not for fleas! Really annoys me.

Advocate/prinovox/advantage the cats fast as they'll then help kill the fleas.