How do I get fleas out of the house?

Question

I have a flea infestation! I got rid of my cats, but can't get rid of the bugs. I thought I had most of them, but it seems that new ones have hatched(they are much smaller than the first round). I vacuum and I sprayed the furniture with an IGR insecticide. I am pregnant and don't want to use too many chemicals in the house, but I have to get rid of the fleas. It seems we have more now than when I started. I bought one of the flea traps with the light and glue pad and that works well, but it is very localized, it doesn't get them all. Can fleas breed if there are no animals in the house? I read that they lay eggs after a blood meal, does that mean human blood? I haven't noticed them biting too much, though. Any suggestions? Any help is greatly appreciated!

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

I know fleas
I have had infestations several times.
Don't waste money on the lamps. All they do is give the fleas enough light to find some food.
The problem with using one chemical[ yes, you HAVE to use chemicals-sorry] is, most chemicals do not kill fleas in all life cycles. One treatment may kill the fleas themselves but have no effect on the larvae or the eggs that have been deposited in your bedding, furniture and carpet.[yes! your bedding} So you may have eliminated the fleas.....but the eggs hatch, produce more larvae and...ad infinatum.
Find a treatment the will kill fleas AND their larvae.
The treatments I have used in the past and have been very successful with is to use a home spray- they sell many different brands in Lowes or Home Depot. One brand is Best Defense. As long as it states it is safe to use on furniture and carpet. I spray my carpet and furniture [ test for colorfastness].
Next day vacuum well.
This may need to be repeated several times.
In between I use flea bombs. Do not try to be skimpy with the bombs. After you open the house up, vacuum again.
This may need to be repeated. But one cycle usually gets all of the fleas. Make sure when you bomb your home,, you open drawers, remove bedding, open closet doors,etc.
After all is done, wash linens in hot water.
Since you are pregnant, you should have someone handling the chemicals.
You probably want to get this problem corrected before the baby arrives. You will have your hands full afterward.
Good luck!!

PS
I went on vacation and took my pets with me. But it was obvious on my return...I did not take the fleas. They stayed home and multiplied!! OMG! As I walked in...my feet were covered!!

PSS DO NOT use Sevin in the house.
You are pregnant and it is deadly to insects. It would be very foolish to use something like this around a growing fetus.

Shame on the person who suggested this!

Source(s):

http://answers.google.com/answers/thread…

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

great, thanks

Answer 2

There is a powder called SEVENDUST...
You can probably find it in most major stores... it is a powder... and it is safe for animals... they arent supposed to eat it, but it is safe if they do... it will do the job...
and if that doesnt work, you can always try a fogger bomb...
those things are just spray on chemicals that will spray enough chemical to kill anything in the house... and you let them sit for a few hours, then once the chemicals sit for that period of time, they are harmless... so it is safe to go back inside...

try it...
hope i helped a little... i have had this problem before...

Answer 3

There is a powder called SEVENDUST...
You can probably find it in most major stores... it is a powder... and it is safe for animals... they arent supposed to eat it, but it is safe if they do... it will do the job...
and if that doesnt work, you can always try a fogger bomb...
those things are just spray on chemicals that will spray enough chemical to kill anything in the house... and you let them sit for a few hours, then once the chemicals sit for that period of time, they are harmless... so it is safe to go back inside...

try it...
hope i helped a little... i have had this problem before...

Answer 4

Sprinkle your carpets with salt, just regular salt and let it sit for awhile or overnight, then vacuum and don't forget to change out your vacuum bags.

Answer 5

Build a miniture circus in the back yard, then get em with an ice pick when they line up.....seriously I've found insect bombs most effective. Set them off and leave for the day, gives you a reason to perform in depth cleaning. Oops there I go again.

Source(s):

Dazzle dust and personal experience after shampooing my carpets-moisture causes all the dormant eggs to hatch.

Answer 6

About a year ago my home had a flea issue. I have two cats, but the problem came from new carpeting I had installed. The installers had put my new carpet into a van with old carpet that had come out of a house with flea issues. First of all, it's very hard to get rid of them once you have them. I will tell you how I did it.
First, I went to the vet and got flea treatment for the cats. I forget the name but it's the kind that you put the drops on their neck and it lasts for a month or so. I immediately noticed dying fleas. The second thing I did was get "20 Mule Team Borax". It's like a laundry detergent. Pretty safe, just don't inhale a lot of it. Use a mask, since you are preggers. I spread that on ALL carpeted areas. Bedrooms and living room. Anywhere there was carpet. Get it under the beds, behind the dressers. Everywhere. I used a broom to rub it into the carpet. I then let it set for a 24 hours then I vacuumed it up. I did this twice. Then I vacuumed everyday, several times a day for about a week. And in all honesty, it ruined my vacuum, but it was worth it.
I have ((HAD, lol)) a bagless vacuum, so after I vacuumed each room, I opened up the cannister to see if there were any "live ones". If there was, I took a pencil and "smooshed" the flea with the eraser and then put the flea into dawn dish soap. They die fairly quickly.
This method requires diligence. But it did work.

Flea bombs do not kill the eggs. It only kills live fleas. The Mule Team Borax actually dehydrates and kills the egg. This is why I never had another hatch.

Good luck!!

P.S. After reading some of the other posts, I would certainly NOT USE SevinDust in your home. It's an extremely potent insecticide. Being that you are pregnant, I would say that would be an absolutle no-no.

Answer 7

We used something called a "flea bomb" when nothing else worked for us. I can't remember where we picked it up, but if you ask around they shouldn't be hard to find. You close all the windows and doors, set off the "bomb", and leave the house for several hours. It fills the house with a sort of smoke and kills all the fleas. Since you're pregnant, I'd suggest setting it off, having someone else go back to the house to air it out, and then returning yourself the next day. Just to be safe. You can never be too careful looking after the little one. :) Congratulations on having a baby!

Answer 8

fleas start in your yard, the land you live on is probably a sandy based soil. seven dust will work in the yard, but i would probably have the house exterminated. this will work better than having seven dust all over your carpet.

Answer 9

This can be tough requiring all out battle, or it seems to me. Wash all rugs bed clothes and any other linen you can get in the washing machine with HOT water. Vacumn everthing including under couch and chair cushings. Flip the couch and chairs on their backs. Get a 4 pack of Flea Foggers, Hot Shot works well or Raid. Place one in each room per instructions and leave. Dont forget to put up your dishes and utensils. Its best if you leave over night. When you come back open all your windows and let it air out a couple hours. Being pregnant shouldnt be a problem if you stay gone long enough. Then put all your linens back on. You may have to repeat this procedure a 2nd time cause yes they can hatch out after and the`re tough. Been there done that.