I've got fleas...and I don't have a pet!
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free skin care · Wed May 30, 2007 3:02 am

The tenant before us had a cat. When we moved in, we quickly discovered that she had left fleas behind. Management sprayed the apt and all seemed fine. That was 2 yrs ago. In the past couple of weeks, I've been getting bites all over my feet and ankles again. Ownership of the apt building has changed and the new people don't want to do anything for me. Is it even possible to get fleas again without a cat or dog after 2 yrs??

Can anyone recommend a flea spray for the home that actually works?

free skin care · Wed May 30, 2007 3:48 am

Velvettt wrote:

The tenant before us had a cat. When we moved in, we quickly discovered that she had left fleas behind. Management sprayed the apt and all seemed fine. That was 2 yrs ago. In the past couple of weeks, I've been getting bites all over my feet and ankles again. Ownership of the apt building has changed and the new people don't want to do anything for me. Is it even possible to get fleas again without a cat or dog after 2 yrs??

Can anyone recommend a flea spray for the home that actually works?

I think that it is possible for people to bring them in from the outdoors. All three of our kitties are indoor exclusively, but we flea drop them anyway because we had a huge flea outbreak a few years ago. Obviously, the fleas came in on somebody. As far as them being able to survive without pets, I am not sure, but I wouldn't take any chances. Since we have cats and kids, we took the do-it-yourself route with no flea spray. Since the carpet was mostly effected, that is what we treated. We sprinkled a heavy coat of Borax on the carpets and left it there as long as possible (all day, overnight, etc.). We then vacuumed it, making sure to empty the canister into a garbage bag to take out right away. We did this every day until they were gone. Something in the Borax killed the fleas. Borax is cheap, so if your carpets are mostly infested, then this may be an option for you. If not, I know that there are flea sprays and carpet foams in stores that are supposed to work.

hth,
Tina

free skin care · Wed May 30, 2007 5:33 am

A friend of mine has fleas in her apartment too - and as you she has no pets. Turns out there's a birds nest in the wall outside her bedroom window. Check your outer walls to see if there are any holes...

They've had an unusualy warm winter where my friend lives and now when springs arrived the fleas have awoken from their long sleep and are hungry. The birds haven't returned from their winter trip overseas. My friend put som steel wool into the hole to stop the birds from going in to the nest again and is now waiting for the extinguishers to come and spray the hole or something...

HTH

Wed May 30, 2007 5:58 am

When we had a really bad outbreak of fleas, due to stray cats finding a hole in our basement, we found a really great product.

It was relatively cheap, 6 dollars or so, if I remember correctly. We got it at walmart (all though I'm not sure if they still sell it?). In any event, it's called Sergeants Gold Household Flea and Tick spray. I can't post links, so, it comes in a gold bottle, yellow/white label, gold lid. With the word "Gold" in big letters right up front, so shouldn't be hard to find.

According to the spray it says it lasts for 210 residual days, with only one spray. We actually sprayed it 2-3 years ago, and haven't had a problem since. That's with 3 dogs, 2 cats... and we very rarely put flea control products ON them. So it really does work, great. It kills fleas in all stages. From eggs to adults. 1 can gets a pretty good area, for 1500 square feet we only needed two cans. And it worked almost instantly everywhere we sprayed.

Since it works continually, the fleas on the furniture will die when they jump down onto the floor. It doesn't stain carpeting, and when you spray it, and leave for a couple of hours, there's no lingering smell either, as far as I can recall.

Here's the description of it

Description
Sergeant’s Gold™ Household Flea and Tick Spray, IGR, 12 fl. oz., kills adult and pre-adult fleas utilizing an Insect Growth Regulator IGR) In conjunction with other ingredients to kill adult fleas and prevent pre-adult fleas from developing into biting adults. Reaches the hiding places of the flea: rugs, carpet, drapes, pet bedding, upholstery and furniture. Protects the household from a buildup of fleas and reinfestation by providing 210-day residual activity from a single treatment. Also kills ticks, roaches, ants, lice, waterbugs, silverfish, crickets, spiders, centipedes and sowbugs.

free skin care · Wed May 30, 2007 8:02 am

The problem with fleas is that everything (bedding, rugs, pillows, etc.) has to be treated and then retreated 2-3 weeks later. All vacuum canisters/bags have to be emptied or replaced. We use a bug bomb first when we can be out of the house for several hours and then sprinkle in boric powder and leave a light coating on for a few days and then vacuum it up. Boric powder is an excellent and cheap solution. When they are extra tough, we have to get a spray from one of our pest control companies to spray down the house and bedding.
Fleas are very tough and can live dormant for quite a while. If you have pets all around your building, it's also easy to track them in or have them live on your doormat and squeeze thru your door frame. Good luck.

free skin care · Wed May 30, 2007 8:18 am

If you want a non chemical way to kill them, you can go to the hardware store and purchase this kit that comes with a yellowish light and some flourescent yellow sticky paper. It attracts the fleas like magic, and doesn't take long to get rid of them. We never had to do a massive cleaning of everything when using it.

free skin care · Wed May 30, 2007 10:43 am

zumlya wrote:

If you want a non chemical way to kill them, you can go to the hardware store and purchase this kit that comes with a yellowish light and some flourescent yellow sticky paper. It attracts the fleas like magic, and doesn't take long to get rid of them. We never had to do a massive cleaning of everything when using it.

This sounds interesting. If I got flea problem again, I would definitely try it.

Back to the question, yes you can get the fleas again because the flea eggs don't die when you bomb the place. They can hatch 2 years later.

I got fleas from a possum that went up in to my attic somehow and died in there I guess b/c he couldn't find a way to get out. It was weird because I only had chinchillas at the time, and chinchillas due to their dense fur do not have fleas. So I was scratching my head (and all other places that got flea bites) wondering where fleas were coming from. Then I smelled some strange smell like a rotten dead thing coming from a particular room. I got a friend to go up and check out my attic for me, and the dear guy even removed it for me. Then I bombed my place with a flea bomb I got from home depot and then I had to redo it in 2 weeks according to instructions. That seemed to take care of it since I haven't had another flea bite since. It's been 2.5 years.

Anyway, I feel for you. I hate fleas, too.

free skin care · Wed May 30, 2007 11:56 am

Does anyone know if Borax sprinkled on a carpet can harm a cat. We have a very dear old cat who has recently been diagnosed with chronic renal failure. It is well under control with SubQ fluids and he has a good quality of life but he has always loved to go outdoors into the garden. As flea season approaches I am terrified that he may pick them up from another visitor to our garden and the usual solutions (Advantage, Revolution) may be too hard for his already compromised kidneys. If the worst happens I am going to give the Borax a try and would love to hear about any "natural" flea solutions that really work.

Wed May 30, 2007 12:35 pm

Borax actually is harmful to cats if it's ingested. Since cats have a tendency of licking their feet a lot, after a while toxic amounts can add up.

I do remember reading somewhere (I haven't tested this, though), that if you cut lemons into quarters, and place them in a pint jug... and then fill that jug up with boiling water overnight, that it becomes a repellent for fleas. Just put some in a spray bottle and spray away. Doesn't kill them, I don't think, just becomes a repellent, and isn't harmful to animals.

I believe you can also dilute ACV 50/50 with water and spray it, as fleas don't like that, either.

You could also maybe try putting a flea collar on your cat when he goes outside.

free skin care · Wed May 30, 2007 3:25 pm

Thanks snarky, I'l hold off on the Borax and try the lemon or ACV.

free skin care · Wed May 30, 2007 3:37 pm

One other option is taking a pie plate or something shallow and filling it with liquid detergent and water. Supposedly, they jump in and drown but I have never tried it. Just put it in an area that is safe from your cat. The entomologist who recommended the borax powder knew we had a dog but not a cat. She didn't lick herself, so I didn't even think about your cat maybe doing that. I know it is safe for humans in the minute amount you get on your feet.

free skin care · Wed May 30, 2007 9:04 pm

I forgot to add that I had to bomb my place 3 times, not just two, each time two weeks apart.

free skin care · Thu May 31, 2007 1:41 am

AnnieR wrote:

Fleas are very tough and can live dormant for quite a while. If you have pets all around your building, it's also easy to track them in or have them live on your doormat and squeeze thru your door frame. Good luck.

AHA!!! There are several stray cats that hang around our building and we've recently seen one sleeping on our doormat when we've come home late at night. Our door is not flush with the frame, either. There's about a half inch of clear space between door and floor.

Thank you, everyone, for your help. Smile

free skin care · Thu May 31, 2007 4:53 am

Flea Busters is the only product that I have used that has permanently gotten rid of fleas. You can have them apply it, or buy the powder and do it yourself. It is basically an expensive formulation of some cheap stuff, like boric acid, but they have data on the safety of their formulation, and I can tell you, it really really works. It is guaranteed for a year, but we used it once and the fleas never came back. When we sold the house five years later, it was still flea free (we had four dogs at the time).

Boric acid and/or borax may work just as well, but I do know for a fact that the FleaBusters powder will definitely do the job.

-- Bee

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