Being Eaten Alive by Fleas

Been there... done that years ago.

I use 100% essential oils and the fleas will leave you alone. My preference for beds is lavender & eucalyptus. You can get it at some natural health stores like Sunshine. whenever I change sheets, I drop the oil on the mattress pad and the fleas will stay away. Just need to keep it out of the eyes. Talk to them there and they can advise you.

Probably what I would do first is clean everything really good and have a pest control come out and spray and then start fresh using the oils on your mattress pads.

I used to use the lavender oil (mixed with grapeseed oil) after I shaved. Went to this party one time and had shaved and used the oils before and I was the only one there not being bit by mosquitoes that evening.

Best of luck.

1 mom found this helpful

Vacumm everyday! It works. At home depot I found this flyer that tell you how to get rid of fleas, and they suggest that you use "diatomaceous earth", it dehydrates the fleas and kills them. I never used it, but you could give it a try. Here is a link for more info:

http://www.dirtworks.net/Diatomaceous-Earth.html

Many years ago we had a terrible infestation of fleas. We had fleabusters come out & they sprinkle this powder stuff on the carpet & it dries the fleas out & kills them. Then you vacuum it up. We never ever saw a flea again & we had our cats over 7 yrs after that. I think now you can buy the powder & apply it yourself so it costs less. I don't think it is a poison so it is safe to use.

Look up fleabusters or flea busters. they are the best, put down a salt based substance in your carpet and use a machine to vibrate it to the bottom and under the carpet where the fleas breed. this substance dehydrates and kills the fleas and the new fleas when they hatch. works unbelievably well and worth every cent. hang in there, i was there about 10 yrs ago! good luck!

I would call rid-X or another professional pest control service.

We had exactly your situation, and the meds on the cats alone does not work. We just had fleabusters come in over the weekend. It's already working, and they have a year guarantee. Highly recommended.

hi there.
I would suggest you call a pest control company.
We just had our baseboards sprayed because we live in an apartment and got fleas from our neighbors. I have a 2 year old and was very nervous about the product. They talked to me beforehand and told me it was very safe, that even if she licked the wall after it dried it wouldn't bother her.
(i wasn't going to test it though :) )
Good luck. Also, the manager mentioned to vacuum like crazy and empty it outside when done.
Also, you'll need to clean all your bedding, pillows, clothing (thats been out) so that you can fight them
GOOD LUCK!

Dear K.,

My condolences about the fleas! I can tell you what worked extremely well for us--low tech, inexpensive, non-toxic: a flea comb. Using it successfully will take some patience and self-discipline on your part, but it works like a charm. My cat was mellow about letting me comb him, too, which was key.

Several years ago, we "cat-sat" a second cat (we had one already) and the guest cat infested us with fleas. It was terrible. I was bathing the cat w/toxic flea shampoo, making the cat miserable, and killing some, but never all, of the fleas. Then I happened to hear a radio feature about flea comb, and that saved us. We bombed the house, then I began using the flea comb on my cat about 2x per day for the first week or two.

A flea comb is a small metal comb with tines close enough together that when you comb the kitty's fur, the fleas get caught in the comb. You need to do the combing with a bowl of soapy water near at hand. When you see something dark in the comb, dunk it into the water, pull the fleas off, and they will sink and drown (the soap break the surface tension of the water so that the fleas sink rather than floating on top).

The good news is that the fleas prefer the kitty to humans, so you won't need to comb the humans--just the cats. When I first began combing my cat (a longhair), I was pulling easily 100 fleas a day off (yuck!), but the numbers gradually fell, until after a week or two it was down to 5 or 6 fleas a day. At that point, regular treatments with Advantage should keep it under control, I should think.

If you do feel the need to use some kind of poison, I would do some careful research on the least-toxic alternative. We did use the "fogger," but in retrospect, I wouldn't, b/c it had pyrethrins (sp?), which are pretty nasty. Some of the other responders had some suggestions for less-toxic treatments. But in any case, if your cats will let you, do combine any treatment with using the flea comb. It works extremely well!

Good luck!
J.

Fleabusters ROCKS! It is the same as the powder the other moms have reccommended, but is applied by a proffesional team that comes to your house. It is safe for pets and kids (and big people, too) and it works.
We have been living in Tahoe for the past 9 years, which has been heavenly as there are no fleas up here (really!), but we are moving to R.I. soon...the 1st thing I told my hubby was that we will have to make an appointment for Fleabusters to come and treat our house right away. I HATE fleas!!!
Good luck!

OUr kitties had fleas too and I didn't want to bomb the house because we have an new baby. I did some research on Google about "green friendly ways of getting rid of fleas. They use dichotomous earth - or something like that. OUr friends used it and it worked. I would Google it and you will get a lot of info. We haven't had to yet as the problem of fleas in the house has gone. We vacuum 2 times a week - put flea collars in the vacuum bag and throw it away after you vacuum. But you will have to do a good job of vacuuming all the nooks and crannies of the house a lot - especially where the kitty sleeps. I hope this helps.

Use Flea Busters. Non-toxic and they guarantee for a year. check out fleabusters.com

Hi K.,
About 10 years ago we moved in to a home that had a terrible infestation. We purchased a powder product from a pet store (it came in a 5 gallon bucket).It was used on the carpet & around the perimeter of the house.
On the carpet, you would vacuum it up after a period of time..we ended up being able to get rid of most of them, before we moved in. However, you may need to wash absolutely everything in the house. They will try to settle in to the bottom of curtains,bedding, couches etc......so I hate to say but sometimes a bug bomb is the best bet. The only reason we were able to get rid of them easily was we did not have any furniture etc in the house yet. We also HAD to treat the yard!!! If you don't treat the yard the pets will continue to bring them in the house.....
I'm sorry I don't remember the name of the powder, but I think we purchased it at a PETCO....It did work, just took more time than the bombs....I believe it made them dry up(so to speak)...we used the same type of a product for ants once....
Good Luck
P.S. I just read some of the other enteries....fleabusters....I'm sure that was it!!! It worked GREAT when nothing else would..... Thanks mamasource mom's you did it again.....

Frontline worked for us when we lived in MA, but it was no match for the fleas in CA. We switched to Revolution and it does the trick. As for the house, vacuum like crazy until they are gone. That worked for us also. Luckily they didn't seem to be in the upholstery or anything -- just the carpet. I vacuumed like twice a day for a several days after giving the cat Revolution. As long as I remember to use Revolution and vacuum a lot following his dose, we're good. Good luck.

Had a similar problem years ago when living in LA, was pregnant and did not want to use chemicals. We found a company that dusted the house with fine powdered salt - it dehydrates the fleas and is totally non-toxic. The company repeated the treatment at no additional charge a couple of times and the fleas were gone. I don't remember the name of the company, but I'm sure you could find it online...

Go to the Vets office and ask for Sephitrol. It is amazing stuff. No smell, no danger, and no color. You spray the entire house carpet and it kills them all instantly. It does cost about 18 dollars, but it is the best and so worth it. :) The only other natural remedy I know of is to put Eucalyptus leaves under all your furniture and throw rugs. It is the cost free bohemian method....I have used both. Sephitrol was the best! It works immediately. Leaves take a few days.
Power to you...:)

Fleabusters.com!

They bang this powder into the carpet. for extra $ they will even come out and do it for you. this works after 3 flea bombs did not.

Hi K., we used to have a very bad flea problem. If you have carpets, you should get them cleaned. We actually removed all of our carpets and put in wood flooring. We only have carpet in the master bedroom. I treat all of our animals with Advantage. I tried to buy a cheap version of the flea stuff and I too had a cat that almost died. I have many animals, so advantage does get expensive. I was just treating the one outside/indoor cat and my dogs, however I guess one of my indoor kittys got a bite, and cost me over $200 for her allergic reaction. I now have to treat all of mine. I would also call your vet and ask what they would use for your home. There are many things you can get that are organic, just not sure what they are...good luck

Whether you bomb or not, putting a couple of flea collars (the terrible wet poison ones) in your vacuum canister is a must. otherwise when you clean your carpets, the eggs you suck up end up hatching in the vacuum and the fleas are back in your house a few days later.

Also, to avoid reinfestation I'd treat this almost like a lice outbreak. If you have throw pillows, stuffed animals or cat beds, I'd either get rid of them or put them in a plastic bag (along with a flea collar) and keep them closed up for a couple of weeks just to make sure nothing hatching on them gets back in the house.

Yes you have to bomb the house and walk around spraying the carpets real good then set the bomb done to finish. You also have to sprasy the yard and perimeter of the house then take the kittys to be flea dipped.

The same thing happened to us a few years ago, just when my daughter was starting to crawl. It was so gross to see the little fleas hopping on my baby!! We tried bombing the house twice and Frontline, which did NOTHING for us. I finally got some Fleabusters powder (someone else mentioned it below) and sprinkled it myself. Then we vaccuumed twice a day for a week, and every day for the next 2-3 weeks. It took about 2 - 2 1/2 months to break the cycle, but we haven't had fleas since. The difference in the number of fleas was noticeable right away. And Fleabusters guaranteed it for 1 year so long as you don't shampoo the carpets. I think it was $90 for enough to do our house: 1300 square feet (more or less) with just the three bedrooms carpeted. It is Borate powder (among other ingredients) and I have heard that Borax works, too. Not so sure about that, but Fleabusters definitely does. We shampooed our carpets and the cat, then applied the fleabusters, then used frontline (I don't know if Frontline really works, but the vet said in cases of a "major infestation" it will not be able to keep up with the population of fleas... also Frontline needs to be applied a day or two after bathing the cat because it works with the cats' skin oils.) I am pretty sure we bombed the garage, too (where the kitty box was).

Incidently, Eucalyptus is also supposed to repel fleas.

Good luck! www.fleabusters.com

Many moms have mentioned vacuuming then throwing out the bag. What do you do if you have a bagless vacuum? Thanks!

Try diatomaceous earth or borax which should be available at a well stocked pet store. Just ask them at the store. It is available but because it is the easiest and cheapest way to go it is often not the marketed or advertised way to go. It is a harmless powder that you sprinkle onto your carpets and then work it into the fibers. If you go to a store like Petco or PetSmart and ask for Diatomaceous earth or Borax you can apply it yourself. It is the same stuff that the company fleabusters uses; they quarantee their work for a year. We did the work ourselves to save $$$ because the powder is not expensive, as a matter of fact it is very reasonable. Also, you can do a light do-over after the fist application if you want to be extra cautious.It kills the fleas and eggs which lay in the carpet. We had the same problem with 2 cats and a dog a few years ago and this really worked. You didn't mention if your pets are indoor or outdoor animals. If they go outdoors, they may be picking up fleas and bringing them in. If you are outside for bbq's or just enjoying summer in the yard, you may be getting bit outside. There is a product you can buy that is put onto your lawn (nematodes-little microscopic critters)that eat the fleas and larve when they are present in the lawn and die off when they are gone. The nematodes are harmless to people and pests. Part of the problem may be outdoors as well as indoors.Good Luck.

K.,
Flea bomb the house, spray the yard at the same time and then afterwards on a regular basis, wash all the bedding, clothes, carpets, drapes and furniture, bag all the stuffed animals with flea powder for several weeks, have the cats flea dipped at the vet (not just the flea treatment), and vacuum the carpets daily. You may also have them in your vehicles if they traveled there on your clothes.
Good luck. Also, check with the neighbors - you may need to do a neighborhood effort. - J.

Greetings K.: If you have fleas as bad as you say then get pest control out there and soon. No collar is going to help when there are bunches of flesa to replace the dead ones. If you are so worried for the cats move them elsewhere in a cage or x-large dog crate until you are sure that all the flesa are gone. But I am more concerned for your health -- fleas are horrible!
We once moved into a house where there had been a flea problem and we found out the hard way the woman had only bombed the place and it temporairly treated the problem until they started hatching again and it became worse. You will need your furniture and every place that the cats have been cleaned as well. The cats might need flea dipped as well. The cost is well worth it because the vet bills for the cats will be much higher for their health repair- no matter what you say if you have cats and fleas like yours they have mixed. Good Luck, Nana G

K., You are getting lots of ideas. I prefer a non-toxic approach. The flea collars are toxic to animals. Personally,I would not flea bomb or have a pest control company out. As mentioned, you need to treat your household simultaneously. Spray the yard, whatever on the baseboards, edges, launder everthing in hot water if possible, bathe and comb your pets but no flea dip even if groomer recommends. I say groomer if you aren't familiar with the bathing.
Boric Acid (the old fashioned laundry booster), available on laundry asisles, Target,etc, is what you sprinkle along the carpet, furniture cushions, etc. I leave it a week and vacumn up, I read on the internet to vacummn that day so you might research it some more.
There are also FLEA TRAPS and they work incredibly well. You can order from the internet and it uses a light source to attract the fleas and they are trapped much like fly tape. You could also make them yourself for several rooms.
I've learned from years of fostering and raising infant,abandoned kittens. I hope some of the other suggestions have helped for your flea bites or consult the internet or health food store. I think there's a vitamin or supplement that boosts your resistence.

Hi K., Sounds bad ! After the frontline has worn off , try Advantage.You need to apply it every 3 - 4 weeks.but it's safe. make sure you've got correct weights on your cats so you get the right size . some vets offer ,if you buy a 6 pack of advantage you get 2 tubes free ! For your home try Fleabusters . Look in the phone book. For the outside area ask your local garden specialist what to use.You also can try putting part of a flea collar in your vacuum bag area. You have to keep up with the treatments to get it under control. Good Luck, K. P

I know that you don't want to bomb the house but it sounds like they are too far into the carpet etc. I suggest you do three things. First, you are going to have to vacuum and then change the bags. Then get a heavy duty spray and spray the floors and then put bombs in each room, remove all of the open food and dishes etc. Make sure you remove all pets for a whole day. Also spray the furniture and especially the entry. You will have to wash all of the pets with a flea dip and put them somewhere else when the fleas jump off so they won't just come jump back on them. If you can, spray the front porch and even any grass that is near. You can buy a powder that kills bugs to put on grass near your home as well. Make sure you open all windows when you return and then I would leave again. When you return, make sure you vacuum again with clean vacuum bags.
Good Luck!!

We just went through this! I recommend Advantage over any other medication for your kitties. I, too, didn't want to bomb so I ended up sprinkling Borax in the carpets and leaving it over night. Make sure it is worked into the carpet by using a scrub brush. The next morning, wash all bedding, the cats, and then really vacuum the floors. Through out any pet bedding that can't be washed. We then rented a Rug Doctor (the big one) and shampooed the carpets. Haven't had a bite since! Borax works on all three stages of fleas, eggs, larvae, and adults. If your vacuum has a bag, put a cut up flea collar in the bag. I would continue to vacuum every other day or so, just to be sure.
Sincerely,
L.

Are you SURE it is fleas, it could be rat mites. many people on this thread have had run ins with roof rat mites and they are covered in bites as you describe.

Put tea tree oil on your legs in the interim to keep the fleas/mites from biting. Take garlic tabs. Call in a professional. They will be able to tell you exactly whats biting you.

Hi K.-
THis must be the year for fleas. We have never gotten more than a little carpet spray couldn't deal with, but not this year. I SOAKED my entire floors, walls, mattress, etc. But I swear I have little polka dotted scars all over my legs and feet from those hateful little creatures. I finally took the issue outside. I sprayed/treated my yard- twice- and then soaked my house, edge to edge, again. (Make sure to keep pets and kids out until it dries.) 2 weeks later, no fleas. The itching is FINALLY subsiding. The thing is, they can be under your house, out in your yard....but they are resilient little things. The yard spray I bought in the Target garden center. THe house spray I bought in the pet section. The funny part is that the cheap spray killed roaches, ants, etc., but I had to spend a little more on a slightly higher grade product before it killed the fleas. Overall, I spent about $40 ($10 front yard, $10 back yard, and $15 or so on spray for the house- so plus tax, about $40). It was worth every penny. Spray your floor boards, door ways, etc.
I hope this helps!
-E.