I just moved to an apartment that is completely infested with fleas. I originally had asked the landlord to flea bomb as a precaution before I moved in. I knew the previous tenants had a dog. I myself have no pets.
She did, but I went into the the apartment the day after the bomb and I got attacked by hundreds of them all over my pants, inside my pants, on my back, in my hair, and on my face. It was a nightmare.
I'd already signed a lease and given my deposit before I knew of the problem. Yet still I had hope that more flea bombs would help. When I came back again I only got 2 or 3 on me. I figured that was normal. But I am still seeing them crawl out of my pant legs and jump on me. We have flea bombed 7 times, changed all the old carpets, and laid tiles. We had the whole house exterminated yet nothing works.
After each fogging they are still happily jumping around biting us all over. Its driving me insane. The exterminator is coming back sometime this week and I'm renting a steam cleaner. I'm beside myself because nothing is working. I've even vigorously salted all the rugs and furniture, after vacuuming for hours. They are biting me and my children from head to toe. We catch 5-6 of them daily with masking tape while they're biting us. Please help.
By nicole from VT
Most bombs of the market (especially the ones you buy in the store and not from a vet) kill only living adult fleas, and not their eggs or young. You'll need to re-bomb or spray with a high quality product from the vet. Be sure to put you dishes, open foods, and toothbrushes in the fridge or in oven to keep the chemicals off them! You apartment manager should pay for you to buy these products.
Do yourself a favor, spend an hour reading up on killing fleas here on ThriftyFun and on the internet, it will be well worth your time! You need to bomb a certain amount of time between each time to kill the just-hatched eggs, (I think it's 10 days) unless you buy a products that "also" kills the eggs and young. If you vacuum first, the vibration helps to hatch the young fleas so they can be killed. Believe me, I know about fleas, because both my son and myself are allergic to them. There are many good posts about ridding a home of fleas here on ThriftyFun.
Start your reading here:
"Ask the Vet" from the Division of Humane Services:
scchealth.org
The university of Kentucky college of entomology at the URL below:
ca.uky.edu
You know about salt, Try adding borax. This is an additional option:
Mix equal parts of: baking soda, borax, and salt. Mix together well, then put in a shaker container (like for Parmesan cheese). Sprinkle this mixture everywhere, all over your carpets and wood floors and furniture. Next sweep it into the rug, wood floor cracks, and upholstery as deeply as you can. Leave this on the floors and carpets for 2 or 3 weeks, then vacuum it up (with a flea collar inside your vacuum). Then do the same thing again.
You'll have to do this 2 times for sure and possibly 3 times. This formula works because the borax and salts dehydrate the fleas and their shells, which kills them. It's not the best thing for carpets because the salts are slightly abrasive and can make the carpets wear out faster. If you live in a very humid area like Florida and don't have air conditioning, then the salt can attract and absorb moisture from the air, so if you live in a humid climate without air-conditioning just use the borax all by itself.
They sell this very same formula at most vets, but you'll have to pay a pretty penny for it. The salt and baking soda are usually sold 2 or 3 for $1 at most dollar stores. The borax can be hard to find. They don't sell it at my Walmart, but I've found it at several grocery stores in the laundry aisle. (It's called: 20 mule Team Borax and it's sold as a laundry additive.)
If you have a pet, you'll need to buy those flea drops you put on the back of the pet's neck like "Advantage" or "Revolution". (10/22/2009)
By Cyinda
Diatomaceous earth (horticultural or food grade/not swimming pool filter grade). I'd highly recommend getting some, and using it generously on all carpeting and upholstered furniture in the house. You can even rub it on your pets safely. I used only about 1/2 pound to treat a mama cat, her 3 kittens, an upholstered chair and ottoman, and the floor and baseboards in my house.
It's a white powder, fine, much like flour or confectioner's sugar. It is completely non-toxic. I made a shaker can to distribute mine; drilled holes in the top of a Pringles can, filled the can halfway, went to town.
(10/22/2009)
By Lynn
I forgot something. You may have picked up some on your clothes which you took away with you. Make sure any clothes you wore are also treated (10/22/2009)
By Lynn
Call the health dept maybe they can help and you may get your money back, move to another place. Good luck. (10/23/2009)
This has worked for years for me. Mop your floors with Pine-Sol water. For a bad flea problem I mix a cup of Pine-Sol to a gallon of water. Don't buy the knock-off pine cleaner. I sprayed my furniture with a solution (weaker) in a spray bottle. (10/26/2009)
By kay winters
I just recently was in the same situation where the people before had an indoor outdoor pet and I too became infested along with my eight year old indoor only cat who has never, ever had fleas before. My landlord hired a professional pest control company to come in and spray and have only seen a couple renegade fleas just after that because it sometimes takes a few days for all the critters to die. The company said they will come back and spray again if I see any more.
It is definitely your landlord's responsibility so you need to be firm and tell her that you are demanding a professional pest control company be hired. You shouldn't have to go through all this turmoil and I hope you are not the one paying for the additional flea bombs! Anyway, be sure to do this in writing with an explanation included just like what you wrote here (keep a copy for yourself) and postal mail it certified and return receipt requested. If she does not hire a professional within a couple of days after she receives the letter then call your local health department.
Keep a copy of that letter and the mailing receipts in a "safe place" just in case you need to move because of the flea infestation. You may have a lovely landlord who takes care of it, but if you don't that letter will protect you if you have to break the lease and be able to get your security deposit back. (10/26/2009)
By Deeli
20 Mule Team Borax is sold in the laundry section of most grocery stores. I have used this several times for fleas. Sprinkle it on your floors, leave it overnight, vac it up, then repeat the process in a few days. Be sure to throw away the filter bag after each use. Good luck. (10/26/2009)
Steam. It kills not only fleas, but any other crawling critter you may have, destroys the bacteria in their feces, their eggs, mites and their droppings, and human borne bacteria as well. And you can apply it to any surface, hardwood, carpets, mattresses, etc. Anything you can wash like drapes, clothing, etc. wash in very hot water. No need for chemicals kiddo, just steam. (12/12/2009)
By Knoodles
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