Iif you are having a problem with fleas, put moth crystals in your sweeper bag. When you vacuum, it sucks up the fleas and their larvae. It kills the fleas and keeps the larvae from hatching. Change the bag often and be sure to bathe your pets to kill the fleas on them. If you do this regularly, vacuuming often it will take care of the fleas.
By Nancy from Akron, OH
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
A couple of weeks ago I got this cat and it had fleas. We bought flea collars and other stuff for it. But the collar went missing and then the fleas were everywhere. We had to get rid of our cat. It's a month since we got rid of it and we still have fleas and they are biting and they just won't die.
By Char
Sprinkle Diatameacous Earth everywhere, under furniture, under couch cushions, everywhere! Now let it sit for 5 days. Then vacuum. The earth dries out the fleas, eggs, larvae. Promise this works, no chemicals.
I have used the salt and even baking soda...sprinkle everywhere - you can't see it in the carpet. Let it lay for several days and then vacuum. Do it again and it should help! I hate poisons!
I have been invaded with fleas and I am at my wits end with them. My two house cats managed to be completely infested as well after being treated with Frontline on a monthly basis. We have used the flea foggers and pesticide sprays in the house with no results, we have tried Pine Sol, salt, and baking soda, vinegar, and eucalyptus oil along with vacuuming several times daily and steam mopping and steaming my furniture.
I have all hardwood flooring does anybody have any other ideas that I could try? I am open to suggestions as I am to the point of desperation, these things are eating me and my kids alive!By Teresa0318 from Macksburg, OH
Hi Teresa
We had the same problem and got some wonderful advice from our vet and it actually works. Get a spray bottle and pure vinegar. Spray your whole house. It stinks for a few days but well worth it. We did this two days in a row and it killed the fleas like you wouldn't believe. Also, during this time take a white bowl, put some water in it. Place the white bowl under a night lite when you go to bed. You won't believe the amount of fleas in that bowl the next morning. Oh, and don't forget to bath the cats. We use Dawn dishsoap and it kills the fleas better than anything else I've ever used. I hope this helps and Good Luck!
Fill a shallow white container (even an old plate will work) with soapy water. Set this on the floor and put a light by it. You need a bulb that turns out heat. Leave on over night. The fleas will be attracted to the heat and white of the container, jump toward the heat and land in the soapy water. They cannot break free from the water tension created by the soapy water and will drown.
Change the water everyday until there are no fleas in the water. I would suggest doing this on a regular basis, maybe once a week, then once a month, and sometimes, just because. I have used this method and it works, but it takes some time.
I went through a similar situation. The only way I got 100% rid of them was waiting for winter.
They first time we had forecasts for freezing temperatures I turned all the heat off and opened the windows for two days. Exposure to freezing temps killed all the living fleas. Do it again two weeks later to kill any new fleas that have hatched from the eggs laid by the lil' buggers you killed on the first freezing days.
I made it fun by doing it on the weekend and treating it like a camping trip: sleeping bags, hats, coats smores, cocoa, hotdogs - but in the house with TV & Internet!
If you do just open up your house in the cold, be sure to find out what you need to do to protect your pipes! You might get rid of the fleas, but ruin your plumbing!
We used a product that was basically a scented borax powder. You vacuumed, (got rid of the bag), then sprinkled it all over your carpet and upholstery. You let it sit for 2 or 3 days, then vacuum. It worked like a charm, and was safe for my dog, birds, kids.
The problem is that the eggs laid by the now dead fleas are hatching. You must vacumm your house twice a day for a week and they will be gone. Haven't you noticed there are less bites right after you vacumm?
Winter in Ohio should kill off most of the fleas living in your soil outside-which is where the fleas in your house are probably coming from. However, a few of the eggs will over-winter and you will have the problem again as soon as the ground thaws in spring. What you are more than likely dealing with are sand fleas, and they are tough little beasts. So...
Try Liquid Sevin-be sure to read and follow the directions very carefully. You'll need to spray inside and out every ten days for the first month, then once a month forever.
Liquid Sevin (main ingredient is carbaryl) is fairly safe if used as directed, see the label for dose mix for fleas. Apply it with a canister spray with the nozzle turned to the fan spray. Outside make sure you drench the soil, be careful not to spray when bees, kids, or pets will be around.
Use the spray canister inside too-first go around the foundation of your house outside, then make sure you get the perimeter inside (baseboards, under sinks, cabinets, etc) then using the fan nozzle, spray the floors, furniture, and pet bedding. Keep kids and pets off/out until the spray dries.
Yes, the spray is white and will dry white on your floors and furniture. I don't know if it will permanently stain hardwood, but I do know from experience it won't stain vinyl or upholstery, and can be vacuumed and washed from those surfaces 24 hours later-time enough to kill the active fleas who've escaped from the baseboards, etc, where they were hiding.
Be faithful about spraying every ten days for the first month, and once a month thereafter.
Good luck to you, I've been there-done that, and fleas are really hard to get control of, but it can be done.
You might consider keeping the pets indoors, the fleas are hopping a ride into the house on their fur, also coming in on pant legs, socks, etc, if people pass through an infested area-fleas can jump the equivalent of a 20 story building to get to a host, and will see your comings and goings as the way into the house.
I use Dawn dish liquid for fleas on my 5 animals. When I run bath water for them, I do not put Dawn in with running water. I squirt a few drops on their backs and around their ears. then I lather them up real good, sit and talk to them for about 5 mins, then rinse them. I also spread peppermint seeds all over my yard in April and we have never been bothered by fleas or ticks. I hope this works. I've heard this (but never had to do it) Take a banana peel and lay on floor and supposely fleas will go to that.
Hire a professional who gives at least a 30 or 60 day guarantee for using the special chemicals that kill not just the fleas but also the eggs and the larvae plus who will tell you how to completely prepare for them spraying inside and outside your home.
This will include doing things like taking cushions off of sofas and chairs, setting at least mattresses off of the bed against a wall, placing any bedding and clothing etc that might be infested with the eggs in plastic bags and laundering them away from home during the spraying, process and airing out of the chemical time.
It also means your kitty cats need to be flea bathed away from home at that time too. Been there and done that. You might want to consider not allowing your kitty fur babies to wander around outside at all and no one else's pets in or on your property in the future even when using frontline :-(
2 and a half cups dry 20 mule team borax for average sized carpeted room. Sift over carpet. leave for 2 weeks before you vacuum. Immediate knock down but the 2 week period is for life cycle of eggs, larvae and adult. Bathe cats in dawn or bar soap (dial). Yard - cedercide granules. Please no poisons.
I had the same problem,so I know what you are going through. I have 5 dogs in my house (3 belongs to me, & 2 my son has). There is a pill called "Capstar" that you get at any vet's clinic. Just go in and ask them for it. they have some for only dogs and cats (it goes by weight), and some for dogs only (which goes by weight also). The pills cost $3.10 each.
I put all the dog's in my bathroom,laid puppy pad's on floor (you can also use news paper) and gave each one a pill. It takes about twenty minutes for it to start working. The pill paralyzing the flea's which drop off the dog's and died. It was amazing to watch. I then put Frontline on them. If you have any questions about these pills, just ask your Vet. It works!
Hope this helps, Roadrouser
PS: tried K9-Advantix and my dog's had a reaction from it (chewing paw's & scratching). Puppy pads work better because you can see them dropping off the dog or cats.
Thank you for all the ideas! I have been continuing to vacuum and I used a product called Enforcer Home Spray for Fleas that contains Nylar and it did us yet again no good! These things are driving me insane, I am waiting for a return call from Orkin, has anybody tried using them to get rid of fleas in the home?
Teresa, I am certain Orkin will do a fine job! They are quite reputable! Make sure you ask them to use the special chemical that kills, the eggs and larvae too! Only pest control companies are allowed to use it (sorry that I don't remember what it's called) and you can't purchase any product yourself that contains it.
When I first became disabled I had to move from a second floor to a first floor apartment. Apparently the tenants before me had a cat who had horrible fleas and didn't tell the landlord. Even though the apartment had been thoroughly cleaned before I moved in it wasn't treated because the landlord had no idea about the problem.
In less than two weeks my place was so infested that it was frightening and my eight year old indoor cat, who had never had fleas in her eight years, was completely miserable. I tried almost everything that you did but it's impossible to get to every single crevice to kill the dormant eggs and larvae :-( And fleas lay those eggs even under the stove and in crevices whether there is carpet there or not.
Anyway, the landlord hired a pest control company and had me prep for them the way I mentioned in an earlier post here. Had to close the place up tight for four hours (no people or pets inside) and then completely air it out for a couple of hours after that before settling back in. That was over a year and a half ago and there has not been one single flea. Oh, and they sprayed exterior areas around my apartment too.
I don't know if you have Sprague Pest Control in or near your area, they are only in a handful of states, but that's who got rid of those little buggers in my place :-) Like I already mentioned, Orkin will do just fine. Just make sure they give you a guarantee that they are also killing those eggs and larvae.
Oh, and ask pest control what to do to keep your yard flea free in the future and your vet about how to keep your fur babies from bringing in the fleas in the future too.
One more thing. Cold does not kill the eggs and larvae; it just makes them go dormant.
Let us know how all turns out for you :-)
Make sure that you and your cats leave while an exterminator is there. And never use Pine-Sol around cats...it's toxic to them. Good luck.
I'm beginning to think we have super fleas or something of the sort! These little guys will not die. Since my last posting we have had Orkin come in and spray the house with no results, as soon as I entered the house they were jumping on me, we have used Adams flea and tick bombs with again no results, still vacuuming at least once daily usually twice or more a day when possible, and we have sprayed the Adams flea and tick spray all over the house.
My poor kitties are outside in a building for the time being since we are trying to combat these things in the house and on the cats at the same time. Someone told me to try putting the cedar bedding throughout my house and that would help, does anybody have any insight on this?
My kids and I just moved into a new place. We don't own any animals, but just recently our neighbours said they had fleas. Knowing all 3 tenants have cats and dogs it's understandable for them to get it. But I have them in my apartment and I have no idea how to get rid of them in the house and get them out of my bedding and my hair. I'm a new to it all and I have a 18 month old son and he also has new bites and it's just irritating the poor baby. I don't want to call anyone in to spray harmful chemicals. Any suggestions would be nice. Thank you.
By CC
We are about to start a job remodeling a house for a man that has carpeting thru out his house and it is infested with fleas. You just walk into the room and you are instantly covered with the little devils. I read on this site that borax and diatomaceous earth will get rid of them. What is borax? Is it a laundry aid or is it something else altogether? What are the price ranges of these products and how long will it take to kill the devils before we can start working in the house? Thank you for your time and kindness. God bless you and your loved ones.
By Cassie
Borax is a laundry powder that has been around for ages. It is relatively safe for humans and does wonders in killing fleas. Just sprinkle it on your floors, couches etc., let it sit for a few hours and then vacuum up. You can buy at your local Grocery Store. Really cheap! :)
Some people use Sevin Dust to kill the fleas in carpet. You will find this product in the garden section of many retail stores. Sevin Dust is used to kill different kinds of insects on vegetable plants. Just "dust" it on the carpet, wait 24 hours or so, and vacuum it up with a wet/dry vac, not your "good" vacuum cleaner. Dump the used dust in a garbage bag, and seal it. You might need to repeat this several times if there is a very bad infestation of fleas. Sevin dust isn't good to use around your pets. (Read the directions carefully.)
Our vet also recommends placing a night light in one corner of the affected area, place a pie-pan of water under the night light. Close the room up. When it is dark, the fleas will go to the light, and fall into the water.The next morning, empty the water and the dead fleas.It will need to be repeated until they are gone. This procedure will take longer than using the Sevin Dust, or Borax.
Well,guess what? I tried the 20 Mule Team Borax and it really worked. We sprinkled it on the carpets and "scrubbed" it in with our feet and left it for that day. The next day that we went back, there was maybe 4-5 fleas that I saw but by the end of this day there were none left. So, if you are thinking that surely a laundry additive will not kill fleas, think again. I tried it and it works. Thank you for the tips and your time and kindness. Take care. God bless you and your loved ones.
After you vacuum up the dead fleas, be sure to empty the vacuum cleaner bag into the garbage can outside. DO NOT use Sevin dust indoors unless the label says you can do this. Carbaryl is a cholinesterase inhibitor and some people have bad reactions to it.
Anyone else gonna tell that the Borax will make your cats sick? One response said this & I am really concerned as I have 2 precious indoor kitties! I know that Pine-Sol will make them sick (husband used to shampoo carpets & cat almost died!). I don't want to do anything that will hurt my pets! Am using the diatomaceous earth, but it is very slow acting. Would really appreciate the help! Am gonna spray with citrus scented spray to see if that helps.
We have fleas in our bedroom from cats. I let the mama cat in to have her babies, and oh boy was I ever wrong. We are infested with fleas in the carpet. I don't know what to do. Please help me.
By Alice from Tifton, GA
You need to start a monthly pest control programme. You can do this yourself to save up to $100USD a month IF you are careful to read and follow the directions on the label of whatever product you chose.
You can buy a 2 gallon sprayer for around $50USD in any D-I-Y centre in the US, or in a feed and seed store. The sprayers come with an adjustable nozzle-you'll be using the 'fan' setting to apply a pesticide.
As for a good pesticide, Liquid Sevin seems expensive as it comes as a concentrate that you mix with water in the sprayer, but it is very effective in controlling not only fleas but other pests like roaches, spiders, silverfish, and more. (Or used to be, it's been a few years since I lived in the US, the formula may have changed)
Remember-you MUST read and carefully follow the directions on the label! Any pesticide is a poison an misused can cause illness and/or death to you, pets, and beneficial insects like honeybees.
Vacuum daily, spray weekly at first then monthly once you kill off the initial fleas and their offspring. Spray the perimeter both inside and out of your house, under sinks and in cabinets, and all along the baseboards. Wash everything you can get into the washer in hottest water possible for the fabric, and spray mattresses, couches, chairs, and any other upholstered fabrics that you can't get into the washer.
Flea eggs hatch out in carpet, bedding, and upholstered fabric-spraying and vacuuming will eliminate most of these eggs, but you will need to maintain the pest control programme for it to be effective.
Dry 20 Mule Team Borax into carpet for 2 weeks before you vacuum. Cedercide granules in yard. Forget all poisons. Bathe mama and babies with bar soap or gentle shampoo.
A white dish with soapy water with a light by it will attract them and they cannot break the surface tension of the soapy water. The adults are attracted by the warmth of an old fashion light bulb and the white of the dish. You will continue to have problems until all the eggs hatch, but this will bring some relief from the biting adults.
While on vacation our house became infested with fleas. We don't have any animals that live at our house. What is the best method to getting rid of them? I am kind of scared of all the toxic bombs, but understand it may be necessary. Is there a certain brand that people prefer?
By Stella from Manchester, WA
We got these tips from our vet and they DO work. First thing is spray your carpets/floors with pure vinegar. I know it stinks but once you get rid of the fleas you can clean them. Also at night, fill a while bowl with water and put under a night light. The fleas are attracted to the white for some reason and they will drown. You will be suprised how many fleas end up in this white bowl. I hope this works for you. It did for us and it is environmentally safe.
I hope this helps.
Nice thing about the vinegar is that it will also remove odors as it evaporates-the smell goes away within 24 hours taking every bit of staleness with it. Another way to get rid of fleas is to spray Liquid Sevin (find it in the garden centre including the big-box stores), be sure to repeat the treatment as instructed on the label. You can also try boric acid dust, again, read the label carefully.
Dry Borax left down for 2 to 3 weeks before you vacuum. Each average size carpeted room gets 1 and a half to 2 cups sprinkled into carpet (collander works well) little more in soft furniture. Keep fleas dead and gone for year and a half or more. Leave down the proper waiting period to cover life cycle of egg larvae and adult. When first spread fleas will be active because they are dying.
I would like to know an easy way to get rid of fleas in the basement. A couple of months ago there was a cat down there. It was a street cat, not mine and my dog was chasing it. I got the cat out of the basement twice. The cat never returned but what was left was the fleas. They attacked my dog which resulted in his hair falling off and his skin being irritated.
I am washing him once every ten days, which is what the vet said to do. Now my basement has been bombed three times and they are still there. No animal has been down there. What should I do to fix this? Please help.By Isiah
I took the advise posted about washing my kitten in Dawn for fleas and I believe it worked because she stopped scratching. And I sprayed my carpet with apple cider vinegar not white. But I feel itchy; I think there are more in my carpet. Should I spray the white vinegar now or just buy some flea spray for my carpet and my house?
By Suhaylah from Bronx, NY
Many people have had success using either Diatomaceous Earth (food grade only), Borox or salt. Sprinkle on your carpets, wait a couple of days and vacuum up. Repeat every week until all signs of the fleas are gone.
How do you get rid of fleas in your house?
Try Diatomaceous Earth-safer-check it out on the net-all natural-made from tiny fossilized watered plants. Do not breathe or get in your eyes-but,man we put it all along the entryways of home-no roaches,ants-etc-etc. zow. Totally dehydrates them. None inside house. You may able to use on your floors and later vacuum up-but do the entryways. check it out. Don't have your critters inside walking' around on it though anyway do some research, ok?
Spray your house with demise or precor. I am so allergic, I end up in hospital. If you are having the same, Use SSS original from avon, to soothe use witch hazel. Advantage or frontline animals. Then spray. Bombs only kill the center of the room fleas lay there eggs under and in. Can get fleas even with no pets. Keep off grass. They will come in on clothes. Take blankets if you can and pillows put in dryer for 20 minutes to get them hot enough to kill them. Before bed. Vacum 2 to 3 times a day. They hate citrus smell, so buy a perfume or lotion with it smelling like limes or something along that line. I also put bounce dryer sheets ( generic works) tuck in my chest and bed under sofa pillows. Hope this helps.
I lived in a townhouse for almost 3 years with my 2 dogs. These dogs are well taken care of, getting bathed regularly and groomed every 6-8 weeks. I have never had a flea problem with them and if I have, I've always treated them with a flea medicine and stopped the problem quickly. I never saw a flea in my residence that was crawling on me or on my furniture/carpet.
I recently moved out and part of my lease agreement was to have the carpets professionally cleaned. I took care of this as well as had the place professionally cleaned. Today, my landlord called me and told me the place was infested with fleas. She said that the new tenants claim that they found fleas in their bed, and since I've already been refunded my deposits, that I would be responsible for the bill for having the place treated.
My question is how can a place be infested when I "never" saw signs of fleas to begin with and my dogs have rarely ever had fleas on them? In fact, now that I think of it, I didn't ever have to treat them for fleas the entire time I lived there. My groomer never sees fleas on them either. Wouldn't I have noticed the fleas before leaving the place? Wouldn't having the carpets cleaned have taken care of any fleas/eggs?
I am at a loss for words and I honestly can't fathom how this could be my fault. The landlord told me that they normally hold the pet deposit for 30 days after vacating, but because my place had been taken care of and was so clean, she went ahead and sent me my deposit. I don't see how she can prove that the fleas came from me and my dogs. Wouldn't there be fleas on my dogs now and at my new place? I take my dogs with me to my parents' house very often. Wouldn't they have fleas at their house as well? I am just totally baffled and very much annoyed with this.
By Leah H.
I got a kitten Sunday night and noticed fleas on Monday. I put Biospot on her on Tuesday. I noticed more fleas so I gave her a bath 2x with Dawn soap and sprayed Raid and vacuumed. Today I didn't see any more on her. My question is does borax really work for carpeting and furniture?
By LB
