Help! Fleas, fleas everywhere!

[Gnomer]

I have a massive flea issue. I have a rather large ragdoll cat that lives indoors. Doesn't go out at all, ever. We treat him with frontline once a month anyway.

Suddenly, I'm overrun with fleas and can't seem to get rid of them. The cats been treated 2 weeks ago with frontline, again, and I'm hoovering every nook and cranny daily. I've boil washed all soft furnishings several times, and still no relief. I'm reluctant to get the exterminators in with their hazmat suits and strong chemicals, since it'd be difficult to be out of the house for the day, with the cat and the toddler.

Any help/advice? I'm seeing the occasional flea, my OH is being bitten all over, but my son is absolutely fine.

 

[Nikko88]

If you have carpets it might be worth treating them either with a carpet de-flea-er. I've heard that borax works as well.

https://www.boraxforfleas.com/

It takes repeated cleanings to get rid of them. Sneaky buggers.

 

[Kiamaria83]

Have you tried flea spray and powder all throughout your house ? Also I think you can buy something called a flea bomb (Google that) ,have you spoken to the vet ? Failing that I'd get the exterminator out as fleas are the last thing you want with a newborn. Hope you get it sorted soon

 

[Fallacy]

ghWhen we had an infestation, we used flea powder on the carpet.

And I mean fleas were everywhere, despite constant cleaning and flea medicine. In the bed, on our socks, just ugh. It was disgusting and a nightmare. But the powder ended it. Couldn't recommend it enough.

 

[pinklizzy]

Fleas can be so difficult to get rid of due to their life cycle-the adult fleas will be killed by the frontline you have applied to the cat but there will still be flea eggs in the environment. The weather we are having at the moment i.e warm and humid will encourage those eggs to hatch leaving larvae which will need to be killed by another insecticide. You should be able to get a spray from your vet (I've used a product called Indorex in the past which lasts for 12 months and is safe to use while pregnant although I did go and leave the house for a couple of hours afterwards) Hoovering all the carpets before hand will help to encourage any older pupae to hatch out and therefore be susceptible to the spray and you can spray the hoover bag with it as well to make sure any you've hoovered are killed.

 

[Pampas]

I have heard spraying vinegar keeps them away, I don't know how effective it is with infestations.

 

[Gnomer]

Thanks ladies. Just rang the vet for a spray/powder and they've advised 'vet kem'. Anyone used it or heard of it?

My main problem seems to be the bedrooms. I've just spotted 4 on my bed, even though the bedding is fresh from a boil wash and I hoovered the whole room, including the mattress

Can't pick the vet kem up until Friday either. I'm actually losing the plot haha

 

[pinklizzy]

I think Vet Kem is another name for Acclaim spray which is very similar to Indorex and should do the same thing.

 

[RaspberryK]

Don't forget to empty the hoover, they'll be in there and can get back out.
I use the Johnson flea bombs overnight and they work for us.
Xx

 

[Gnomer]

I got johnsons 4fleas today, just using now and crossing my fingers. The vets said vet kem was stronger though. Gah. I've never had anything like this before. I'm at a serious loss.

The Hoover emptying makes me itch, so it's gone into the back garden ready for OH to empty haha. Where can I get the bombs? I went into pets at home today and didn't see any bombs. Do you have to leave the house whilst they are there?

 

[littlelegs91]

Hi Hun really strange question but have u seen them on your cat or could it be bed bugs (and don't worry u can get them if your clean) and at the moment their has been a thing about them saying that it's been the best year for them to breed x

 

[RinnaRoo]

Ok, so Ive had a huge flea problem TWICE.
You need to vacuum every day. If youre bored, vacuum. It HAS to be emptied outside.
Use borax on the carpets, and let that sit, then vacuum. Do baseboards, under couches, on the couches, the mattress, all that. All of your clothes need to be washed and dried on super hot.
Shave your cat if you can get it done.
Take a white bowl and fill it with water, put a drop of dawn dish soap in it. The fleas are attracted to the reflective water AND WHITE and they just jump right in it, then cant get out.
I would do all of this every day for like 2 weeks, and see if there is a change.
Good luck, youre going to need it. Its a frustrating journey.

 

[Gnomer]

I've seen them on the cat. He was incredibly itchy too, and sulky. My pretty boy does not like fleas haha.

I'm taking the cat to the vets on Friday for a flea shot. Vet said it will kill any flea that tries to eat him.
I'll use the spray from the vet, and I think I'll get some borax. That's powder, right?
Bar shaving the cat, I've done everything (washing, hoovering like a loon) except the white bowl and the borax. I'll put a bowl in every room as soon as they've aired out.
Don't have or know what dawn dish soap is, regular fairy liquid do the job?

 

[NotNic]

Used the Johnson flea bombs here too. We had a terrible infestation last year. The cats have them again but we've been treating regularly so it contains them. We also use the flea tablets to kill all the live fleas and then frontline. We also ended up binning our rug and freezing all our pillows / cushions last time. Getting rid of the rug cracked it for us.

 

[noon_child]

We use the Acclaim/Vet chem stuff and it is good! But my vet said with a small child just make sure it has dried AND been vacuumed off the carpet before they play on it.

We also combined that with the Frontline Combi (which you can't by in pet stores you have to get it from the vet) which doesn't just kill the ones that bite the cat, but others in the environment (don't ask me how). So if your cat has a place he sleeps that you don't know about he'll take the Frontline Combi 'power' there with him.

 

[pinklizzy]

The frontline combo has a component that acts to prevent the larval activity of the fleas, as well as treating for ticks which the 'original' frontline doesn't.

 

[cupcaker]

This happened to me in my first pregnancy it was awful. Last year in the UK was aparantly a really bad year for them.

I would suggest you quit with frontline (it's shit now...it's like the fleas have built up a tolerance to it). I treated my cats with frontline and still ended up in a right mess with fleas. I have had much more success with "Advantage" for large cats and rabbits. (Check weight guidance, my cats are a larger breed). This stuff seems so much more substantial (amount of liquid and also a reassuring stink to it at first! Seems to have more clout) it's applied like frontline.

In the end we got rid by using Indorex spray on the carpets etc, and we bought a flea powder too, to put down and "leave" for a bit in our bedroom where it seemed to be the worst. (not carpet downstairs but is upstairs). We slept in another room for a bit so it could have a proper affect.

We were both getting bitten raw all around out ankles and other places when we slept..I was covered in scabs for ages I remember hoping and praying the scabs would clear before I gave birth as I was mortified that nurses would see the bite marks on my legs!

One night we got down on he carpet with a torch in the dark and could see the extent of the problem then...horrible, I was mortified. Fleas attracted by the light so jumping visibly and we could even see lavae via this method..awful. That was when we moved out of that bedroom into another bedroom where we knew the cats went much less, getting all of the sprays etc the next day. Since this point they are more or less banned from ever being upstairs. i still do whip rounds with the indorex from time to time even without seeing a flea.

 

[mammag]

This is kind of an old remedy for fleas in the house but it does work. Fleas sink and die immediately in soapy water. So you set up a few nightlights and before going to bed put a bowl of soapy water directly under the nightlight. The fleas are attracted to the light/heat and will jump into the water committing little flea suicide. It really will put a dent in your problem.

 

[babe2ooo]

I've this problem a few times, they say use salt on the carpet and leave it and they should die.

 

[Gnomer]

I'll try the water bowl/night light combo. Hopefully will get us through to Friday.

He's been on frontline combi. He's a big raggy, 25lbs so I'm not sure if it's strong enough for his size. The vet mentioned advantage. Or an injected one. They'll weigh him and go from there. Another vet agreed with frontline being shit and said there was an intolerance to it now. Which doesn't fill me with any hope, if they get tolerant to frontline what's stopping it happening with others eventually. I have nightmares about fleas that need industrial chem treatment haha.

I'm gunna get a torch on the floors tonight, you've made me curious cupcaker!