Flea Infestations >.<

[MeekMe]

This is the worst trouble I've ever had with fleas, EVER.

We discovered our cats were starting to itch and made arrangements to treat them. I purchased Frontline (it worked for us in the past) and we treated them. I cleaned surfaces, vacuumed, changed and washed bedding and rugs. I kept cleaning daily. I purchased a carpet spray and have treated all the carpets, as well.

2 weeks now and the cats are itching more than ever! I've been continuing to clean and vacuum and wash but it's not working. Hot water for washing, salt/baking soda (and then a pesticide spray when that didn't seem to work) for carpets, mopping, wiping everything down with vinegar. I've been cleaning beyond the normal and I'm a little run down from it all.

I've read a few boards that claim Frontline no longer works on fleas. >.< So I guess no matter how much I've been washing and treating, the problem has been getting worse.

I'm going nuts looking for solutions that are inexpensive and safe for humans and animals. Any suggestions?

The cats are also indoors only so they aren't going outside and getting re-infested. Maybe we are? I don't know...

How do you treat a flea problem? @_@

 

[Red_Kiss]

This is the worst trouble I've ever had with fleas, EVER.

We discovered our cats were starting to itch and made arrangements to treat them. I purchased Frontline (it worked for us in the past) and we treated them. I cleaned surfaces, vacuumed, changed and washed bedding and rugs. I kept cleaning daily. I purchased a carpet spray and have treated all the carpets, as well.

2 weeks now and the cats are itching more than ever! I've been continuing to clean and vacuum and wash but it's not working. Hot water for washing, salt/baking soda (and then a pesticide spray when that didn't seem to work) for carpets, mopping, wiping everything down with vinegar. I've been cleaning beyond the normal and I'm a little run down from it all.

I've read a few boards that claim Frontline no longer works on fleas. >.< So I guess no matter how much I've been washing and treating, the problem has been getting worse.

I'm going nuts looking for solutions that are inexpensive and safe for humans and animals. Any suggestions?

The cats are also indoors only so they aren't going outside and getting re-infested. Maybe we are? I don't know...

How do you treat a flea problem? @_@

What an unpleasant problem!. I have a question: are you or the other humans in your home itching? Or just the cats? I'm wondering if the sprays, cleaners, etc. you've tried aren't stirring up some kind of allergic reaction in the cats since they're closer to ground level and would get more exposure.

 

[MeekMe]

What an unpleasant problem!. I have a question: are you or the other humans in your home itching? Or just the cats? I'm wondering if the sprays, cleaners, etc. you've tried aren't stirring up some kind of allergic reaction in the cats since they're closer to ground level and would get more exposure.

Unfortunately, not only have I been cleaning non-stop daily, I've been having a terrible time trying to sleep with all the itching. I spray myself down with a mix of tea tree oil and witch hazel and it keeps them at bay for a while. Apparently, fleas don't like tea tree oil. >.<

Seriously, my washer and dryer can't take much more of the daily washings.

 

[mdbigdee]

Buy some boxes of laundry soap with borax in it. One here in the States is Twenty Mule Team Borax. Sprinkle it all in the carpets and on the floors, sweeping it into the carpet. Wait 12 hours then vacuum it up,then repeat in a week. The borax kills the fleas.

 

[mdbigdee]

Buy some boxes of laundry soap with borax in it. One here in the States is Twenty Mule Team Borax. Sprinkle it all in the carpets and on the floors, sweeping it into the carpet. Wait 12 hours then vacuum it up,then repeat in a week. The borax kills the fleas.

You must remove your cats before putting down the borax. Borax can cause breathing problems in cats.

 

[MeekMe]

The itching could be a reaction in the skin to the bites, rather than new fleas. Are you visualising the fleas on the kittahs? Can you confine the cats some so they don't have free range all over the house until the problem is fixed?

I feel for you, fleas are horrid and so so difficult to get rid of.

Caou confine the cats some so they don't have free range all over the house until the problem is fixed?

You're going to have to vacuum pretty much every day, for a few weeks. From memory fleas have a pretty strange and lengthy lifecycle and are resilient little shits so you have to hit them every day or it just goes round and round.

Also, I'd just throw out all the cats bedding if it can't be attacked daily and if they have places they spend a lot of time, hit that daily too.

Try a different flea treatment, there are lots of good ones out there. Even get the cats groomed by a professional who can get rid of the eggs and recommend something for the skin irritation they're might be experiencing from the bites.

If all else fails, you may have to call in the professionals.

Thanks for the suggestions. ^_^ I will keep vacuuming daily for sure.
Confining my cats would be difficult. They don't like each other and the little one jumps at doors she wants opened. >.< I will get a new treatment when the month is up. I don't want to mix flea treatments on them. You could be right about the bites still being irritating and I agree that is part of the problem. My husband and I have both found fleas on us and the cats. Plus they leave behind flea dirt (so gross).

The Great Flea War of 2015 has been full of bloody battles. I'm outnumbered and wary. >.<

Thank you for the suggestion of Borax, but I'm not sure that treatment is right for me.

Tonight I'm going to spray the carpet outside of my door before bed. I think that's probably a source of infestation that I haven't attacked.

Another thing, could they be hiding in my house plants? How would I treat that?

 

[MeekMe]

Ugh, flea dirt. Isn't the flea dirt what the lava live on? Oh this is just gross. I'm going to vomit.

You're going to vomit? >.< I feel like no matter how clean I get it, it's still disgusting.

 

[pfflyerhot]

This may have been covered already, but be sure to dump out the cleaner bag after each vacuum. The fleas and larvae can live in there for months...

 

[dutchrain]

Would it help if you put things which can't be washed hot overnight in a plastic bag in the freezer?

 

[Zeb_Carter]

If you use Frontline Plus or Advantage II for cats. Either will not only kill the fleas on your pet, but where they sleep.

I have had dogs with a heavy flea problem. Not only on our poor pet but in the carpet and on the furniture. Once we dosed them with Frontline Plus, not only did the fleas on them disappear, but they left the house. With three dogs running around they just happened to get everywhere.

In later years we only had to dose the biggest dog, just him being around the other two, kept them and the house free of fleas.


Now I'm not saying you will experience this, but...

Please note, this was more than a couple of years ago...it would seem that the fleas have become...used to Frontline and we had to switch to Advantage II. Worked like a charm.

 

[MeekMe]

Thanks for the suggestions.

You're right Zeb, the fleas seem immune to the treatment. I purchased Frontline Plus and treated both cats. I think the fleas treated the Frontline like an aphrodisiac because the problem got so much worse. I read that for the past couple of years the Frontline treatments have been failing to work.

I'm at the end of my rope with this problem so I'm going to break down and get a different treatment. {(-_-)} I'll talk to the vet to make sure it's not going to hurt the cats.

 

[MeekMe]

This may have been covered already, but be sure to dump out the cleaner bag after each vacuum. The fleas and larvae can live in there for months...

I have a canister type so I promptly bag the contents and put it in the outside bins.

Would it help if you put things which can't be washed hot overnight in a plastic bag in the freezer?

I know fleas struggle in cold, this will come in handy if I come across anything like that.

 

[annikasfury]

Capstar worked for us. We had fleas for months. We had a full infestation before we realized we had a problem. You could run a hand over the carpet and see the little fuckers hopping around. We tried everything, plenty of cleaning and sprays and stuff for our cat. We tried all of the natural remedies we could find too, but nothing worked. Finally we just had to have an exterminator come in, and the same day we gave Micah a capstar. It's just a tiny little pill you can hide in a moist treat, and half an hour later all the fleas fall off dead, and it doesn't hurt the cat. We ordered the pills online, I think it was 26 bucks for six pills. Good luck.

 

[Weird Harold]

I have a canister type so I promptly bag the contents and put it in the outside bins.

You might consider a steam cleaner rental to kill fleas and eggs in the carpets -- or something like the "Shark" steamer. A professional carpet (and upholstery) cleaning from Stanley Steamer (r) or similarly equipped company would be another option, too.

 

[MeekMe]

Capstar sounds interesting. >.> I just have to figure out how to trick them into taking the pill. One cat is pretty trusting and will eat anything in a pill pocket or wrapped in something tasty. The other, has cleverly chewed around pills no matter what the covering and refused the pill. u_u;; She's on to my tricks.

 

[jseeks]

I know you said you bathe them but do you use a flea bath? We had a problem with our dog last year for about a month. Cleaned sprayed daily the whole time. Several flee bathes but because of them in the carpet and such she kept getting them on her. Seemed like a revolving problem with no cure. The flee bathes worked wonders but in a day or so they were back on her. Finally did the flea bath and immediately took her to in-laws house. Bombed the whole house with foggers and we stayed in a hotel for the night. A few more hours of cleaning and finally the problem was taken care of. Havn't had any issues since.

 

[midwestyankee]

I suppose it's not a welcome suggestion to simply make the switch to pet rocks? They don't eat much, never shed, and never, ever catch fleas.

[slinks away]

 

[Teresa12]

Sympathy itching

Reading this thread has me scratching and paranoid

Had this exact problem in late 2013, the minute I put the central heating on it was like one of the plagues of Egypt in my house.

I got a flea treatment from the vets, both my cats are quite big toms and the normal ones were only for cats up to 5kg and the dog ones can be poisonous for cats. The vet sold me some spot on type products for larger cats and sprays/bombs for the house.

I think the evil little sods have a life span of about 28 days so you might find you're still frantically cleaning for a little while yet.

Bottom line, if your not getting any joy from the over the counter products get one prescribed from the vet. It can be a little pricey but so is shelling out for treatments that might not work over and over

 

[MeekMe]

I suppose it's not a welcome suggestion to simply make the switch to pet rocks? They don't eat much, never shed, and never, ever catch fleas.

[slinks away]

You couldn't help yourself, could you? (-_-)

Actually, for awhile now my husband and I have discussed not having animals for a long while after these two. I love them to pieces, but It's been almost 10 years of scooping kitty litter and battling the occasional flea infestation. Which in the past, seemed a lot less strenuous with the right treatment.

 

[midwestyankee]

You couldn't help yourself, could you? (-_-)

Actually, for awhile now my husband and I have discussed not having animals for a long while after these two. I love them to pieces, but It's been almost 10 years of scooping kitty litter and battling the occasional flea infestation. Which in the past, seemed a lot less strenuous with the right treatment.

Of course not. One might say that promoting Pet Rocks is one of my pet projects.

 

[Phoenix052]

Capstar

Cap star works fantastic. I work at an outdoor animal shelter and before anyone goes home we give them a cap star. Also comfortis works great but a much bigger pill that they have to take after a full meal. I just crush it up and after they eat mix the pill with water and give them the mixture just like I would liquid medicine. But first try capstar. Much gentler than the comfortis

 

[neci]

diatomaceous earth around the exterior of house and in any nooks and crannies around the interior of the house. use a mixture of orange oil and vinegar to clean counters. fleas don't like citrus. keep up with the daily vacuuming, changing the bags, etc. capstar is really good. it will kill live fleas in 30 minutes, but you must take another measure. it poisons the blood to fleas, so when they bite, they die. it will not kill eggs or more fleas after 24 hrs. meant to be like the day after pill, only use when absolutely needed.

i think i have advantageII in the house right now. fat cat. that's been good for every 30 day treatments. i mix it up between that and frontline, it just depends what's on sale. if there are visible eggs, use a flea comb and glass of water with a few drops of dawn soap. bathing in dawn soap will also help kill fleas. as far as the house goes, just keep attacking on every cleanliness front. wash all laundry. everything. seam clean the carpets. the furniture. they will leave, but you have to stay on it. also make sure litter boxes are sanitized and cleaned neurotically. if the cats are indoors/outdoors, really look into the diatomaceous earth.

i know you've already tried so much, and i'm probably just repeating a lot of what you've already done and are doing. there's also bug bombs and the professionals. i hate all of those chemicals in my house, but i go there on occasion fighting evil bugs.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Thanks for the suggestions.

You're right Zeb, the fleas seem immune to the treatment. I purchased Frontline Plus and treated both cats. I think the fleas treated the Frontline like an aphrodisiac because the problem got so much worse. I read that for the past couple of years the Frontline treatments have been failing to work.

I'm at the end of my rope with this problem so I'm going to break down and get a different treatment. {(-_-)} I'll talk to the vet to make sure it's not going to hurt the cats.

That's why you switch to Advantage II...it works...still. Different formula of chemicals.

It used to be you could dip you pet in garlic sauce and the fleas would run for the hills. Then you were stuck with pets that smelled like garlic sauces that made you hungry for pizza all the time.

Now when I lived in Georgia I used to go down to the Fleet store and pickup some script only meds over the counter. Don't really know how that worked, but it was a dip. Once a month fix up a batch and dip your pet...no fleas for a month. Don't remember the brand name, we just asked for the flea dip.

 

[MeekMe]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I especially like the orange oil and vinegar idea. I already use vinegar regularly, orange oil would probably be delightful.

Bombing and foggers aren't a good option. We live in a condo and I'm positive the neighbors would not be happy. I can smell my downstairs neighbors perfume in the bathrooms.

I can definitely get a steam cleaner. (⌒-⌒; ) I'll just think of it like extra early spring cleaning.

 

[xtinelauren1]

I wash my cats with Dawn dish soap. It's really gentle on them, but it's amazing at killing fleas on contact. We had a really bad flea problem (three cats) and ended up having to bomb the house, then vacuum every nook and cranny. If your cat has fleas, there might be a chance he has tapeworm, so I'd get that checked out. I don't think it's harmful to them, but it's gross.

edit: good on you for caring about your neighbors so much haha. it's honestly the only thing that's ever worked for us long-term.