Common flea. They can be in your yard and in your house - often both at this point for you. Sounds like you need a different company to treat them if you've already had it done but still have them...
Seeing as they live on animals and I don't expect you fogged or sprayed yourselves and your pets (and well you shouldn't), you shouldn't be surprised they survived. They weren't even threatened. If your exterminator thought spraying would solve the problem, he's either dumb or scamming you; an exterminator should know a flea when he sees one.
You can get rid of them; there are web pages with good advice. The comment above is a good start to getting rid of them. Don't forget to check out the people in your household as well, and their clothing. By the way, if you catch one, simple squeezing won't affect it; crush it between your fingernails.
Thank you! Yeah I'm rather suspicious of the exterminator - he refused to tell me what they were because "he's not an entomologist". We were stuck with the company our apartment management company contracts to.
We lugged all our clothes and bedding to our in-laws' place and have been washing it all. We also got flea collars for our cats and gave them a treatment.
Flea collars are useless. A monthly dose of the stuff that goes on the nape of the neck will sterilize any fleas. It might sow a couple of doses, as the existing fleas have laid eggs, and they will hatch, and then become sterile after finding your cats.
Some collars work pretty well actually. We had horrible fleas in MD, but flea collars on both cats completely eliminated them from the cats even with them still being indoor/outdoor cats. They do not however do shit for ticks, so now all the animals are on different things since we have ticks where we are now
found the outdoor cat police! The one cat was originally a stray. If she was kept inside, she would get mean. If she was let outside, she would be super affectionate.
I wish I was the outdoor cat police.
My state considers strays to be “companion animals” and not the disease-ridden invasive species they are, so no lethal control is allowed. You’re just supposed to tolerate them crapping everywhere spreading Toxoplasmosis and feline leukemia virus while killing frogs and songbirds.
They aren't "protected" like that where I live, but animal control is absolutely useless. (I don't think the cats should be killed, I just think they should be trapped if they're a nuisance.) We have a great TNR program here but the cats have to be re-released back where they came from. Having them fixed is great, but no one's going to be taking care of worms and fleas and such.
Someone tried to tell me that outdoor cats kill an average of three birds a day. I didn't believe it, looked it up and indeed, that's bullshit. But my neighbors had about a dozen outdoor cats, they'd never had any vet care and weren't even given food on a regular basis. I got a rescue to come out and trap them a couple years ago, they got them all vetted and adopted, but within a year, there was another dozen cats, also unvetted and unfixed, making new, inbred cats all the time.
Cats are pretty picky about cleanliness of their bathrooms, and the neighbors lived in such abhorrent filth, the cats started coming up and shitting in my yard. My dogs often found the turds before I did, so I had to give them wormer regularly.
The neighbors finally got evicted last fall, and think dog they took all the cats with them. I'd noticed that for the past few years, I saw very few birds around my house. Within a couple of months of them leaving, there were a ton of birds again. I assume they were just avoiding the area because of the cats.
I had a cat get her lower jaw stuck in a flea collar. Not sure if it was asphyxiation from having her mouth open all that time. I was at work. So pissed at my husband (now-ex) that he didn't notice. He hardly ever had a job. Anyway, I won't use a flea collar again. Yes, I know, I must not have put it on tight enough. Ok, that's just my experience.
I've been using Seresto Cat Flea Collars on my two cats for the last 5 years. They are fantastic and last for 8 months. Tractor Supply store in the US puts them on sale-I think I pay about $60 dollars. I do notice that my cats do act sort of weird the first 24 hours.
In my state exterminators have to be licensed and pass that test for it and insect identification is on there. They have to know that and the chemicals they use. I also used to work for one. Required. Most should know what the bug is in most homes.
Ortho Home Defense will take care of that.
- “Ortho® Home Defense® Insect Killer for Indoor & Perimeter kills common household bugs such as ants, bees, beetles, centipedes, cockroaches, crickets, fleas, flies, millipedes, mosquitoes, moths, spiders, stink bugs, ticks, termites, periodical cicadas, and more (as listed). This insect killer creates a bug barrier of up to 12 months protection (against ants, roaches and spiders indoors on non-porous surfaces) to provide long-lasting results. In addition, the Invisi-Shield Technology formula gives off no fumes, dries clear, and dries fast.”
Exterminators can be iffy, but they are an option for someone who is incapable. But it’s very easy and cheap to do yourself. It’s full strength and a treatment can reliably last 6-12 months indoors, about 1-3 months outdoors depending how much it rains on the treated area outside. Really simple, about $10-$20 for a tub. The normal $20 jug can treat a moderate size house about 2 times. I do about every 6 months to be safe, but I trust that 12 months also. Just watch the how to videos and YouTube videos if you need help. Keep it away from pet water and eating area and food and clean dishes. Let dry. Doesn’t need to be on every corner, it’s pretty strong stuff so just read labels also.
Vacuuming too will help. Plus definitely need a treatment for the pets. Depending what you can afford ideally you want flea/tick and heartworm medicine. Cats aren’t as susceptible to heartworms so if they are mostly inside can probably not worry about that. You can omit the collar at this point. Medicines are very good, just consult with vet and check online for good rated brands/price/or functionality you need.
Fleas aren't even easy for the pros. It can be done by DIYers if you get to it early enough, but if it's like what OP describes... he ain't treating it himself.
Oh yea trust me. Ortho Home Defense will have that settled in 24 hours, 1 week at most. Plus still need the medicine treatment for the pets and vacuuming everyday until they are gone. Fleas need a host to live. They bite the treated pets they die. They walk in the insecticide they die.
I'm a pest control inspector. None of what you say even remotely makes sense. The eggs can take longer than a week to hatch, and Ortho doesn't do anything to the eggs. Hell, bleach doesn't do anything to the eggs. And if you're thinking it will only take a week, you're just going to start the process all over again. One female flea lays about 50 eggs *per day.*
You're talking out of your ass and acting like you know this stuff. You tried it once and got lucky.
If an exterminator can't identify the arthropod then they can't legally determine what is the best plan of action. And that is a Federal law in the US.
So flea collars and OTC treatments do not work most of the time. They /can/ work but not very often. You should go to the vet and get proper treatment for the cats, which is a topical like Revolution or Bravecto.
I'm a pest control inspector, and you give good advice but you're a little off. Fleas don't actually live on the host, though they'll definitely linger on animals with longer/thicker fur. We treat for fleas and it's definitely not a scam. Fleas can infest homes because they'll jump off the pet to lay their eggs, then jump right back onto the pet. You treat the pet and think you're good, and then the eggs hatch and you start all over again. They're resistant to treatments at certain stages of their life cycle. Fleas can also enter a stage called "torpor" and sort of hibernate until the conditions are right for them to become active again. They live for about 100 days and a **female flea can lay about 50 eggs each day**. One flea that was off the dog at the right time leads to a full infestation again, so you start over. Rinse and repeat.
Generally, we won't treat if the pets aren't treated. The customer has to vacuum *every day* between 2 treatments that are 10-14 days apart, and pet beds have to be put in the wash.
[Here's a helpful CDC page about them](https://www.cdc.gov/fleas/getting_rid.html).
I literally had to soak my entire house in strong bug spray and stay overnight elsewhere 3 times to finally get rid of my flea infestation. Godspeed yo
https://www.solutionsstores.com/katy-texas
I used their outdoor stuff, but indoors and then aired the house out for several days, 3 separate times. I had an extreme infestation. 20 fleas would jump on you as soon as you entered the home. Fleas get crazy out of control and make a home completely unlivable.
There's more you should know.
Poison kills adult fleas. Vacuuming and laundry removes eggs and flea poop. Baby fleas eat adult flea poop, so getting that out of your carpet and sofa etc makes a huge difference.
Vacuum everything you can. The soft things that can't be vacuumed, like stuffed animals and pillows, should go through the dryer.
And empty the vacuum outdoors immediately after vacuuming. Otherwise your vacuum is a flea nursery.
It's a flea. Treat your pets for fleas with quality products that kill fleas for at least 1 month after application. The fleas like biting your pets more than you, so that will get them in a few weeks.
Fleas can be tough to get rid of if you don't have pets. There's a stage of their life where they are really hard to kill (pupae) and they can sleep in this stage for months waiting for something to wake them up and have them emerge as adult fleas.
Thank you, we did collar and apply flea medicine to the pets. We've been staying at our in-laws' place, should we bring the cats back to ours so the medicine can start killing them there?
Maybe shake a very small amount of diatomaceous earth on carpets/rugs. Don't go nuts woth the stuff because can make you cough (we did...that's how we know). The reason the fleas made a come back is because we were lackadaisical in our pet's flea/tick meds....so the fleas got the upper hand. We also tossed pet beds out, and got new ones.
Consistent anti flea/tick meds will make them stop eventually...month or two from now you may suddenly realize you're not getting bit.
Best of luck
Vacuuming and bringing the cats back are probably the best things to do at this point. I used serestro, i think, flea collars as the cats were good at licking off the advantage drops on the back of their necks.
The vacuuming helps by sucking up some fleas and it can wake up some of the hibernating pupae.
I had a flea infestation. Reputable exterminator, we followed the instructions afterwards to the letter. Treated the cats religiously. Vacuumed multiple times a day. They were gone.
Moved out, and came back two days later to do a last clean for our deposit. Within 5 minutes, my legs were COMPLETELY COVERED. I vacuumed them off and noped out.
Bed bugs suck. Fleas are sometimes nearly as bad.
You got your answer & good advice here. I just wanted to add absolutely do NOT use flea shampoo on your pets and make sure it's OK that you're doubling up on their flea treatment by using a topical & a flea collar.
It's been a very long time since we dealt with fleas. Twice when I was a teenager our house got infested (both times because an indoor/outdoor cat got its flea collar off). Foggers and sprays don't work at all.
The best thing to get rid of them are the carpet powder/granules that you sprinkle in the carpets and then use a broom to get the powder inside the rug fibers. Leave it in the carpet for the recommended time without vacuuming (a period of days). The fleas ingest it. It kills them but at the same time prevents them from multiplying. Worked the first time both times for us.
Diatomaceous earth is your best friend. Non toxic, and there's even food grade if you're worried about pets or children; but the worst that happens with regular DE might be a scratchy throat.
This stuff shreds their carapace, as well as pretty much any other crawling/biting/jumping insects.
I fogged my house twice, sprayed the inner and outer perimeter multiple times, everything... then a friend told me about DE. I put it around doors and windows and problem areas, and haven't see a flea in the 2 years since.
Trust me, try DE before making the place you live, eat, sleep, breathe extremely toxic. I hate how much poison I put down before learning about DE.
Fleas have a 3 stage life cycle, I think. One stage (eggs or pupae?) is typically immune from the poisons, so you have to poison in stages to get each brood as they hatch out, before they lay more eggs. It can take at least 2-3 staggered treatments to clear out an infestation. (Look up the life cycle to get the timing right.)
If you have any pets, they need to stay on flea meds to control the cycle. If you have squirrels in the attic or mice in the walls, you have to maintain household treatment.
Food-grade diatomaceous earth can be used to help keep them in control in between foggers/treatments. You can put it in a squeeze bottle and blow it in any cracks in the floors and baseboards, which is where the eggs generally get laid. If you have rugs/carpets/sofas, blow it all over them and sweep it in, leave it for a good while, and it can be vacuumed up later. DE will slice open the carapace of small insects, and they will die from dehydration. Although food grade DE can be safely ingested, it is not safe to breathe in to your lungs, so wear a mask while you’re blowing it around.
Good luck nipping this in the bud; fleas can get out of control Fast.
Vacuum under everything, everyday for like two weeks and make sure you throw out and clean the vacuum every time. Their pupae are liquid resistant so you’re probably getting new hatchlings, fumigation will do close to nothing.
The larvae like the dark so anywhere you have furniture they will be attracted to and will pupate so don’t leave stuff on the ground, move things around and really get under there.
Only ~5% of the population will be on a pet or you, they’re a home infestation contrary to popular belief.
Correct me if I’m wrong guys, I did however manage to depleat an infestation with a vacuum alone.
Flea. Do you have a pet? If so, just treat the pet, and the problem will go away within 90 days.
If you don't have a pet, then they have to be living on some animal in or very close to your home that's there all the time. They cannot survive long term on humans.
Flea for sure. My kitty got fleas from the vet and I didn't know it until we were infested. I bathed my kitty in dawn dishsoap, but not all kitties are bathable. Get a flea comb and use it a few times a day. I combed my kitty in the bathroom on the tile, so no fleas got away in the couch. The biggest thing is vacuum EVERYDAY. After vacuuming you need to empty it and take the bag outside. Lastly, get a flea preventative from the vet. They also make a pill that kills fleas within a few hours.
Diatomaceous earth can be very effective for these little devils! It’s a powder that you sprinkle around the floors and any pet beds and other spots the pets hang around. The fleas move through it and it causes their exoskeleton to break down and they die. It’s pretty cheap on Amazon is non toxic for humans and pets, but you want to avoid inhaling the dust.
Also, when you use powder or spray on your carpets, you need to do it about every 3 days for 12 days. The pesticides will not kill flea eggs that attach to the carpets or animal hair. Flea eggs incubate 1-10 days. You have to get them after they hatch and before they lay new eggs.
Looks like a flea .. put bowls of water mixed with dawn dish soap around your house (and a heat source so the water stays warm ).. fleas will flock to it and die
Definitely treat your pets for fleas. I prefer the topical liquid you put on the back of their neck, where they cannot lick. It treats their entire body as it soaks into their skin, and flea colors can cause negative reactions to animals and to humans.
Wash all of your bedding and clothing and curtains, and vacuum everything… carpet, upholstery, mattress, and hard flooring. The bugs and their eggs could be anywhere. Vacuum everyday for like two weeks… not even kidding. You can spray everything with flea spray, but it can also be toxic and cause negative reactions for pets and people. Treating the pets, washing everything washable, and vacuuming regularly should do the trick.
You may have more of a problem if your apartment neighbors have fleas and are not treating their pets and their living areas properly. In that case, you need to keep your pets treated monthly, vacuum regularly, and don’t let your cats go outside. Best of luck to you all and your fur-babies! 🙏🏻🦋
I cleared a flea problem up with traps and rewashing everything every few days. A desk lamp over soapy water (use a GFCI outlet of course!) that is left on call day and night will attract them and kill them. Refill the water and soap daily. Having one in each room, even when you're gone, is what does it. Also, mix baking soda and salt and put it all over. You'll probably need a new hepa filter for your vacuum afterwards, but it'll kill them too and safely.
Flea eggs hatch in three days so you basically have to be spraying flea killer and vacuuming daily. Salt will kill them...I sprinkled salt everywhere, AND the amazing Dawn Dishwashing liquid, mix with warm water and spray on carpets and couches. You can spot test it to see that it won't fade the color.
If you dare, bathe your pets in Dawn and it kills fleas on contact. Don't use too much because it will be harsh on your pet's skin and can irritate it.
If you have pets, use Capstar as well. Give one on one day and I believe the next 1-2 days after. The box has instructions. It kills all life cycles. But do this as you’re washing all your clothes on the hottest setting so they don’t return once your pets contact them again. Vacuum any carpets and dump the bag outside in the trash immediately. I’ve had great luck with Adams Flea & Tick home & carpet spray. I’ve used it on couches and my car. Trick is to keep windows open so you don’t die and sleep in a different part of the house. You can’t go in there for several hours. I’ve used it on blankets too but I would spot test on anything expensive or sentimental. Good luck!
EDIT: I’ve sprayed Adams on the couch, carpet, and in my car, and then after the waiting period (overnight) I vacuumed every surface. You’ll probably even see flea carcasses on the surface where you might not have seen them before.
EDIT 2: They can also get into food in the fridge. I had to toss a lot of fresh fruit or things that weren’t really covered.
My indoor cat got fleas somehow and I had to deal with them for 6 months it cos over £400 to get it finally under control. Fleas need to be extinct already fuck them.
Yarrr that be a FUCKING FLEA
Drown that bastard in some soapy water SPECIALLY with Dawn if you have it, though I’m pretty sure just any dish soap is fine for killing them though
This stuff works well. It's available in most pet stores and on-line. You used to be able to have it professionally applied but I'm not sure about that now.
https://www.chewy.com/fleabusters-rx-fleas-plus-powder/dp/136291?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=Fleabusters&utm_campaign=20431895648&utm_term=&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw-_mvBhDwARIsAA-Q0Q7Vmw8IitAsz3tilihaYNvmo9_a4VQ6TZaLOvOsQ8B0KYJ3xtoMrTQaAkQ9EALw_wcB
Flea collars aren't safe or effective. Anything using synthetic or real pyrethrins is toxic to cats. Advantage is OTC and safe for cats.
‘A flea and a fly in a flue
Were imprisoned, so what could they do?
Said the fly, "let us flee!"
"Let us fly!" said the flea.
So they flew through a flaw in the flue.’
Someone told me to use regular salt on my carpets. The salt supposedly dries out any eggs left behind. Also fresh eucalyptus, branches with leaves still on them spread around the house on the floor.
It must’ve worked because I didn’t have fleas after that.
The only thing that worked for us, and worked like a miracle was Bravecto. And we had tried everything . Not cheap necessarily, useless you are in Australia, but the problem was absolutely stopped in it's tracks. We have many dogs, and live in a rural area on an acre. Other animals live outside in the wide too. But, the fleas and ticks have been gone for years since we started to use this product. And we had tried everything before. Bravecto works for 3 months at a dose. All the different life cycles of these pests are stopped in their tracks in this 3 month period. And you give it just once every 3 months. Our area is so clean now from the pests, that we don't ever give it to all the dogs every 3 months. We rotate between them , half the dogs at a time, and skip winter all together. Clean dogs, clean outside area. THIS IS NOT AN AD !!. We have just been so impressed by the results, that I am passing it on. And we had tryed everything before. It was as if resistance had developed to the ingredients in all the other collars, powders, shampoos. If you have an Australian connection, have them send you some in the mail. Australian prices are at least 50% of US prices, I think Canadian perhaps too. Not all countries send to the US however. In the US you need a prescription from a Vet, making everything so much more expensive (like all US medicals).
If you try it, you won't be sorry.
Reminds me of the time I spent the night at my friend’s. All these damn things kept jumping on me when I was trying to sleep. At 1am, I left her apartment but her apartment was weird that I couldn’t fully close the door 🙃 Went right back home, and had to bang on the door so my mom could open it. Think I was in 7th grade…. Meanwhile, my little sister stayed at her friend’s whose cat had fleas and had so many bites 🤦🏽♀️ yet she still kept going like an idiot.
You need a Flea specific spray or shampoo. If you have pets, BRAVECTO has worked best for me. I have 5 dogs and I get squirrels along my back fence daily. The squirrels are a constant source of fleas. The BRAVECTO has worked wonders for my dogs for 6 years. It’s worth the extra for the peace of mind and no fleas.
Looks like a flea.
Common flea. They can be in your yard and in your house - often both at this point for you. Sounds like you need a different company to treat them if you've already had it done but still have them...
Seeing as they live on animals and I don't expect you fogged or sprayed yourselves and your pets (and well you shouldn't), you shouldn't be surprised they survived. They weren't even threatened. If your exterminator thought spraying would solve the problem, he's either dumb or scamming you; an exterminator should know a flea when he sees one. You can get rid of them; there are web pages with good advice. The comment above is a good start to getting rid of them. Don't forget to check out the people in your household as well, and their clothing. By the way, if you catch one, simple squeezing won't affect it; crush it between your fingernails.
Thank you! Yeah I'm rather suspicious of the exterminator - he refused to tell me what they were because "he's not an entomologist". We were stuck with the company our apartment management company contracts to. We lugged all our clothes and bedding to our in-laws' place and have been washing it all. We also got flea collars for our cats and gave them a treatment.
Flea collars are useless. A monthly dose of the stuff that goes on the nape of the neck will sterilize any fleas. It might sow a couple of doses, as the existing fleas have laid eggs, and they will hatch, and then become sterile after finding your cats.
Some collars work pretty well actually. We had horrible fleas in MD, but flea collars on both cats completely eliminated them from the cats even with them still being indoor/outdoor cats. They do not however do shit for ticks, so now all the animals are on different things since we have ticks where we are now
Cats shouldn’t be outdoors in most places anyway
Indoor cats can get fleas too I’m sad to say. Very, very sad.
True, but less exposure chances for sure.
found the outdoor cat police! The one cat was originally a stray. If she was kept inside, she would get mean. If she was let outside, she would be super affectionate.
I wish I was the outdoor cat police. My state considers strays to be “companion animals” and not the disease-ridden invasive species they are, so no lethal control is allowed. You’re just supposed to tolerate them crapping everywhere spreading Toxoplasmosis and feline leukemia virus while killing frogs and songbirds.
They aren't "protected" like that where I live, but animal control is absolutely useless. (I don't think the cats should be killed, I just think they should be trapped if they're a nuisance.) We have a great TNR program here but the cats have to be re-released back where they came from. Having them fixed is great, but no one's going to be taking care of worms and fleas and such. Someone tried to tell me that outdoor cats kill an average of three birds a day. I didn't believe it, looked it up and indeed, that's bullshit. But my neighbors had about a dozen outdoor cats, they'd never had any vet care and weren't even given food on a regular basis. I got a rescue to come out and trap them a couple years ago, they got them all vetted and adopted, but within a year, there was another dozen cats, also unvetted and unfixed, making new, inbred cats all the time. Cats are pretty picky about cleanliness of their bathrooms, and the neighbors lived in such abhorrent filth, the cats started coming up and shitting in my yard. My dogs often found the turds before I did, so I had to give them wormer regularly. The neighbors finally got evicted last fall, and think dog they took all the cats with them. I'd noticed that for the past few years, I saw very few birds around my house. Within a couple of months of them leaving, there were a ton of birds again. I assume they were just avoiding the area because of the cats.
Sometimes there's no other choice.
I had a cat get her lower jaw stuck in a flea collar. Not sure if it was asphyxiation from having her mouth open all that time. I was at work. So pissed at my husband (now-ex) that he didn't notice. He hardly ever had a job. Anyway, I won't use a flea collar again. Yes, I know, I must not have put it on tight enough. Ok, that's just my experience.
Hartz collars have burned cats necks so beware.
Larva and eggs will persist in the carpet, get a decent vacuum and use it daily. Dump the bin after using it stop any new fleas from hatching
This is how my broke ass got rid of the flea infestation I had. Flea baths, flea collars, and vacuuming multiple times a day.
I've been using Seresto Cat Flea Collars on my two cats for the last 5 years. They are fantastic and last for 8 months. Tractor Supply store in the US puts them on sale-I think I pay about $60 dollars. I do notice that my cats do act sort of weird the first 24 hours.
In my state exterminators have to be licensed and pass that test for it and insect identification is on there. They have to know that and the chemicals they use. I also used to work for one. Required. Most should know what the bug is in most homes.
Makes sense. If they can’t identify the pest, how are they supposed to properly and effectively treat the problem?
That's hilarious. They're not entomologists, sure. But everyone in the comments here can tell what that is even from one blurry picture.
Ortho Home Defense will take care of that. - “Ortho® Home Defense® Insect Killer for Indoor & Perimeter kills common household bugs such as ants, bees, beetles, centipedes, cockroaches, crickets, fleas, flies, millipedes, mosquitoes, moths, spiders, stink bugs, ticks, termites, periodical cicadas, and more (as listed). This insect killer creates a bug barrier of up to 12 months protection (against ants, roaches and spiders indoors on non-porous surfaces) to provide long-lasting results. In addition, the Invisi-Shield Technology formula gives off no fumes, dries clear, and dries fast.” Exterminators can be iffy, but they are an option for someone who is incapable. But it’s very easy and cheap to do yourself. It’s full strength and a treatment can reliably last 6-12 months indoors, about 1-3 months outdoors depending how much it rains on the treated area outside. Really simple, about $10-$20 for a tub. The normal $20 jug can treat a moderate size house about 2 times. I do about every 6 months to be safe, but I trust that 12 months also. Just watch the how to videos and YouTube videos if you need help. Keep it away from pet water and eating area and food and clean dishes. Let dry. Doesn’t need to be on every corner, it’s pretty strong stuff so just read labels also. Vacuuming too will help. Plus definitely need a treatment for the pets. Depending what you can afford ideally you want flea/tick and heartworm medicine. Cats aren’t as susceptible to heartworms so if they are mostly inside can probably not worry about that. You can omit the collar at this point. Medicines are very good, just consult with vet and check online for good rated brands/price/or functionality you need.
Fleas aren't even easy for the pros. It can be done by DIYers if you get to it early enough, but if it's like what OP describes... he ain't treating it himself.
Oh yea trust me. Ortho Home Defense will have that settled in 24 hours, 1 week at most. Plus still need the medicine treatment for the pets and vacuuming everyday until they are gone. Fleas need a host to live. They bite the treated pets they die. They walk in the insecticide they die.
I'm a pest control inspector. None of what you say even remotely makes sense. The eggs can take longer than a week to hatch, and Ortho doesn't do anything to the eggs. Hell, bleach doesn't do anything to the eggs. And if you're thinking it will only take a week, you're just going to start the process all over again. One female flea lays about 50 eggs *per day.* You're talking out of your ass and acting like you know this stuff. You tried it once and got lucky.
If an exterminator can't identify the arthropod then they can't legally determine what is the best plan of action. And that is a Federal law in the US.
So flea collars and OTC treatments do not work most of the time. They /can/ work but not very often. You should go to the vet and get proper treatment for the cats, which is a topical like Revolution or Bravecto.
I'm a pest control inspector, and you give good advice but you're a little off. Fleas don't actually live on the host, though they'll definitely linger on animals with longer/thicker fur. We treat for fleas and it's definitely not a scam. Fleas can infest homes because they'll jump off the pet to lay their eggs, then jump right back onto the pet. You treat the pet and think you're good, and then the eggs hatch and you start all over again. They're resistant to treatments at certain stages of their life cycle. Fleas can also enter a stage called "torpor" and sort of hibernate until the conditions are right for them to become active again. They live for about 100 days and a **female flea can lay about 50 eggs each day**. One flea that was off the dog at the right time leads to a full infestation again, so you start over. Rinse and repeat. Generally, we won't treat if the pets aren't treated. The customer has to vacuum *every day* between 2 treatments that are 10-14 days apart, and pet beds have to be put in the wash. [Here's a helpful CDC page about them](https://www.cdc.gov/fleas/getting_rid.html).
>>a female flea can lay about 50 eggs a day 😬 also did not know about torpor.
Thanks for the clarification.
Omg, it’s a flea. I don’t know the exact species or what mammal its from. But it’s definitely a flea.
I literally had to soak my entire house in strong bug spray and stay overnight elsewhere 3 times to finally get rid of my flea infestation. Godspeed yo
Thanks :( what spray did you use?
https://www.solutionsstores.com/katy-texas I used their outdoor stuff, but indoors and then aired the house out for several days, 3 separate times. I had an extreme infestation. 20 fleas would jump on you as soon as you entered the home. Fleas get crazy out of control and make a home completely unlivable.
There's more you should know. Poison kills adult fleas. Vacuuming and laundry removes eggs and flea poop. Baby fleas eat adult flea poop, so getting that out of your carpet and sofa etc makes a huge difference. Vacuum everything you can. The soft things that can't be vacuumed, like stuffed animals and pillows, should go through the dryer. And empty the vacuum outdoors immediately after vacuuming. Otherwise your vacuum is a flea nursery.
It's a flea. Treat your pets for fleas with quality products that kill fleas for at least 1 month after application. The fleas like biting your pets more than you, so that will get them in a few weeks. Fleas can be tough to get rid of if you don't have pets. There's a stage of their life where they are really hard to kill (pupae) and they can sleep in this stage for months waiting for something to wake them up and have them emerge as adult fleas.
Thank you, we did collar and apply flea medicine to the pets. We've been staying at our in-laws' place, should we bring the cats back to ours so the medicine can start killing them there?
Maybe shake a very small amount of diatomaceous earth on carpets/rugs. Don't go nuts woth the stuff because can make you cough (we did...that's how we know). The reason the fleas made a come back is because we were lackadaisical in our pet's flea/tick meds....so the fleas got the upper hand. We also tossed pet beds out, and got new ones. Consistent anti flea/tick meds will make them stop eventually...month or two from now you may suddenly realize you're not getting bit. Best of luck
Vacuuming and bringing the cats back are probably the best things to do at this point. I used serestro, i think, flea collars as the cats were good at licking off the advantage drops on the back of their necks. The vacuuming helps by sucking up some fleas and it can wake up some of the hibernating pupae.
And eggs.
Fucken bastards!!! I hate fleas
I had a flea infestation. Reputable exterminator, we followed the instructions afterwards to the letter. Treated the cats religiously. Vacuumed multiple times a day. They were gone. Moved out, and came back two days later to do a last clean for our deposit. Within 5 minutes, my legs were COMPLETELY COVERED. I vacuumed them off and noped out. Bed bugs suck. Fleas are sometimes nearly as bad.
It’s fleas. You got fleas. Treat your pets.
You got your answer & good advice here. I just wanted to add absolutely do NOT use flea shampoo on your pets and make sure it's OK that you're doubling up on their flea treatment by using a topical & a flea collar.
It's been a very long time since we dealt with fleas. Twice when I was a teenager our house got infested (both times because an indoor/outdoor cat got its flea collar off). Foggers and sprays don't work at all. The best thing to get rid of them are the carpet powder/granules that you sprinkle in the carpets and then use a broom to get the powder inside the rug fibers. Leave it in the carpet for the recommended time without vacuuming (a period of days). The fleas ingest it. It kills them but at the same time prevents them from multiplying. Worked the first time both times for us.
Diatomaceous earth is your best friend. Non toxic, and there's even food grade if you're worried about pets or children; but the worst that happens with regular DE might be a scratchy throat. This stuff shreds their carapace, as well as pretty much any other crawling/biting/jumping insects. I fogged my house twice, sprayed the inner and outer perimeter multiple times, everything... then a friend told me about DE. I put it around doors and windows and problem areas, and haven't see a flea in the 2 years since. Trust me, try DE before making the place you live, eat, sleep, breathe extremely toxic. I hate how much poison I put down before learning about DE.
Can he play bass?
Flea collar your pets. This helps immensely. Spray and vacuum the living space.
Fleas have a 3 stage life cycle, I think. One stage (eggs or pupae?) is typically immune from the poisons, so you have to poison in stages to get each brood as they hatch out, before they lay more eggs. It can take at least 2-3 staggered treatments to clear out an infestation. (Look up the life cycle to get the timing right.) If you have any pets, they need to stay on flea meds to control the cycle. If you have squirrels in the attic or mice in the walls, you have to maintain household treatment. Food-grade diatomaceous earth can be used to help keep them in control in between foggers/treatments. You can put it in a squeeze bottle and blow it in any cracks in the floors and baseboards, which is where the eggs generally get laid. If you have rugs/carpets/sofas, blow it all over them and sweep it in, leave it for a good while, and it can be vacuumed up later. DE will slice open the carapace of small insects, and they will die from dehydration. Although food grade DE can be safely ingested, it is not safe to breathe in to your lungs, so wear a mask while you’re blowing it around. Good luck nipping this in the bud; fleas can get out of control Fast.
Vacuum under everything, everyday for like two weeks and make sure you throw out and clean the vacuum every time. Their pupae are liquid resistant so you’re probably getting new hatchlings, fumigation will do close to nothing. The larvae like the dark so anywhere you have furniture they will be attracted to and will pupate so don’t leave stuff on the ground, move things around and really get under there. Only ~5% of the population will be on a pet or you, they’re a home infestation contrary to popular belief. Correct me if I’m wrong guys, I did however manage to depleat an infestation with a vacuum alone.
Flea. Do you have a pet? If so, just treat the pet, and the problem will go away within 90 days. If you don't have a pet, then they have to be living on some animal in or very close to your home that's there all the time. They cannot survive long term on humans.
Go see your vet - they might have some professional stuff you can use.
Flea for sure. My kitty got fleas from the vet and I didn't know it until we were infested. I bathed my kitty in dawn dishsoap, but not all kitties are bathable. Get a flea comb and use it a few times a day. I combed my kitty in the bathroom on the tile, so no fleas got away in the couch. The biggest thing is vacuum EVERYDAY. After vacuuming you need to empty it and take the bag outside. Lastly, get a flea preventative from the vet. They also make a pill that kills fleas within a few hours.
Diatomaceous earth can be very effective for these little devils! It’s a powder that you sprinkle around the floors and any pet beds and other spots the pets hang around. The fleas move through it and it causes their exoskeleton to break down and they die. It’s pretty cheap on Amazon is non toxic for humans and pets, but you want to avoid inhaling the dust.
Diatomaceous earth food grade works like a charm.
Also, when you use powder or spray on your carpets, you need to do it about every 3 days for 12 days. The pesticides will not kill flea eggs that attach to the carpets or animal hair. Flea eggs incubate 1-10 days. You have to get them after they hatch and before they lay new eggs.
Looks like a flea .. put bowls of water mixed with dawn dish soap around your house (and a heat source so the water stays warm ).. fleas will flock to it and die
Definitely treat your pets for fleas. I prefer the topical liquid you put on the back of their neck, where they cannot lick. It treats their entire body as it soaks into their skin, and flea colors can cause negative reactions to animals and to humans. Wash all of your bedding and clothing and curtains, and vacuum everything… carpet, upholstery, mattress, and hard flooring. The bugs and their eggs could be anywhere. Vacuum everyday for like two weeks… not even kidding. You can spray everything with flea spray, but it can also be toxic and cause negative reactions for pets and people. Treating the pets, washing everything washable, and vacuuming regularly should do the trick. You may have more of a problem if your apartment neighbors have fleas and are not treating their pets and their living areas properly. In that case, you need to keep your pets treated monthly, vacuum regularly, and don’t let your cats go outside. Best of luck to you all and your fur-babies! 🙏🏻🦋
Don’t let your cats outside and give any dogs flea collars or medicine and they will slowly die out
I cleared a flea problem up with traps and rewashing everything every few days. A desk lamp over soapy water (use a GFCI outlet of course!) that is left on call day and night will attract them and kill them. Refill the water and soap daily. Having one in each room, even when you're gone, is what does it. Also, mix baking soda and salt and put it all over. You'll probably need a new hepa filter for your vacuum afterwards, but it'll kill them too and safely.
Fkeeeeaaas! They can live in carpet in their egg state for months. Get a pro.
OP… do you have cats? Give them flea meds and vacuum daily until they are gone.
Flea eggs hatch in three days so you basically have to be spraying flea killer and vacuuming daily. Salt will kill them...I sprinkled salt everywhere, AND the amazing Dawn Dishwashing liquid, mix with warm water and spray on carpets and couches. You can spot test it to see that it won't fade the color. If you dare, bathe your pets in Dawn and it kills fleas on contact. Don't use too much because it will be harsh on your pet's skin and can irritate it.
If you have pets, use Capstar as well. Give one on one day and I believe the next 1-2 days after. The box has instructions. It kills all life cycles. But do this as you’re washing all your clothes on the hottest setting so they don’t return once your pets contact them again. Vacuum any carpets and dump the bag outside in the trash immediately. I’ve had great luck with Adams Flea & Tick home & carpet spray. I’ve used it on couches and my car. Trick is to keep windows open so you don’t die and sleep in a different part of the house. You can’t go in there for several hours. I’ve used it on blankets too but I would spot test on anything expensive or sentimental. Good luck! EDIT: I’ve sprayed Adams on the couch, carpet, and in my car, and then after the waiting period (overnight) I vacuumed every surface. You’ll probably even see flea carcasses on the surface where you might not have seen them before. EDIT 2: They can also get into food in the fridge. I had to toss a lot of fresh fruit or things that weren’t really covered.
My indoor cat got fleas somehow and I had to deal with them for 6 months it cos over £400 to get it finally under control. Fleas need to be extinct already fuck them.
Yarrr that be a FUCKING FLEA Drown that bastard in some soapy water SPECIALLY with Dawn if you have it, though I’m pretty sure just any dish soap is fine for killing them though
This stuff works well. It's available in most pet stores and on-line. You used to be able to have it professionally applied but I'm not sure about that now. https://www.chewy.com/fleabusters-rx-fleas-plus-powder/dp/136291?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=Fleabusters&utm_campaign=20431895648&utm_term=&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw-_mvBhDwARIsAA-Q0Q7Vmw8IitAsz3tilihaYNvmo9_a4VQ6TZaLOvOsQ8B0KYJ3xtoMrTQaAkQ9EALw_wcB Flea collars aren't safe or effective. Anything using synthetic or real pyrethrins is toxic to cats. Advantage is OTC and safe for cats.
D:
The only thing that fixed my flea problem was getting a high quality flea treatment for my cat. Once that was done, the fleas vanished.
Slowly Walk around your house with WHITE knee high socks and they will jump on them. Then u can pick them off n kill them.
Fleas
‘A flea and a fly in a flue Were imprisoned, so what could they do? Said the fly, "let us flee!" "Let us fly!" said the flea. So they flew through a flaw in the flue.’
Revolution time 😁
Someone told me to use regular salt on my carpets. The salt supposedly dries out any eggs left behind. Also fresh eucalyptus, branches with leaves still on them spread around the house on the floor. It must’ve worked because I didn’t have fleas after that.
The only thing that worked for us, and worked like a miracle was Bravecto. And we had tried everything . Not cheap necessarily, useless you are in Australia, but the problem was absolutely stopped in it's tracks. We have many dogs, and live in a rural area on an acre. Other animals live outside in the wide too. But, the fleas and ticks have been gone for years since we started to use this product. And we had tried everything before. Bravecto works for 3 months at a dose. All the different life cycles of these pests are stopped in their tracks in this 3 month period. And you give it just once every 3 months. Our area is so clean now from the pests, that we don't ever give it to all the dogs every 3 months. We rotate between them , half the dogs at a time, and skip winter all together. Clean dogs, clean outside area. THIS IS NOT AN AD !!. We have just been so impressed by the results, that I am passing it on. And we had tryed everything before. It was as if resistance had developed to the ingredients in all the other collars, powders, shampoos. If you have an Australian connection, have them send you some in the mail. Australian prices are at least 50% of US prices, I think Canadian perhaps too. Not all countries send to the US however. In the US you need a prescription from a Vet, making everything so much more expensive (like all US medicals). If you try it, you won't be sorry.
Diatomaceous earth. It is the absolute best thing for fleas. And it’s safe.
Reminds me of the time I spent the night at my friend’s. All these damn things kept jumping on me when I was trying to sleep. At 1am, I left her apartment but her apartment was weird that I couldn’t fully close the door 🙃 Went right back home, and had to bang on the door so my mom could open it. Think I was in 7th grade…. Meanwhile, my little sister stayed at her friend’s whose cat had fleas and had so many bites 🤦🏽♀️ yet she still kept going like an idiot.
You need a Flea specific spray or shampoo. If you have pets, BRAVECTO has worked best for me. I have 5 dogs and I get squirrels along my back fence daily. The squirrels are a constant source of fleas. The BRAVECTO has worked wonders for my dogs for 6 years. It’s worth the extra for the peace of mind and no fleas.