OMG!!!!! Flea infestation...HELP!

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oldfart
Posts: 431
Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2007 10:31 am

Arrrggghhhh! Well folks I don't know what brought this on but I need some advice. I've had cats&dogs around here for the past 20+ years and I've never seen a flea. Last week...BOOM!! I mean I'm up to my eyeballs in fleas. I've already treated the kittens and the mammy cat..the others can't be caught. I'm vacumeing twice a day and set off the Raid Fumigator Bombs...sprayed flea killer all around the perimeter of the house and will spread flea killer on the yard tommorrow. It's 4a.m. and I've been reading about flea control for the last 4 hours. I took everything out of the home that I can wash..washed it at the laundrymat..and it's in the back of the truck till I get this remedied. Shortly after daybreak I'm dragging the recliner and sofa to the burn-pile and throwing a match to them. Yes..I am serious. Ohh..and the computor chair. I set off the bug bombs when I went to work and when I came home walked around the livingroom and found a dozen fleas on my white socks. I made a flea trap and placed it in the livingroom. Here's a simple flea trap..placed a dropcord with a 4-gang box on it in the middle of the floor and plugged a night-light into it and surrounded it with new floor-tiles sticky side up. There's dozens of fleas stuck on the tiles! More to come....Audie..
oldfart
Posts: 431
Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2007 10:31 am

Folks, the first bombs (Raid Fumigators) I set off haven't done the job. These bombs are the ones that can't blow up yer home. No need to shut off the fridge/thermostat/pilot lights..etc. Tommorrow I'll pick up some of the heavy duty bombs that claim to be more effective. AND I'll be sure and shut down power in the home and shut the gas off. Something I'm wondering about is an infestation in the heating ducts. Hmmm..?? A perfect breeding ground and hard to get to. What about setting one of the explosion proof bombs right in the furnace with the fan set to "summer" where the blower fan runs but the burner can't? This should fill the ductwork with poison..right? Mind ya I understand it takes a while to get an infestation under control due to the lifecycle of fleas. They can live 2 years without feeding in the larval stage...arrrghhh! I think the bombs I used couldn't penetrate under the sofa/recliner or they're infested with eggs/larvae etc....hence the upcoming bonfire. Also, I'll drop a coupla flea collers inside the vacume bag to kill the ones I pick up with the vacume. Some folks say mothballs work in the bag as well. (?) Have to go to Sears to get more bags tommorrow. Next question...I have a 42in. CRT television that weighs 400lbs. setting on a TV stand that sets flat on the carpeted floor. Set it up on blocks to allow the fumes to go under it or spray around it?? I'll be treating the carpet after I fumigate. Yet more to come...sigh...Audie..
oldfart
Posts: 431
Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2007 10:31 am

Folks, oddly enough I haven't found a flea in the bedroom. Could be the A/C in there bothers them. (cool/low humidity) The main problem area is the livingroom. (carpeted) I'll still fumigate it with the mattress&boxsprings setting upright to allow the fumes to get everywhere. I'd hate to have to burn a new Sealy Posturepedic..but I will if need be. While the bombs are fumigating the home I'll run around picking up some supplies such as carpet powder/vacume bags/more flea collers & mothballs. I'll also check the pet stores and see if they have anything better than Raid Flea Bombs. I've heard that even with professional exterminaters this can last for weeks..even months until all the stages of fleas are killed. (big huge sigh here) If anyone else has any suggestions/idea/reccomendations...I'm all ears. One thing to keep in mind is that any products need to be available locally. No credit card to do internet transactions you understand. Well, sorry for the long rant folks but I didn't know who else to turn to for advice I trust. I'll check back in Sat. afternoon after the fumes subside. YMHS....Audie..the Oldfart..
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Greg
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Location: Weedsport, NY

Well Audie, If you are REAL SERIOUS about getting rid of them, contact your insurance agent first, turn the gas stove on, (unlit burners of course) Wait about a half hour, and throw a few of the Heavy duty bug bombs through the window. But make sure you wait until the 4'th after dark so EVERYONE can see the Fireworks display!!! :) :o

Other than that there's always the Orkin Man. Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
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Dean3
Posts: 419
Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2009 4:32 pm
Location: NE IA

You might have to catch the uncatchable wild cats and stick flea collars on them,heavy duty long lasting collars if they make them. Good luck keeping them clear of fleas,one infested mouse they grab and it all starts again and transfers to the indoor/outdoor cats.

google "feral cat trap" and see what you can buy or make yourself,bait with cheap fish sticks or leftovers,then stick flea collars on the wild cats one by one. Heavy leather gloves might be good to wear! Welding gloves go farther up the forearm. I found out just how nasty a cat can be when one was playing with a lure on a fishing pole and snagged it's self past the barb on the hook! I don't leave lures on poles anymore!

Happy trappin Audie! You'll get em! 8) It's something to try before breaking out the turkey gun anyway. :(

Dean
oldfart
Posts: 431
Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2007 10:31 am

Well fellers this certainly has been a trial. I bombed the house twict...and I'm fixin' to wear out a vacume cleaner. Seems the real trick is vacume..vacume..vacume..then do it some more. The bombs kill most of the critters but the eggs hatch again and the vacume snatches 'em up. Put a flea coller in the vac bag. I drop in a handfulla lawn bug killer and spray the bag inside with killer too. And leave the vac outside. I vacume twice a day. Arrrghhh! Then scrub the vinyl floors ever other day. I also moved al the appliances to clean up under them and cleared out the cabinets. The last few days....NO FLEAS!! HUZZAH! I'm fixin' to bomb the heat ducts this weekend just to be sure. I ain't buyin' no new furniture till I don't see a single flea for 2 weeks! (burned mine..) An about them feral cats..hmmm? I caught 2 of the little ones and collered them. Snagged Chubby (wurfless female feral cat) and dragged her into the house amidst the fumes and filled the sink with flea shampoo&warm water and hollared..."I'm puddy sho' yer fixin' to get into this sink you mangey fleabag!!" Her little yeller eyeballs narrowed to slits and she popped open a pawfulla claws and growled..."I"M PUDDY SHO' I AIN"T GITTIN' IN THAT SINK!" She was right of course. Ya'll know you can't possibly put a growed cat into a sink if she don't wanna go....right? It's like pushing a wad of barb-waar...can't be done. I think the fumes might be affecting me. There goes a duck! Well...I have to go do something..don't rightly recall what it was. I'll run the vacume till it comes back to me. Regards...Audie..the Oldfart..
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Yanita
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Posts: 3369
Joined: Sat Feb 17, 2007 10:16 pm
Location: Eastern N. Carolina

LOL Audie!

I have had a flea infestation before, and it was a nightmare and hundreds of dollars later. It was at my old home this happened, right after the landlord cut down some trees...I swear those fleas were of a mutant variety.

Save your money on flea shampoos and just buy a bottle of dawn dish soap, yup it works like a charm and you dont need alot. Wanna get that cat into the bath..roll up your sleeves and wrap her as snuggly as possible in a thin towel. Have your bucket ready outside...dunk her in as many times as you can before she breaks free and tears you up!

Flea collars, powders etc are only really effective once the infestation is gone. I used a monthly topical treatment on 3 cats and one dog...Advantage, can be bought at any reputable pet store or your vets office. It's spendy, but it works. I bought a really effective product called "FLEA spray" made by ENFORCER, think I got it at Lowe's... prevents flea infestation from hatchlings for up to 20 days. It has a flea growth regulator, breaks the cycle by inhibiting the developement into adult fleas.

Even though I go the spendy route of a topical monthly treatment I use this spray monthly...just to be on the safe side. Love my pets but darn if they don't get expensive!

Hope all is well with you...was gonna head to PA this weekend but once again my plans have changed so I will be in hot humid NC, hopefully poolside!
The difference between success and failure is who gives up first!
joedirt63
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Location: Pocono Lake, P A
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one thing worked for us with fleas was we tore out all the carpets and bombed the house inside and out. carpet removal was a double edge sword . the fles had no place to hide and she want to put down laminate flooring. yanita , don't know where in p.a. you where headed but it's just as hot and humid here too. one big state size fish bowl, arggggg. glad i got the out side painting done. another note on fleas moth balls or flakes , put them under the house,and the perimiter, may be strong odor for a bit , but it seems to work here, plus the park cats (strays) kinda stay away.
"a man has got to know his limitations", clint eastwood. " i haven't found mine yet," me
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Yanita
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Joined: Sat Feb 17, 2007 10:16 pm
Location: Eastern N. Carolina

Hey Joedirt,

I was going to go to Johnstown, hangout with friends. Saw on the tv that there are storms coming in that are going to cause alot of downed trees etc..this is between NC and PA and parts of both states. Not the reason I am not going though...

Now back to the fleas, when I had the infestation we had southern pine flooring in the livingroom, vinyl in the kitchen/baths and carpet throughout the rest of the home. The fleas were the worst in the livingroom!

Persistant and chemicals are about the only erradication of fleas. I do recommend that you spray your vacuum brushes with some sort of flea killer though...

Yanita
The difference between success and failure is who gives up first!
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Greg S
Posts: 541
Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2008 10:13 am
Location: Kingston Ontario Canada

Flea collars are of very little use and will not prevent infestations. The products such as Advantage that you get from the vets applied monthly are the best products to date.
As well the chemical sprays that have residual effects are your only/best option if you want to wipe out a infestation and keep it at bay. Again go to a vet or reputable pet store that sells chemical sprays.
Unfortunately as long as you have strays in the area that you can not regularly treat and control you will likely not do any better than manage the infestation not eradicate them now that you have the problem.
The fleas are in your yard and will continue to enter the home on you as long as you have strays in the area.
If you want to get rid of the flees you will have to get rid of any stray cats in the area otherwise you are, as they say, only treating the symptom not the disease.
An individual must enforce his own meaning in life and rise above the perceived conformity of the masses. (Anton LaVey)
oldfart
Posts: 431
Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2007 10:31 am

Well folks thanks for all the ideas and encouragement. Todays update...I've only seen 2 fleas in the last 3 weeks!! HUZZAHH! I may have brought them in from outside. Anyways, got collars on the cats I could catch and now due to the local coyote/owl/hawk population I'm down to just 2 cats. Ones a blind kitten and t'other is a little gray tabby. No doubt more will show up in due time. I also put flea killer on the yard. And the spray I used after bombing claims it kills fleas/eggs/larvae for 7 months. (Adams Plus) We'll see. Still haven't bought any new furniture yet until I'm convinced all is well. Due to the extreme heat&humidity I haven't started any outside projects yet. Ya'll take care now an rest assured I'm stopping in to read every chance! Audie..the oldfart. :)
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Yanita
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Location: Eastern N. Carolina

Only 2, your discription of those 2 does not include Chubby??? Hope all is well with her!

Yanita
The difference between success and failure is who gives up first!
oldfart
Posts: 431
Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2007 10:31 am

Well Yanita..no sign lately of Chubbie. But she might be havin' kittens somewheres even as we speak an she'll come by and show them to me. I haven't seen Gump either which is HIGHLY unusual. I can't believe even a wiley coyote could sneak up on that paranoid skitzo! Seen a black/calico today and a gray so they're already stopping by to say howdy. Who knows about cats? They're kind'a like wimminfolks..no one will ever figger em' out. ;) Take care! Audie..the Oldfart..
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