This is a pain...close your house up and set off a flea bomb. You will need to do so every 10 days for about a month. The fleas hatch every 10 days. They do work well though. Get some good stuff and spray rugs before you bomb.
Once they are gone and you have no animals you should not have a problem.
Karen L

Thanks for that be its seems that flea bombs don't kill any of the little *@!(@"!'s underneath furniture eg beds, sofa etc. We will try this but its just so frustrating when you can't sleep at night because your legs are being treated like a hot dog!!

Go to www.bugspray.com to learn more about fleas and their control.

I'm not sure if it works, but I remember seeing this somewhere:

At night, place night lights here and there throughout the house. Use plugs that are close to the floor.

After turning on the nightlights, place a shallow dish of soapy water on the floor below the light.

Supposedly, the fleas jump at the light, and end up trapped in the soapy dishes.

Another safe way to treat: Borax. Dependent on the size of your house, (6 boxes for my 2000sq ft home), sprinkle on the carpets pay special attention to carpet seams, furniture and brush in with a broom. Let stand for 3 days before vacuuming. Treat every month to quarterly dependent on investation. After you're comfortable, then go quarterly.

I have 2 dogs and it works great. Helps keep the odors down, and helps the carpet cleaning solution when the cleaner comes to clean.

Mule Team Borax here it's about 5.00 a box, make it an inexpensive cure.

It is not recommended to use Borax around pets and children as it is toxic.

You didn't specify if you had w-w carpeting or tile or hardwood floors and area rugs; it makes a big difference. I have suggestions, but it depends of what kind of floor covering you have. Please repost.

How ironic I happened upon this page and forum. We are suffering from the exact same problem. Previous owner left us with an infestation of fleas. None of the bombs are working. Luckily we haven't moved in yet, but have removed ALL of the carpet. Before we recarpet we want to rid the fleas. More importantly, we didn't realize it was infested until after we started bringing them home to our house.
We have ALL hardwood floors. It sounds like all the postings are for people with carpet. HELP!!!!!!!

I find borax works fine in the house. and i make sure to vacuum it up and only leave it out in places the dogs can't get to. for indoors and out some kind of diatomaceous earth product like they have at http://www.eco-store.com is very effective as well.

With an infestation problem, a professional treatment may be worth the money. You may end up spending that much anyway, if you are trying things and they aren't working. The problem is, some of those flea killers kill the fleas but not all of the eggs, so thirty days later you have more fleas. I would call an exterminator and get it over worth. If you don't have any pets, one shot should do it.

I need serious help with fleas. I do NOT now, nor have I ever had a pet. I did a favor for a friend watching her children in the morning and they brought their fleas!!! I am SOOO upset and worried we can't beat this. Right now we are scrubbing floors and covering every floor and rug with Borax. Actually I have put on Borax on the rug let it sit overnight then vacuumed, then put more Borax, baking soda AND salt. All of the hardwood floors have been vacuumed, scrubbed and Borax brushed into all the cracks. I am in the process of washing everything cloth in the house and am never letting these kids back in my house. Is there anything else *safe* I can do? Bombs are a last resort and I have no idea how expensive and exterminater is but would consider it if I have to.

I would be very careful what I put on the carpet if I had children. Things that are considered safe when applied to a pet on an infrequent basis will probably not be safe enough for continual exposure to children or adults. Vacumming up the flea powder will not remove it sufficiently from the carpet to eliminate all exposure to the pesticide. Also consider this - many pesicides are known carcinogens and constant exposure is not a good thing. Some organophosphates cause neurological damage to children. And if that weren't enough, many people feel that removing Dursban from the marketplace was only a lame and token effort because so many other organophosphates were ignored by the FDA. If I were considering how to handle fleas, I'd err on the side of caution. Besides, after losing 2 of my dogs die to cancer and my sister's dog too, I just won't use flea powders any more.

Hmm I would have thought one 'bomb' treatment would do it.

If you don't have pets, the flea problem shouldn't last long. They don't like people that much and as far as I know, they'll die out.

A professional pest control person may have better treatments, but with winter coming, your problems should diminish also.

Sorry, if there are no animals in the house fleas will go after people.

Even with animals around they will attack people.

My ankles were just RED from flea bites and the flea bites itch as bad as mosquito bites.

I bought some OFF brand incect repellent and use it in the house on my ankles and feet. It helps, but doesn't keep all the fleas at bay.

I found that spraying ankels and feet with rubbing alcohol and tea tree oil seems to keep them from biting but it has to be reapplied constantly.

As far as ridding the house of fleas goes, here is what I have found so far:

Flea bombs do not work.

DE does not work.

Borax does not work.

Frontline does not work.

The trick with the dish of water and a light catches about 5-6 fleas over night leaving the other 10,000 happily at home.

Raid will kill fleas for a couple of days and then the fleas come right back.

Vet-Kem, Adams and Zodiac carpet and upholstery sprays work for a couple of weeks to keep the flea population down, but then the flea population explodes again. The cans say the stuff works for months. It doesn't.

I was talking to customer service at one of the places that sells flea products and she said this has been the worst year for fleas ever. She said they have gotten more calls than ever for products and blamed it on the weather.

I have read some where that fleas have developed an immunity to the new generation of flea products that are out on the market.

I must have the new breed of "super fleas" in my home.

I have tried all the treatments. So far they do not work. Now. when I bomb they chill out on the ceiling until it is safe.
Because the floor is so toxzic they land on me and blankets, clothes in the closet. Everywhere. And they live through washing and drying. I think this makes the eggs hatch. One professional who came said this would kill the fleas. Nuh-uh. They do not seem to rest on nylon. I am moving just to get away from them. I will not be taking anything made out of cotton, wool etc. with me. All I do with my life is spray, bomb, sprinkle, wash, and go to the store for more stuff. This is not living! I have no pets. Guess I inheirted them. I do not sleep either because of the itching and the bites.

We bought a home back in the late 80's where the previous owner had left us with the legacy of a flea infestation. We discovered it the first night because while we were waiting for our furniture to be delivered we slept on the floor. We saw the little buggers jumping all over the sheets and blankets!! We were all bitten. We called in an expert, we had to leave the house for a few days, delay getting our furniture delivered and spend a few days in a hotel. They bombed the house with some pretty high powered flea bombs. We were told that eggs would hatch again in a week or so, we vacuumed the carpets to pick up any eggs that were not hatched and had them come out and bomb the house a second time about a week or so later. It worked!! We did not have any pets to reinfest the house though.

As a last resort you could get the house tented. It would kill any termites too. It would probably cost over a thousand dollars though.

Fleabusters really does work. I am highly sensitive to fleas (a single bite will raise a large red welt -- I've literally had my ankles look like they'd been buckshot before) and I have two cats, and this is the only solution that does work, although it takes several weeks for complete elimination.

The thing is, though, you can't just buy the powder. You've got to let the Fleabusters people come in and apply it. They don't just sprinkle it and vacuum. They get it into all the nooks and crannies where the fleas hide, and they get it down *into* your carpet and under your baseboards with special tools. *That's* what makes the difference. I've tried using the powder myself, and it didn't do the job. It's the method of application that does.

It costs a couple of hundred dollars, but it lasts for years. I've literally seen fleas come in on the cats, hop off onto the floor, and die, right before my eyes.

Wonderful, wonderful stuff. I wouldn't be able to have animals without it.

My sister had a serious flea problem at her house a couple of years ago. No pets and they just showed up the only thing that could be correlated with it was the installatioon of a new HVAC unit. They had a professional come out and he determined that the fleas were coming from underneath the house, it seems that the HVAC guys left a big gap behind the new unit and whole family of opposums had moved in along with some serious fleas lol. They had to hire a wildlife exterminator to kill the possums, apparently they breed fast there were 9 total pulled out. The HVAC unit flashing was repaired to seal the crawlspace and after a few weeks of chemical application they were living flea free. Just a thought you might want to check out the crawlspace if you are brave enough spinnock

does anyone have a recommendation for hardwood floor? i have fleas coming from outside through our patio sliding door into our master bedroom which has hardwood floor. the sliding door is really old and probably needs to be weather proved. but in the meantime, how do we stop them from hoping in? i got no pets... thanks!

Use the spray can type flea bombs and use enough of them.
They come in a couple different sizes.
If the gas/spray did not reach the ceiling you did not use enough.
These things are designed to fill the entire space with poison.
Turn off any ventilation equipment, use enough bombs, and the problem will be gone on one shot.
A decent size house needs at least a smaller can for EVERY room, and larger rooms often need a couple of cans (actually better than a single large one).
Open all cabinets, closets, doors.
Set them off and go away for at least 10-12 hours.
Before I sprayed the back yard for fleas, I would get them every 3-6 months in the house (3 labradors).
I set off the bombs before leaving for vacation, and returned to a flee free house.
Malathion50 at the label rate will take care of outside flees in short order.

I just moved into a friends house. I get the upstairs bedroom. I brought my ferret along with me, and shortly after we moved in I noticed she had fleas. I never had to deal with them before and I'm finding out what a pain it is. She has three cats and lives downstairs. Give them flea baths and treatments regularly... I've been using flea spray... baths, bombs... vacumming and washing and cleaning her cage (throwing out bedding too) everyday. The very next day the fleas are back. Atleast 5 or 8 crawling around on her. I've been at this for atleast a month. It's a small house and I share a room with the pet. I don't want to get rid of her, thats wrong. But I can't live with these fleas anymore. They are driving us both crazy. I want to try and use the fleabusters... but im afraid in such small quarters it would be very bad to breathe it in on a daily basis. Its almost fall... will the flea problem lessen? Any suggestions would be so wonderful. I can't stand them anymore. And the ferret cant go 1 minute without scratching herself like a maniac. Thank you.

from 2002. Oldest. post. ever.

If she doesn't bomb her part of the house (or in fact the whole house) properly, all the bathing in the world isn't going to work. You should either talk to her or just move out, and yes, why didn't you start your own thread - this one's ancient!

not only that, but i bet the yard has fleas in it pretty bad too. you must treat the house, the yard, and EVERYWHERE the cats go or you will never get rid of them.

Yes, treat the yard too. And every time you vacuum, throw out the bag.

And be careful with bug bombs. I have read stories in the newspapers a few times where houses exploded from too many bug bombs. Follow directions.

Had this problem a few years back. Moved to apartment, previous occupant had a small dog. Before I moved in, the place had been cleaned and looked down right spotless, but I still went through the usual motions of vacuum, wipe down hard surfaces with bleach water, give the bathroom a real good cleaning, and moved the furniture in on a Sunday.

Monday come home from work, take one step on carpet and I swear they turned my ankle area black!

Went to store, set off bombs according to directions as leaving for work Tuesday, come home and seem all gone. Vacuum floor and toss bag. Talk to neighbor and receive news eggs can lie in wait and probably my activity in cleaning and moving in caused them to hatch (for all I know this is a wives tale but sure seemed to fit as there was no evidence of fleas whatsoever prior to the Monday, and I grew up with pets so would recognize fleas).

Two weeks later return from a long weekend holiday, get the attack of the killer fleas again. For some reason they contented selves with the carpet, didn't seem to readily appear on bed that night, expect they would have if given a chance.

After consult with neighbor, who told me that was the leftover eggs hatching, I ended up getting two sets of bug bombs, which I set off ten days from each other. Neighbor also gave me orange oil, told me to spray it around edges of each room at top and bottom of baseboards and wipe with a paper towel just to keep from there being any obvious standing oil - I just used a wide, fine spray to coat entire narrow baseboards. Also apply around the base of all cabinets,around the edges where carpet and tile or other surfaces meet, around tub, toilet, everywhere there is a cranny for the teeny boogers to hide.

Move all furniture and vacuum under every single piece, and vacuum all your sofas, mattresses, and chairs, being careful to get both sides of cushions and mattresses, and down in every cranny, toss bag. Launder all sheets and blankets and anything that has been around flea infested areas using hottest cycle available, then dry in high heat at least thirty minutes. Luckily everything I had was durable enought to withstand this, I seem to recall she said to buy fabric spray to treat if not or to hang out in the full sun on a hot day or preferably both. Each time bug bombed. Yeah, loads of fun.

All I can say is it worked, never had another flea issue.

Have you thought about calling a professional exterminator. And if that doesn't work, can you rip out all the carpets? We did this and it alleviated our flea problem. Seems there were generations in those carpets.

This will sound counter intuitive but it is a serious suggestion. Borrow a cat or dog for a few days. Treat them with a flea prevention treatment like Frontline AND give the pet a dose of Capstar each day for about a week. Continue to vacuum and engage in other flea treatments, because you need to get both the current fleas as well as larvae and eggs.

Fleas will feed on humans ... but they really prefer dogs and cats. Fleas die quickly after biting a pet that has been treated with Capstar.

Here is a link that might be useful: Capstar

Years ago, before the new heartworm/flea meds, I battled fleas every summer. Constant vacuuming, carpet treatments, dog dips, borax in the carpeting, bombs -- we did everything.

One tip that hasn't been mentioned above: Be aware that flea eggs can and will hatch inside your vacuum bag and escape back into the house. I didn't want to replace the bag every time I used the vacuum, so I would put a piece of flea collar in the bag. Every time I replaced the bag, another piece went in. No more fleas hatching in the vacuum closet.

Good luck -- they're really a huge nuisance!

I've heard about the flea collar/vacuum bag thing. It is my understanding that flea collars are *flea repellants* not inscecticides. When I had a flea problem in my home I sprayed the vacuum bag with flea inscecticide. It worked.

It is true that eggs can wait around for up to two years before they decide to hatch, so even though the immediate flea problem is gone, keep spraying and vacuuming even though you do not see any live fleas jumping around anymore.

Advantage is not working on my dog. Anyone currently having that problem?

Fleas build up an immunity to certain flea products over time. What used to work stops working. Our vet recommends alternating flea treatment products at least once each year, or when needed if the product you're using ceases to repel the fleas. In the climate where I live, fleas are a year round problem, and animals need continuous treatment to be flea-free. Try changing to one of the other types of flea preparations.

Chinchette, make sure you are using the right dose for your dog's weight,and be sure you are applying it exactly the number of days it says (28 or whatever). Otherwise, ask the vet about why it doesn't seem to be working.

Here's an odd situation. When we bought our house a couple of years ago we inherited two feral kittens and their mom. They stayed outside until the mom left and never returned. We trapped them to have them spayed but that was a very traumatic experience with us getting bitten and scratched up pretty badly through our gloves and clothing. We got our shots and everything is OK.

They both would come into the house to spend the night during the winter (San Jose area) and go out during the day. This worked out fine until the male sibling started spraying everything. Now he stays outside all the time and she has turned into an inside cat not even wanting to go outside probably because they don't get along any more. Through all this we have never been able to pet them or touch them in any way.

Now we have fleas and ticks that probably got here from a camping trip. We bought some bombs to set off but that doesn't help the cat. How do you flea dip a cat that you can't get close to? Is there a sedative you can buy over the counter that will knock out a cat while you bathe it? We don't want to go through the trauma of trying to catch and hold her. What options do we have?

"I have tried all the treatments. So far they do not work. Now. when I bomb they chill out on the ceiling until it is safe. "

Get better bombs ad use more of them.

It takes at least one per room, and more for larger rooms.

Take a day trip and set off all the bombs in the whole house (especially if it is two story) as you leave.

Wipe off the counters and run vacuum when you get home, then dispose of the bag immediately (ad change it outdoors).

You may need to do a repeat in about 1-2 weeks if the infestation is bad.

Oh, my dear, how I feel for you! I had a horrible flea infestation this summer when
Frontline Plus stopped working on my three cats. I've since switched to Revolution, which seems to be working fine. I also gave them Capstar, which is a miracle product; it gets rid of all the fleas on their bodies within a few hours.

Basically, I bought Sentry Home Household Flea and Tick Spray that Pet Smart recommended and sprayed all the baseboards and areas where I saw the fleas active. I had them in every room but one. I kept vacuuming and cleaning constantly. I emptied the vacuum after each use and also kept a flea collar in it. I also sprayed the undersides of furniture, in the cracks under the cushions, and in the seams of the fabric, where I could see the disgusting eggs or pupae forming.

You have to take action right away and don't give up. You'll get rid of them eventually. I just kept spraying the areas where I walked on the rugs and they jumped on me. Eeewww.

Here is a link that I found helpful during my battle.

Here is a link that might be useful: how to get rid of fleas

I have used Knockout spray for flea control in several places I've lived over the last 15 years. It has ALWAYS worked great. I have a 10 year old son and have had numerous pets and had no problems. Knockout kills all stages of fleas for up to 120 days so you don't have to worry about reinfestation.

One thing I do recommend is treating everything you can think of! And I do mean EVERYTHING! Make sure kids and pets are out of the house for a few hours (Knockout is safe once it has dried) then spray carpets, rugs, and undersides of furniture (beds, sofas, chairs). I also spray areas around doors and low windows on the outside of the home, making a "no flea zone" at entry points. Also spray the carpets of your vehicle so fleas you may pick up at other places don't survive transport to your home.

For really bad infestations I have sprayed Knockout on concrete garage floors, patios, and walkways around my home.

On the same day you spray you should also be washing and/or heat drying all bedding. 10-15 minutes in a medium/hot dryer will kill fleas in pillows, quilts, blankets, rugs, anything fabric that can be dried.

Kenmichelle, you might try catnip to mellow your kitty out. It will probably make her excited and goofy at first, but then she should become very relaxed, probably enough to allow you to do almost anything to her.

Oh, I'm so sorry you are going through this.

I've had fleas on and off over the last few decades (funny how some dogs never get a flea and others are just little fleabags...). Anyway, the best way to get rid of fleas permanently is to bomb the whole house with a good flea product, and then put down diotomaceous earth (DE).

DE is not poisonous, but can be dangerous if too much of it becomes airborne, since it can coat your lungs. So can baby powder, but millions of people have used baby powder without a problem. :) Just be careful when applying.

I didn't read all the responses so forgive me if someone mentioned this before. Hopefully, you're in a cold area. Cold kills fleas and their eggs. The exterminator told me that when my kids were young and I was concerned about 'bombing' the house. It worked. I brought the pets to the vet to have flea baths and while they were gone I opened the windows on a winter day and left the house for a couple of hours. When I came home I vacuumed every square inch of the house.
The exterminator told me 'cold and a vacuum' are the best defense against fleas.
Good luck.

I second the recommendation of DE. We brought bedbugs back from a vacation. We were getting chewed up until we dusted it around the house.

It works for a lot of other nasty insects. Ticks as well as fleas.

A link that might be useful:

www.dirtworks.net/Diatomaceous-Earth.html

We used DE for ants and it didn't work at all. We needed to use a lot of DE to even make the ants notice -- parts of our house looked like a frosted sugar cookie! Even then, the ants simply detoured around it. I also tried it in a plant pot when it developed fungus gnats (heavily applying it again) but no dice. It's safe to touch but not safe to breathe, be careful if you're using it on hard floors where it can be kicked up easily.

My advice is to use a flea bomb and weekly flea dips. You need to do more than just washing the cats/ferret/dog/what have you. Fleas are sneaky and will avoid the flea shampoo by running up onto the animal's head and gather where you can't apply it (around the animal's eyes, for instance.) The only way to get rid of a bad infestation is to go over with a flea comb and some tape (tape to capture the fleas once you comb them out.) Flea combing thoroughly everyday will make the biggest difference. And to the lady who can't handle her cat, you should talk to a groomer. They can do it for you and/or teach you how to do it.

This is an old thread, but read the directions on the typical 'flea bombs.'

It often takes a 'bomb' for each room, and more than one in larger rooms.

And you really need to do ALL the rooms at the same time or the fleas just move around.

Spraying the yard with malathion is also likely to be needed.

I have been bitten for a month now i thought its mosquito ive been showing it to mom. She said its mosquito. Until recently i found someting on my hand and my bed!. Then my sister said she also got bitten not in my room but at our living room infront of my room. Then i searched online since in Asia Bed Bug is rare and fleas is normal. I thought it was BB. Those creatures are nasty cruel restless insect ever! I panicked and cried didnt have enought sleep for a week. Plus im a dentistry student. Having exam almost every week and my bad bad day i found in internet that its fleas! 2 days before exam. Didnt study much T.T. how could i got fleas in my room. After hours of searching, i remembered my father told that around last month i left my room window opened and a stray cat went inside. Must be that bloody cat! Used to love cats now i feel like wanna pull out every fur they have! Im covered with wounds and fleas bites. Ive seal my carpet in plastic bags. What should i do now wash it first or vacuum it? And i want the fasters solution dont mind any deathly chemicals as long as i can kill them all. Been thinking of DE , igr , raid fleas spray. What should i do? Especially the clothes should i duster them with DE or wash them? And how to wash using what detergent? Ive fought against lice before that bloody parasite and i won! Haha!! Now im troubled again. I dont have pet btw.

Well, just read all comments in one sitting. Infestation is traumatic. Especially when inflicted by a third party. Been there. But should we be POISONING ourselves, families and pets? The use of chemicals, etc., and "dirt" not safe for breathing, is cause for alarm. Do we need look farther for causes of cancer, and other disease? Asthma? Autoimmune? In humans and our pets. I've had them all. And lost my pure white Maltipoo to mesothelioma! (Asbestos.) How was he contaminated? Don't know. Having read these stories, I am giving thanks to the Universe that my concerns today about the odd speck of flea dirt is nothing to complain about. And easy to spot. How did I get here?

WHITE ON WHITE: I love white. Warm whites, and cool: Floors, decor, linens, etc., it provides ME much needed brightness, greater opportunity for cleanliness - it shows dirt! including flea dirt! thus I clean and launder with passion. Place was spotless when my new wee white adopted Maltipoo pup, who takes a monthly flea pill - for now, arrived with fleas from Fresno - captured stray and wounded from streets, spared euthanasia thanks to rescue organization, healing has been a process. Her sensitive skin was angry. Her fleas were eradicated, quickly with vets help. How? Initially: one extra (chemical) flea pill was given. Initially 3 weekly baths with shampoo prescribed for her sensitive skin. After shampooing, rinsing, I would spray her with 50/50 diluted organic unfiltered apple cider vinegar - let it sit for 5 minutes, then rinse lightly. This calmed her skin. I've read it's widely used to eliminate fleas. (DO NOT SPRAY NEAR EYES) She gets super omega fish oils SUPPLEMENT about 4-5 times weekly. Instinct Raw Frozen DIET. GRAIN FREE. With the odd flea picked up on outings, I am guessing, I inspect daily, we are LUCKY! White bedding, towels and throws make it easy to spot evidence. And easy to remedy through laundry. Here's what works for us: NO chemical cleaners, sprays, etc., NONE.

LAUNDRY: WHITE VINEGAR (cleaning-strength) and PURE TEA TREE OIL added to each load. (Detergent: Nature Clean), Extra rinses. Hot dryer. Duvets too: both down and wool laundered with same method, several cycles in hot driers - fluffs up the feathers and wool. Works beautifully. Carpets removed. I make my own cleaning solution, using SAME white vinegar and tea-tree oil. (Using Nature Clean All Purpose Concentrate)

NO CHEMICALS. Goal is to eliminate that flea pill: Education. A work-in-progress.

If chemical cleaners and insecticide smells and inhalation don't make you sick (as they make me) think of the cumulative, long term impact. I deeply sympathize and empathize with everyone experiencing the trauma of infestation. Something experienced with my first dog who died too young (age 10) of cancer.

Vacuum everything and then get a flea spray that contains an "insect growth regulator."

You spray all the surfaces, furniture, floors and carpeting. What this spray does is prevent the flea eggs from hatching.

Fleas have a short life, lay tiny white eggs, and then die. If I recall, the spray may also kill existing fleas, but check the can.

It may take a few weeks, but the objective is to prevent any future fleas from hatching and laying more eggs.

The effect of the spray lasts about a year, but I suspect that, if you have no animals, you may never have to use this again.

i noticed one unexpected bonus. I had practically no more spiders in my house, so I suspect this stuff prevented them from hatching as well.

Squirrels can be loaded with fleas and as such continue to re-infect your premises. Watch your squirrels under the bird feeder. If you see one acting a little weird, for example, suddenly jumping up for no reason, quickly arching his back, or stop feeding to scratch, he likely has fleas and is reacting when bitten.

Your pets can pick up fleas if they visit the same area visited by infected squirrels. You can get a flea when you service the bird feeder if the squirrels have been there too. The danger is higher in warmer weather than during bitter cold.

I solved this by no longer feeding birds and squirrels in my back yard and only have a feeder near my window in the front yard where the squirrels seem to go next door to next in my neighbor's trees.

For some reason, our dogs have never picked up fleas from squirrels, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.