Flea problem :|

[vlf2012]

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Hi everybody

last saturday I moved into a lovely new house with a beautiful big garden for Milo, but ever since then we have found the dreaded critters! I did what I normally do and brushed him and gave him spot on, cleaned the house and carried on. A couple of days later there were tons on Milo (he was covered in bites the poor thing) so I gave him a quick flea bath, cleaned the house and carried on. Now im covered in flea bites, milos itchy and I cant understand why? Im thinking either 1. the garden has fleas - its a through way for cats they just strut through like they own the place 2. the previous owners had 2 dogs, 3 cats, a hamster and some birds.

Could it be possible that they are living outside? if so is there anything I can do to get rid of them? In the house i've hoovered down the radiators best I can but the nozzle won't fit down the back and I've washed all the curtains, hoovered everyday and mopped and brushed the floors daily.

Any help would be gratefully received as I don't think myself or poor milo can take anymore!

xx

 

[hanneroon]

hi there, does the new house have carpets?

Fleas can live outside, but not dog and cat ones i don't think. I have a problem at the mo with a hedgehog, i've created a little habitat for him near my compost heaps, and now i get bitten when i am down there , i'm very allergic to flea bites, and so this has become very annoying. I feel your pain/itchyness.

I know there was a real problem last year with resistant fleas might be worth a bell to your local pest control to ask for advice...

Years ago my friends moved into an infested house and were advised to get a cat, and treat the cat for fleas, like a sacrificial annode. I'm considering spot-on-ing myself!

Hannah

 

[BarrettBabies]

Hi

Keep hoovering house top to bottom and empty hoover straight away each time treat house with Vibac Indorex spray (this is stuff you buy at vets HOWEVER buy online local vets tried to charge me £18 you can buy it online for around £10).

The spot on stuff is that the supermarket stuff or the 'vet' flea treatment? We use virbac Effipro on dogs and cat again bought online for 1/2 price the vets sell it. When bathing I use fles comb while the shampoo is on and then when dry each day we have a little zapper comb that actually works., Eventually they will go

oh and if new home but previous owners carpets I would think about hiring a rug doctor machine (£20 for 24 hours and you can buy the shampoo in home and bargains) and deep cleaning all the carpets. We live in rented and have hired these out loads they are fab!

 

[hanneroon]

hi there. I read up a bit on fleas, and they can survive outside, in warm damp conditions, so depending where you are, they could be in the garden too, but i doubt it yet this year! Apparently clearing garden debris from around the vicinity of the house, and getting a bit of sun on things, mowing the lawn short etc can help. I went and tackled the area around my compo' heap today and tidied up a bit. It was steaming already tho, so i've definitley got warm damp conditions where i am, boo-hoo!

apparently you can make a home flea trap, by placing a lamp over a dish of soapy water on the floor in the infested room, the fleas investigate the warmth of the light and fall in the water and the soap sticks them to the surface! Bingo!

Barretbabies spot-on is the frontline one i think, (mine is that one) which is fipronil based. Now i'm off to see if there is a human safe one! Or should i treat the hedgehog??? My mozzy repellent did not work today, nor did tucking my socks in grrr!

 

[vlf2012]

hi there. I read up a bit on fleas, and they can survive outside, in warm damp conditions, so depending where you are, they could be in the garden too, but i doubt it yet this year! Apparently clearing garden debris from around the vicinity of the house, and getting a bit of sun on things, mowing the lawn short etc can help. I went and tackled the area around my compo' heap today and tidied up a bit. It was steaming already tho, so i've definitley got warm damp conditions where i am, boo-hoo!

apparently you can make a home flea trap, by placing a lamp over a dish of soapy water on the floor in the infested room, the fleas investigate the warmth of the light and fall in the water and the soap sticks them to the surface! Bingo!

Barretbabies spot-on is the frontline one i think, (mine is that one) which is fipronil based. Now i'm off to see if there is a human safe one! Or should i treat the hedgehog??? My mozzy repellent did not work today, nor did tucking my socks in grrr!

Well I did all of the above mentioned things yesterday - I rented a rug doctor, I vacced every carpet in the house again and mopped and brushed the floors - Ive actually resorted to bringing in pest control - I think im 99% sure now the infestation is in the garden. Milo had no fleas on him last night or this morning (I've been brushing and checking him daily) he came back in from the garden and he had 2-3 brand new very fast and alive fleas on him!!. I think the problem with my garden is its near lots of trees and its a cat haven

I read online put water and vinegar in a shallow dish and fleas are attracted to it, my house now looks very odd with flea dishes everywhere - no fleas in them though, which is good I know

xx

 

[hanneroon]

aaaw poor you and milo, there were a few herbal sort of remedies online too, home made rinses for your dog (like rosemary or lavender) that put the little critters off hitching a ride. If milo can stand smelling of rosemary! If you've got gaps round your floorboards i would hoover and spray them too...

But in the garden is a nightmare eh? Good luck, poor you, give milo a little pat from me and tell him he's got to scare the local cats away! x