My mom had guests for a weekend that brought their dog with, a few weeks back. Now she has SO many fleas in her house it's crazy ( and gross)!
When we have gotten flea's in the house from our pets we always retreated the dogs and it killed all the fleas with out having to do extra work. Well she doesn't have that option ( well she did, we offered her our dog for the week, but she didn't like that idea lol).
My grandpa lives with my mom and is VERY sensitive to chemicals, powders stuff like that and doesn't leave the house very often anymore. While its not impossible for grandpa to leave for a couple hours its just harder now. mom is worried to try a bomb and then to be able to get back to clean the house up before he got home. She also doesn't want to hurt his breathing ( he gets pneumonia at the drop of a hat).
I talked to the vet on Friday and went to Petco this weekend to ask for suggestions and they all said that a bomb is the best option.. I was wondering if any of you had any other tricks up your sleeve that is tried and true to help getting rid of fleas with out a pet present or using the harsh bombs?
Thank you.
I have been told to vacuum daily and empty the canister after use also vacumm the furniture.I don't know if I have fleas but my ankles are getting bitten I see these teeny tiny black bugs,they resemble fruit flys that i'll catch but then they jump.We have zero animals.So I don't know what these are but i'm the only one who is getting bite by these darn things.
The bomb is really the only option. Are you close by where they can come to your home, or another family member's for the day? Yes, it's a tough option - I recall my mom doing the same at her house when my grandmother was in her late 80's and also very frail. But it's the only way to really conquer the fleas - their reproduction cycle is something like 7 - 9 days so it doesn't take long before the house can be overcome. All the natural options really don't work and *might* repel them but won't eradicate them.
Edit because I don't think DE is good for your grandpa if he has a lot of breathing issues. You can tell your mom to vacuum, vacuum, vaccum everywhere and everything - the beds, the rugs, the sofa - and then throw out the bag. Do this often (at least weekly, if not more).
When my indoor cat got out and brought home fleas, the only way I could get the fleas out of the house was to bomb the house. Inconvenient, maybe, but I'm sure you can find something to do for a few hours while the house is being treated. The kind I used was by raid and it was the kind you put a little can in a cup of water and it releases a gas-like bug repellent. Doesn't really smell strong but opening the windows helps to air things out afterward and I didn't notice residue. Sorry I don't have other suggestions. It worked for me, though.
Bomb the house.
It's the I ly thing that will really work.
Your mom won't have to "clean" afterward, just ventilate.
Good luck!
(P.S. this should also be repeated about 3 days later.)
Okay - most of the people on here have recommended bombing the house and I agree that it is probably the best - do-it-yourself option. But I am recommending actually having a professional come out and treat your house. The reason I'm asking this is they deal with this kind of thing regularly. They will have something that is safe around people with your grandfathers sensitivities. They deal with this kind of problems all the time, pet, kid, health problems - they have the ideal product for each.
Other than bomibing the only thing I would recommend is Mycodex Household Spray - works great and is safe and you only have to leave the room for a short period while it settles not for hours. The only drawback is that it does have an odor that sets off some allergies in some people I know so I don't think it would be a great option for your grandfather.
The only non-chemical solution I have ever tried is Diatomaceous Earth (which is the microscopic shells of some prehistoric ocean animal - but they are so tiny and irritating that they scratch the fleas and the fleas dehydrate and die). Anyway, I have heard that's not good to use in a household with someone with respiratory issues, so you may want to research that a little bit... but the way I've done it is to sprinkle the DE on the carpet, wait a little while, and then vacuum it up.
But like I said, with grandpa's respiratory problems, that may not be the best solution. Honestly, if grandpa can get out of the house for a few hours, a bug bomb might be best. Then just open windows afterwards, and vacuum like crazy.
Vacuum then throw the bag away.
I use a spray product that i get from my vet that contains Siphotrol. It kills adult fleas and breaks the egg cycle so they cannot hatch.
I spray my house in "zones" by closing off one room and spraying it. I let is sit for 4 hours to overnight, then open it and air it out.
My son has asthma and it is not always possible to evacuate the house every time my pets bring fleas in. :)
I have dealt with fleas a few times... YEARS ago, I bombed the house. Just a few years ago when I had them, I had to treat all 9 of my cats (a BIG pain to do, but luckily you don't have to do that) and I vacuumed 2 times a day... EVERYWHERE! And you have to empty the can or bag every single time you vacuum, seal it in a plastic bag and throw it out. I also used Raid Flea and egg killer spray and sprayed the furniture and floors. And make sure you vacuum underneath things too. Fleas like dark places. And when a flea egg hatches, the pupa (I think that is what it''s called) will crawl into a warm, dark area like the folds in furniture or bury itself under a rug area, etc. It takes a while but you must be on top of it every day!Don't remember how long it took me but I may have been at it about 2 weeks. Look up flea infestation on Google.
Look up natural flea removal. sprinkle salt on carpets and let sit for a few hours then vacuum up. The salt dries up the fleas. Also set paper plates w/ salt or it may have been salt/baking soda under furniture.
Wash blankets or other washable fabrics the fleas may be in.
it takes some work but was safe for us to do with an infant.
