how long can fleas live in a home with no carpet?

Question

we just got a kitten from friends of ours, we only had him for a couple of hours before we noticed that he had a flea infestation. i went to the store and bought something called hartz onespot that kills eggs , and hartz control flea collar that apparently starts working immediately. after a few hours with the collar on there where still fleas apparent, is our apartment infested? what do we have to do?

Answer 1

OH NO! Please remove that flea collar immediately!! NEVER, NEVER, NEVER use pesticides on a kitten. The best way to remove fleas from a kitten is to give them a bath (must be at least 8 weeks of age) and then to comb out the flea dirt. There are certain topical treatments that are safe to use on kittens, but you must obtain these from a veterinarian, and truth be told, I would NEVER do it myself. Kittens are just like babies. They have weak immune systems and their health is fragile. Fleas have no desire to hang out in carpets. They will starve and die. They need a host (your cat) to survive. Please bathe your cat and remove that topical spot treatment because it is probably not safe for you kitten. Do a search for kitten flea treatment on Yahoo Answers. There are a ton of posts already on this topic.

Answer 2

Hartz is just a waste of time and wont do much good...Advantage by Bayer is very good....one liquid treadment to the top of the neck once a month is very effective, and will prevent fleas from reproducing...in the meantime, get a special flea comb, and find and kill the fills....its best with 2 people, as the fleas are extrmeley fast and will jump back on the animal...the advantage is available at most vet shops...shop around for the best price...we paid $37 for 6 monthly treatments, but some vets wanted $65

Answer 3

First of all over the counter flea medications don't work and can actually be harmful to your new pet. You need to get something from the vet to work. Also, here is something I just read about where fleas can live:

Eggs hatch in two days to two weeks into larvae found indoors in floor cracks & crevices, along baseboards, under rug edges and in furniture or beds. Outdoor development occurs in sandy gravel soils (moist sand boxes, dirt crawlspace under the house, under shrubs, etc.) where the pet may rest or sleep. Sand and gravel are very suitable for larval development which is the reason fleas are erroneously called "sand fleas."

I don't necessarily think your apartment is infested I just think the collar you bought is not working cause flea collars do not work. My vet told me this and I found it to be true after combing my cat with a flea comb right underneath his flea collar and found tons of fleas.

I get revolution for my cats from the vet and it works great. It kills all the fleas and they stay gone for a month.

I would recommend getting something from the vet for the kitten and then just cleaning the apartment and everything should be fine.

Answer 4

Hi there...first I would like to mention that the Hartz product line has been known to be harmful for animals. A class action suit have been filed against the corporation on behalf of many animals who have died or have been severly injured as a result of their product. See link below for more detailed information. A local vet can provide some strong flea-killing agent that is effective when used as directed. I'll also include a link on how to best manage fleas as well.

Answer 5

fleas can take over your entire house. take kitten to vet for flea treatment.
and then start vacuuming every single minute you get the chance
and flea spray for floors seems to work too
but be sure it isnt the kind that causes seizures in kittens
it can cost thousands of dollars to treat you apartment if infested.
maybe you should consider moving.

Answer 6

Forever - - - fleas live where they please - - - back of baseboards, in the cracks of an old linoleum floor, every where - - - try white vinegar on bseboars and walls.