Flea problem, i recently noticed that we had a bad flea problem so i bought them frontline wich i cant put on?

Question

just yet b/c i bought this other brand, i bought them pills to kill the ones on him, bombs and spray to put everywhere, I bought this all from then vet. They were gone for about 2 days and now the eggs have hatched and they are everywhere again and i just spent $ 80 not even a week ago. What products can anyone reccomend that i can buy to get rid of these withought having to call the exterminator b/c i snuck my cats into my apartment. Thanks for the help!

Answer 1

Hi there...most likely you received Capstar which only kills fleas for 24 hours. I'd consider first contacting your vet to see when it is safe to apply Frontline.

For the home consider using Borax (used for laundry) found anywhere inexpensively. It contains the ingredient boric acid which the fleas ingest and instantly dehydrates them in minutes.

Here's an article on more how Borax works:
http://www.seedsofknowledge.com/fleas.html

Boric acid, which is in Borax , kills fleas and the larvae by dehydrating them--drying them out is how I understand it. You can go to a hardware and buy boric acid or pick up a box of Borax at the grocery store. If your area doesn't have it, ask around for a laundry aid that contains boric acid. Sprinkle it on the dry carpet, allow it to sit overnight if possible, then vacuum in the morning. Vacuum twice if you have to, then throw away the bag. If you aren't sure and your carpet is newer --I'd test a spot first to make sure it doesn't fade. You will have to repeat this every two weeks--to make sure you get them all. Keep up the steady vacuuming. It also might be easier to put the borax in an empty oatmeal or cornmeal container-then poke holes in the lid-then take the top to make sure it's secure, and sprinkle on that way. An extra option is to add 20-25 drops of an essential oil to the borax first---working it in with your hands (wear rubber gloves). Let it sit a couple of hours, then put in the container and sprinkle. You can use cedar, citronella, pennyroyal, lemongrass, rosemary, eucalyptus, and lavender. This is optional though...

An important note on essential oils. You'll find recipes online that suggest spraying pets...rubbing oils on them...etc. I do not recommend this. Unless you are an experienced herbalist it's not a good idea to use the oils on pets, especially cats. When you do use the Borax, with or without the oils, keep your pets away. You don't want them eating or rolling in the Borax. Make sure you vacuum it all up before letting them go in that area.

MORE FLEA TIPS FROM OFL VISITORS

I have used just plain table salt and it works great. Isn't dangerous to pets. It even helps to brighten the carpet. You need to repeat every couple of days tell you get all the eggs that hatch. It must dehydrate them too, I would think. ~Paula Barringer

I have tried all kinds of remedies for decades before finding one that works, safely! I now use Diatomaceous Earth diatomaceous earth, food-grade, and have for about a month. Applied it directly to all the cats and rubbed them well, and mixed about a half-teaspoon into "special food". Then sprinkled the stuff all over the bare floors, swept it into the cracks, on the furniture, in the drawers, wherever fleas might hide. Liberally applied and then mixed it into the sand all around the house. It also dehydrates like borax, but with one big difference-DE is non-toxic, it will also kill the parasites caused by flea-infestation. Wear a cloth mask to avoid inhaling it-dries the mucus cavities right out. Apply lotion or oil to hands after washing them.

The first week I'd follow this regiment daily. The outdoor cats were treated more often, as they'd roll in the sand, disperse the DE and collect more fleas. By the middle of the second week I only had to do the cats every two days, the house continued to get a daily sprinkle. I added a bit of DE to one meal for a week then did it every two days and now once a week. It is now a month later, the cats are back to their familiar roosts. DE was the only thing I'd found that could be and was used on infant animals, was chemical-free and completely non-toxic. ~Shaggylord, Adirondack Mountains

Answer 2

So why can't you apply the frontline? If the pills you gave were capstar, that only works for 24 hours! frontline can be applied immediately. If you used a different topical solution, then you must wait minimally 3 weeks, ideally 4 weeks. Frontline takes care of all stages of the flea life cycle. If you properly used all products in your home, you should be flea free, BUT if the pet is not protected, they can get re-infested easily. Also, highly infested homes may need a second treatment. Bombs don't work. They burst into the air like a cloud of smoke and the fumes drop down, never getting behind the curtains, under the couch, along cracks and the floorboards, under furniture, etc. Make sure the spray you use has an Insect Growth Regulator (IGR) like Nylar in it. Good luck.

Answer 3

You have to vaccuum everywhere every day for a few weeks. Get every nook and cranny. It's a good idea to bathe the cat in the flea shampoo that will also kill the eggs. Frontline line along with a flea collar should do the trick. It is hard to put on, but not getting flea bites is soooo worth it. Fleas can pass disease on to humans so I would take care of this ASAP. BTW, after you vaccuum you have to get rid of the vaccuum bag or empty the canister and get it out of your apartment fast.

Answer 4

You should be able to use Frontline on your cat. We used Advantage on our cats when 8mth old Pepper literally walked in our door and our lives along with her "flea friends". We gave all 3 cats a bath with a good flea & tick shampoo, put the Advantage on them and then went out for a walk with them for 3 hours while we bombed the whole apartment. Came back and the cats chilled in the car for another hour (they loved being in the car!) while my husband vaccuumed the entire apartment and opened all the windows to air it for any residue fumes. We always also kept a flea & tick spray for the carpet handy which we used everyday after that for a week to make sure no parasites survived. Just spray on the carpet, leave in for five minutes and vaccuum. Just make sure to do it room by room and the kitties are not allowed in there for at least half hour after that, just in case. Never had a flea problem after that - and Sage was such an outdoor cat. Good luck!

Answer 5

frontline works for the eggs the other brand will kill the fleas when they bite the animal. most exterminators will tell you to just get frontline. The pills work for right away then you have to use the frontline give your cat a bath then use the front line but you won't see total results for like 2 weeks

Answer 6

I put dawn in a pie pan with water ,then but my desk light over the soapy water on the floor.it will get a lot of fleas,the heat will make them want to jump in, I went to walmart and got enforcer flea killer powder for carpets,have let it stay on for 3 days and it seems to be working along with the dawn.
wash the cats in dawn too,it works.

Answer 7

Seriously, you have to bomb your apartment more than once. One time just isn't enough to get rid of the fleas.

Answer 8

skin so soft is a myth, only makes your cat greasy and if it did work it would only work against mosquitos.

Keep frontline on your cat year round even if she is an indoor cat.

Answer 9

I would try using Avon's skin so soft on your pets continually and yourself. As far as your apartment, I'm not sure. Sorry

Answer 10

try be gone spray it's for flees and ear mites