Cat fleas?

Question

I think I either have springtails or cat fleas in my apt - my cat has been treated with frontline and I flea fogged the apt. I also had an exterminator in and the room in which they are most prominent, both I and the cat are staying out of. The apt is pre-war in NY - even after the exterminator the bugs came back. I've vacuumed them up, sprayed, and the exterminator is coming back on thursday. My bedsheets were laundered last time along with the duvet yet still these little pests are back. Any ideas for foolproof ways to get rid of a kinda mystery bug. (They're def not bedbugs or cockroaches on the say-so of the exterminator and from online pics they look to me to be springtails or fleas. About 3-5mm long and 1-2mm wide and jet black)

Answer 1

3-5 mm is large for a flea.

Answer 2

This depends on what kind he got. If he got a cheap kind, it won't work at all. Period. In fact, some of them are downright toxic and should be washed off the cat. The recommended spot-on treatments are Advantage, Frontline, and Revolution. Note: some cats are allergic to one or more of these products. it's not common but it has been known to happen. Watch your cat closely for the next few days after applying the treatment. If there is ANY sign of sickness, take her to a vet immediately. If you used one of those products, you should start seeing improvements within a couple of days. However, don't stop there. She needs a monthly dose of the stuff because the eggs that the fleas are laying now will be hatched and adults laying more eggs in a month's time. The only way to break that cycle is to flea-treat the cat every month. Treat your house too. If there are fleas on the cat, there are flea eggs in the carpet and on the furniture too. Your vacuum cleaner is your best friend in this situation. Vacuum daily. Flea eggs are not sticky and will get sucked right up. Flea larvae, however, ARE sticky and will not get vacuumed up so you will have to keep vacuuming until the flea cycle is broken. Empty your vacuum cleaner outside away from your house after each vacuuming. Flea larvae like to live in pet beds because they eat adult flea droppings. They depend on the pet to come there daily so the droppings can fall out of their fur and feed the larvae. Shake the bedding out outside away from the house each day. The larvae may stick to the bed, but you are shaking out its food when you do that. Starve them suckers! Lastly, if your cat has fleas, there is a very high chance she has worms too. Most fleas are infected and give it to the cat or dog when they bite. Best get your cat de-wormed.

Answer 3

If you have a dehumidifier, plug it in and keep it running. The fleas may have eggs hatching, which weren't killed by the exterminator. Dry air shrivels the eggs up and they die, so you can at least break that link in their life cycle.

Don't re-treat the cat, the Frontline is good for a month to 6 weeks.

Answer 4

Haven't a clue but they are not cat fleas... Cat fleas feed on your cat even if they jump off him.. they find him again and once they bite , and hes treated with front-line they die.. allow your cat to go all the places you think the fleas are.. CZ hes the exterminator for them. But other wise.. I'm lost on your bugs

Answer 5

well my guess is they are cat fleas and every time u open a window they can jump in if there is a cat present.remember fleas do jump from one animal to another.

Answer 6

Wash everything with dawn liquid dish soap, I know it sounds wierd but it kills fleas and eggs too. you can even give your cat a bath with it thats what i use!

Answer 7

what I suggest is that you vacuum a lot and empty the bag away from your apt...put down the powder and follow directions..if you vacuum a lot you should be okay..remember to empty the bag.