HELP!!!!! Um, I have a major flea problem what do I do?

Question

At first I didn't know what it was, I thought it was just a lot of dirt my cat brought in from outside, but then one day I found a flea on my chest and it bit me. So I flipped out and did research online. I found out that there is a test that you d. You take a paper towel and you wet it with the stuff on it. Wait a few seconds and if it disolves into swirls and it lookes like there is blood around it then you have fleas. AND MINE DID I HAVE THOUSANDS OF FLEAS ON MY BED AND AROUND THE HOUSE HELP!!!!!!!

Answer 1

Well...

If you've found one flea on you and black specks about it's not likely you have thousands of fleas. Thousands of fleas really is like something from a horror movie and if you walk across your carpet in white socks you'll see them jump on your socks to get to you.

Chances are you have too many (one is too many!) but not quite to that scary level. The non-moving black specks you're seeing is flea dirt, basically flea crap once they've ingested blood. It's icky but not a flea...just a sign of fleas.

Don't panic but you have to take action right now to keep it from getting worse!

Tonight, put a night light in a wall outlet near the floor and put a wide bowl of water with a drop or two of soap in it under the light. Leave it on all night, fleas will jump toward the light and land in the bowl and stay there. This will give you a good idea of how many are in the carpets and such.

You've two routes, chemical and natural. Chemicals include spray on flea killers and shampoos, flea bombs and the like. Bombing the house will kill them but remember you have to be OUT of the house before you can set them off and you're putting chemicals everywhere. If you do the flea shampoo get one that is cat safe as cats lick themselves and ingest the flea killing chemicals and can get sick if it's not made for cats.

I like to use a flea comb on cats, it's a fine toothed comb that the fur slides through but fleas and flea dirt from the cat. I keep a cup of water near by with a little bit of flea killing shampoo mixed in. When I combed out a flea I drop it into the cup. Pay extra attention to the cat's belly, armpits and base of their tail but if she's infested they'll crawl everywhere. If you bathe her, you'll even see them running up to hide on her face where you aren't putting the shampoo!

Also think about getting her some sort of flea collar. They have spot on flea treatments but I've never liked the over the counter ones. Go for the actual collar but look for one that says it kills fleas AND eggs as this will break the lifecycle. Every flea that bites her only lays sterile eggs and you keep from getting swarmed. If she is an outside cat... look for a collar with a breakaway latch so if she's climbing and the collar gets stuck she won't hang herself.

So you got the sprays and the collars and the shampoos... all fine and dandy but they can sometimes add up to a LOT of money.... and they have chemicals in them. There is a super cheap anti-flea option that works almost as good if not better.

Go to the store to the laundry soap section and look for Borax , you want 100% pure borax. It's a natural product but it kills fleas. I've heard it's because it blocks their air holes or because it cracks their cases both all I know is it kills them. Sprinkle it down on the carpets, you can leave it over night or longer! and vaccum up. Do not get it into pets or your eyes as it is abrasive. A large box generally only costs a few dollars and you can sprinkle all the carpets in your house. Add in some lavender and or pennyroyal (used as a natural flea repellent since the days of old Rome!) and it works even better.

I like to use a combination of both the borax and a collar and a flea comb. The flea comb gets the adult fleas off your cat, the collar breaks the lifecycle if it kills eggs and the borax will get the buggers hiding in the carpet. Keep after it, might take a few days, but you'll win out in the end.

Good luck!

Answer 2

Okay... wash those sheets in very hot water. Buy some Borax laundry powder... sprinkle this all over the house ... including the closets. Sweep it in well... it won't stain. Let it set a day, then sweep up and repeat. . You may have to this three or four times. Also, bathe the cat in Dawn dish washing liquid... let that sit on her a couple of minutes. Then, get Frontline or Advantage from PetsMart or your vet and treat her ... it will start working immediately. You can also massage olive oil into her skin and that will kill fleas.. and give her silky soft skin. You can win this battle...good luck!

Answer 3

that is TERRIBLE.

Confine the CAT or any other animals, treat with GOOD flea and tick reppeler... PLEASE ORDER FROM 1800 pet meds if you cannot go or afford a VET! Hertz and brands your find at the supermarket are not that strong.

CLEAN EVERYTHING! I would suggest getting the spray.. it comes in a bottel like febreeze... it is for beds, couches, carpets...

Throughly VACCUM every dang surface you can.. couches, beds.. carpet... walls... and SANITIZE other areas... remove all covers / blanktes sheets from beds and furniture and wash IN HOT WATER!

When you empty your vaccuum... do it OUT OF THE HOUSE>.. so they dont jump on something else.. If your vaccuum has bags... TOSS IT RIGHT AWAY , they like to live in there and jump off in other rooms....



If there is a serious infestation I would consider getting rid of the pets ,cleaning your home... may be requierd a few times...

Answer 4

Fleas are aggressive and annoying pests- at best.

Wash everything that's washable to drown them. While you're doing that, sprinkle your house and furniture liberally with borax. Let the borax sit about 20 minutes, then vacuum it up, and keep vacuuming every day for at least two weeks. Also, have your cat dipped so no more will be hiding on her: Fleas make cats miserable too.

Good luck!

Answer 5

Your best bet is to call Terminix or Orkin because when it comes to getting rid of flea infestation, the job is bigger than you can handle. Don't waste your money on "bug bombs" as they are just a waste of time & money. An expert needs to come to your home & spray inside & out. They will get rid of the "eggs" that you can't see. The chemicals are not strong smelling whatsoever, & they know their job. It doesn't cost that much for a house call, so make the call now.

Answer 6

I'd get some flea medicine for your cat, then get some flea bombs and make a day to bomb your house.

Answer 7

First get the exterminator and take a bath in flea soap.

Answer 8

Frontline house-spray and frontline drop on the neck treatment for your cat.Its only available from your vet surgery. It's expensive but its the only way.

Answer 9

Hire an exterminater

Answer 10

bomb your house you can get at walmart. turn pilot light off, and unplug fridge set off bombs and leave for two hours. go to vet get advantage, and flee shampoo. and you will need to treat your yard....good luck.