When it comes to fleas, you should always be “concerned”.  As you know, flea problems can be a nightmare. To avoid another fiasco, get some FLEA TRAPS set up. They’ll work for you night and day and no doubt will catch fleas way before a full blown problem gets established. That being said, if you’re only finding 1-2 fleas in the trap per month, I would follow the treatment schedule you’ve been on. 1-2 fleas would be “normal” for any pet owner – especially during flea season – and finding a flea on any pet that goes outside doesn’t mean you’ve got a new situation that needs treatment.

But if you “all of  sudden” noticed 2-3 fleas in one week, I’d consider doing something. Surges are usually a sign something is developing inside the home. Since you’re pets seem to be protected, its not likely they’re dropping healthy flea larvae or eggs. That means if something was to develop in the home, it would have to be happening in an area you’ve not treated. And several flea traps set throughout the home will no doubt help to alert you should a new problem start to develop and based on what flea traps capture the fleas, you should be able to isolate the area needing treatments.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Flea Traps:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/electric/flea-trap

Flea Control Article:  http://www.flea.net/flea-control

More on Flea problem?

If you read our FLEA CONTROL ARTICLE, you’ll learn fleas will gladly hitch a ride on any person that comes close to them. So if you have cats living under your house with fleas, they no doubt forage around the house and when they do, fleas will dispersed everywhere they go. In other words, they’ll be dropping flea eggs, pupae and adults where they walk. And this means when you pass a location where they’ve been, you no doubt will be in the range of getting a flea to jump on you.

At this point the flea will stay with you as long as they’re comfortable. So when you go inside, they’ll probably stick on you till you relax on a chair or couch or bed. So seeing them in your bed is no surprise and to be expected as long as you have cats living under the house and no flea treating is being done outside where it no doubt most matters.

To stop the problem, you’ll have to treat the key nesting locations (where the fleas are reproducing). This is true whether you get rid of the cats or not. You see, fleas will most likely thrive where a bunch of cats are living but they don’t need them to survive; they’d do fine on their own. So even if you were to remove the cats, you’ll still have the fleas and you’ll still have to treat. This is why almost half of our customers are people who don’t have pets!

So how do you need to treat? Several options listed in our article could be employed given your situation. For starters, I’d get as much of the are under the home treated. If you cannot access the area directly, use a HOSE END sprayer to spray the ESFENVALERATE and NYLAR. Do this every month and once the problem is under control, you can move to a once a quarter treatment so they don’t return.

For the home, I’d start with nothing more than some FLEA TRAPS. This way you can monitor the activity inside to determine if you do in fact have to treat. In our article we talk about vacuuming hardwood floors as a sure way to get rid of any adults, eggs and pupae so if you follow that regime, you should be able to keep them under wraps without having to spray. But if your traps start picking up more than 1-2 fleas a week, it would mean you’ve got something happening inside which would warrant a treatment.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Flea Control Article: http://www.flea.net/flea-control

Hose End Sprayer:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/sprayers/gilmour-20g-390

Esfenvalerate:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/conquer-esfenvalerate

Nylar:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/igr/igr-nylar

Flea Trap: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/electric/flea-trap

You could have a flea infestation. And what I mean by “could” is that yes, fleas could be reproducing in the home. As you no doubt you understand from reading our article that fleas will commonly infest carpeting and furniture. Once this starts it’s safe to say you’ll have fleas and most definitely a flea infestation but the one thing I can also say about a flea infestation is that one can usually tell. That means if they’re actively living and breeding in your home, it would be easy to find one. Heck, it would be easy to find a lot! And here’s how you can try.

Simply put on a pair of white socks and walk around the home for a while. Do this on a day you plan on being around the house for a few hours. Don’t wear shoes but instead just the socks. No doubt any pupae waiting for a blood meal will hatch at some point or any adults in the living space will surely jump on you and if you’re wearing a pair of long white socks, they’ll end up getting stuck in the fabric and will be easy to see.

Why? Because fleas aren’t active only at night.  They’re active all the time. So that means if you’re experiencing something only when you’re on or in the bed, this pattern could be duplicated anytime of day. And to see if they’re in fact fleas doing the biting, try the white sock approach.

I also recommend setting out some FLEA TRAPS. These will work even better than a pair of white socks because they’ll work 24/7. So if you do in fact have fleas developing in the living area, one of these two approaches will alert you to the problem and from there, you can decide what to do.

The one mistake you don’t want to make is to assume you have fleas because you find some kind of skin irritation. There are so many things that can cause a skin irritation and randomly thinking one insect or another will not prove logical in solving the problem. So for now, you need to find  an insect of some kind before you do any kind of treating. This will enable you to use the right product applied at the right location. More importantly, it will insure you actually need to treat in the first place.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Flea Traps:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/electric/flea-trap

Flea Control Article:  http://www.flea.net/flea-control

We have been dealing with a flea problem with our small dog and in our house for over 3 weeks. We first discovered several fleas on her over three weeks ago – I can’t be quite sure how long she had them. We immediately gave our dog a bath in flea shampoo but still saw fleas return to her immediately. We haven’t dealt with this before so weren’t sure how to handle and thought that would be enough – boy we were wrong!

After they returned, I then started by washing bedding (and anything she came into contact with), vacuuming the entire house from top to bottom, gave her another flea bath and treated her with Frontline. We still saw them return a few days later. We repeated this cycle three times.

We then got her an appointment to get a flea dip and while she was out of the house we did a flea bomb/fogger in our home – upstairs and downstairs. Left it the appropriate amount of time and then aired out the house and came back home with our dog.

That was this weekend and today (Monday) we just found a few more fleas on the dog! We are at our wits end and aren’t sure what to do.

We would appreciate any advice you can give us on where to go next as we thought a flea bomb was kind of a last resort and should solve the issue. We really just want to be rid of the fleas for once and for all.

Thank you!

For starters I suggest you read through our FLEA CONTROL ARTICLE. This will help you understand just what’s happening in your home. It’s pretty obvious you have Flea Pupae throughout the home and they’re hatching. This is perfectly normal and to be expected. But if you don’t deal with them directly by treating the carpets and flooring, this problem will go on and on.

In our article you’ll learn that all the vacuuming is actually helpful but not until you have something like our ONCE A YEAR FLEA POWDER applied. You’ll also learn that total release aerosol’s aren’t going to offer much help either so save your money and time by skipping that process. All they do is spew chemical all over the home which is a huge waste. And since Flea Pupae will be hatching withing a day of using them anyway, you’ll find the fleas returning indefinitely until you have something in place that will control the eggs and larvae like our Flea Powder. So for the best overall treatment option, go with the Once A Year Powder. It’s odorless, easy to apply and works.

Lastly, at some point in time you should get some FLEA TRAPS installed since they’ll both alert you to any new activity as well as help to get flea pupae to hatch. Flea Traps won’t solve an infestation but they no doubt can help make the process of getting rid of them manageable.

Also in our article you’ll learn about just how long this can go on; sorry to be the one letting you know but on average, most homes will take 4-8 weeks to get under control once fleas are active. And this is after it’s been properly treated. So even though it’s been three weeks for you and the current problem, I’m afraid this could easily go on for another couple of months because only until it’s been properly treated will this vicious cycle end.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Flea Control Article:http://www.flea.net/flea-control

Flea Pupae:  http://www.flea.net/flea-control#pupae

Once  A Year Flea Treatment:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/first-defense-20-ounce-jar

Flea Traps:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/electric/flea-trap

We have been using this bi-weekly and treating our cat monthly with revolution. I have not seen a live flea in a few weeks but I do see bite marks on my children and myself. I know it is finally slowing down. I guess my question is if we are doing the right things (treating the home-spraying everywhere by moving furniture and our indoor cat), how long do you think it will take to be gone with it? We let our cat roam everywhere and we’re in each room daily. It is so much work, just want them gone for good.

Based on the information you’ve provided, I would expect your problem to last around 3-6 more weeks. I say this because from what you included in your message, it would appear that you’re doing most everything you can and that you’re making positive progress. Your pet is still in the area, you’ve treated the home, you’ve treated the pet and for now, you seem to be content in letting the products do their thing. At this time it’s anyone’s guess just how many pupae are still left in your home developing and getting ready to hatch. And as our article explains, this is important.

Now in case you didn’t yet read up on the FLEA CYCLE, I suggest you do so. In this reading you’re learn about the four stages of fleas along with how we’re able to get quick control three stages but not all four. In fact it’s that third stage, the FLEA PUPAE, which enables the flea to be so persistent and problematic. And I’m sure it’s this third stage you’re still dealing with for the time being. The good news is if the products that have been applied to the pet and home were used properly, no new fleas should be developing. And in the end, this is critical if you want to break the life cycle of this pest.

Regarding the flea bites you and your kids are still seeing; it’s quite possible this will continue to happen for the next few weeks as the last of the pupae hatch. As our reading explains, the pupae will only hatch when they sense a target and people will no doubt provide a good blood meal for any flea. But since there isn’t a lot of good areas for a flea to live on a person, they commonly hatch onto a person, bite and leave. In the end the only evidence they leave is the bite mark. Unfortunately this will continue to happen until the last of the pupae hatch but again, if they’re not able to successfully develop in the home or on the pet, pupae hatching won’t matter. They’re just a pain you’ll need to deal with for a short time but soon they too should be gone.

Now once they jump off you and onto the floor, the treatments you stated are in place should handle the rest so in theory, they should not be able to repopulate.

Hope this helps and better explains what to expect regarding this nasty pest. In closing, you may want to get some FLEA TRAPS installed throughout the home. These do a wonderful job of monitoring the premises so should a flea problem begin to develop, you can see evidence of it long before it becomes a major ordeal.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Flea Life Cycle:  http://www.flea.net/flea-control#flea_cycle

Flea Pupae:  http://www.flea.net/flea-control#pupae

Flea Traps:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/electric/flea-trap

My first question is that if there are no fleas in a trap and it has been 3 weeks does that mean that room has no fleas? No. FLEA TRAPS are a great tool to help monitor and even reduce local populations. But their range is limited. If you don’t catch any fleas for 4 days, move the trap 10-15 away from where it’s been and repeat the process. Only after you’ve moved them throughout the entire house for 8 weeks with no fleas having been caught can you safely know they’re done. But the key here is that during these 8 weeks, you will have been moving the traps as described above and not just letting them stay in one position.

Second question is … could we take the fleas on our clothes and have someone elses home infested or our car? Yes. Since 25-40% of our customers are people who don’t have pets, it’s clear that fleas will jump onto a person, take a blood meal and then lay eggs where this person resides. So it only stands to reason that if you had a flea hitching a ride on you during a trip to the other part of your home or even during a visit to someone elses home, you could carry a pregnant flea. But remember, the reverse is true. In other words, anyone that enters your home or your car could do the same whether they own a pet or not.

Third and final question is that we are planning on steam cleaning the carpet and have gotten mixed opinions on whether to do it or not, will it help? Steam cleaning will definitely help the fleas but not the “flea problem”. In other words, fleas need moisture. And when you steam clean your carpet, you’ll be both destroying all the chemical you’ve applied as well as added moisture to where they live. The end result is that they’ll be able to develop faster and thrive. So yes, steam cleaning will help the fleas. But my guess is you were asking if it would help stop the flea problem and the answer to that question is no.

…and if we do treat the carpet/area rugs can we put powders (fleasbuster) down afterwards? How dry does the carpet have to be? It needs to be completely dry. On average, it will take 1-2 weeks for the carpet to dry enough before any ONCE A YEAR FLEA GRANULES can be applied.

Also, if we do steam clean the carpet does that mean fleas will hatch sooner and we can come home to a swarm of fleas afterwork? There is no way to tell whether there will be a surge or not. Surging populations are dependent on when the pupae are ready to hatch so if there are lots of fleas ready to hatch following a steam cleaning then yes, you’ll see more.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Flea Traps:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/electric/flea-trap

Once a Year Flea Treatment:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/first-defense-20-ounce-jar

Flea Control Article:  http://www.flea.net/flea-control

If you read through our FLEA CONTROL ARTICLE, you’ll learn fleas don’t want to be on people other than to bite and once they get their blood meal, they’ll leave. So where do they go? Usually a dog, cat or some other animal. And though fleas can get on your clothing, they won’t stay on it. So there is no need to wash your clothing other than what you normally do.

As for fleas living in your bed; this doesn’t happen either. Fleas live on host animals which will be an animal and though they can get in a bed, they’ll quickly die if they don’t get onto a mammal of some kind. So there is no need to wash or do anything to your bed or bedding other than what you would do normally.

Now will the fleas move with you to your new home? Not likely. But as our article explains, it only takes one flea to infest a house so if you don’t pre-treat it with one of the flea control options listed in our article, the risk will be there. Since 25-50% of our customers are people who don’t own pets, it’s clear to us that any home can develop a flea problem. And if you’re moving from a location which had a flea problem, the potential for a new problem to develop is no doubt enhanced. To prevent this from happening, I suggest doing some spraying or the ONCE A YEAR TREATMENT we have listed in our article since it’s so easy.

Flea Control Article:  http://www.flea.net/flea-control

Once A Year Treatment:  http://www.flea.net/flea-control#once-a-year-treatment

 My husband and I recently uthenized our dog and two weeks later we start getting bites and come to the realization that we have fleas.

I had no idea that our dog had fleas, I think that she did not have fleas as we just moved into a new house a year ago and I’m thinking the fleas were here previously none the less we now have fleas.

My husband and I vacuumed the house upside and down and the next day we had a Pest Control service person come in and spray the house. They used a growth regulator and some other type of chemical that gets rid of fleas. The next day I found a flea again so I called them and they came back again 2 days later. Next day my husband and I vacuumed the house again and I am still finding fleas. While we do not have a huge infestation I have seen 2 fleas in the past two days they are still here.

I have a 8 month old baby and thank goodness they are not biting her only me mostly it seems and my husband a little.

I am now using salt on the rugs. We have no carpet in our home we have hardwood everywhere and laminate in the basement but I do have rugs. I am planning on vacuuming again tomorrow and perhaps buying flea bombs as well and trying to purchase some other products that you have suggested.

I have a few questions:

Is this ever going to go away? I feel like a prisoner in my home to a flea.

Do I have to wash every piece of clothing, curtains etc in my home?

Should I ask for my money back from the Pest Control service?

I would appreciate your input.

Thank you so much.

If you read through our FLEA CONTROL ARTICLE you’ll learn more about what is happening. Basically it’s the flea pupae (third stage of the flea) that’s causing all the issues. Since there is no pet around for them to target, they will all end up on any people present. In most cases this will be one of the local residents and for the time being, it seems like you are their prime target. As our article explains, this is quite normal. Generally it’s the woman in the house that bears the brunt of the flea attacks once a pet is removed.

More importantly, since there is no way to kill them (flea pupae that is), there is no need to keep spraying which isn’t safe for you or your baby. No doubt a good treatment was needed and from what you included in your message above, it would appear that there has been plenty of material applied so I would refrain from any more treatments for the near future. As for your questions and what to do? Here is my response.

First, the problem will in fact go away. Since fleas only live a short while, the pupae will eventually run out and with a good treatment in place, there is no way any flea eggs can develop so in theory the local flea cycle should be broken. Normally this will take 2-4 weeks; in bad cases 4-8 weeks.

Second, there is no need to wash anything beyond what you normally would do.

Third, whether you ask for your money back from the service company your hired or not is a personal decision. If they told you they’d treat once and you’d never see another flea, then you might consider going that route. Of course this would be a huge mistake on their part and risky to say the least because most any “real” flea infestation will take time to run it’s course and it’s perfectly normal for the customer to see more following any treatment. And in cases where the pet is no longer present? These are no doubt the worse.

Lastly, there is a couple of things you should do to help get the rest of the flea pupae to hatch out. The first is continue to vacuum. As our article explains, this will get the pupae to hatch and in the end, this is what you need to happen for the problem to “run out” and be done. You should also install several FLEA TRAPS around the home. These will also get the pupae to hatch because the pupae will perceive the trap as a small animal that’s laying on the ground. Flea Traps will help collect any rogue fleas as well as get the pupae to hatch and by making the trap the target instead of yourself, you can no doubt break the cycle with a lot less fleas bothering you or your family. I also suggest you read our Flea Control article so you can better educate yourself regarding this pest. Knowing what to expect will make dealing with the problem a lot easier. Good luck!

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Flea Traps:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/electric/flea-trap

Flea Control Article:  http://www.flea.net/flea-control

Welcome to the world of pet ownership! I’m not sure if this is your first pet or not but for starters, I suggest you read through our FLEA CONTROL ARTICLE which will explain this pest in great detail. As you’ll learn, there is a great chance of a problem developing in your home if you leave it untreated. For this reason, I suggest you do the following.

First, set out some ONCE A YEAR FLEA GRANULES. You’ll basically be treating your carpets and furniture so that any areas where flea larvae might prosper will have a layer of protection in place. Regarding the vacuuming you say you’re doing; keep it up. Especially on tiled or other hard surfaced floors. This will help remove any flea eggs and larvae which are near to impossible to remove from the carpet (which is why you should treat it).

Second, set out some FLEA TRAPS. These will not only help by collecting fleas; they’ll help by alerting you to any activity you may have otherwise missed.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Flea control Article:  http://www.flea.net/flea-control

Once a Year Treatment:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/first-defense-20-ounce-jar

Flea Traps:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/electric/flea-trap

I believe that being “paranoid” of fleas is a bit over kill but I do believe you should be concerned based on your message. The fact is a good 20-30% of the people we help each year get fleas yet they do not own a pet. So how does this happen? There are many reasons for this and several are covered in our FLEA CONTROL ARTICLE. As you’ll learn, it’s not the clothing that’s the problem but rather the surrounding environment where you live. I suggest you read through it for now as this will enable you to better understand this pest and how to handle future issues with it should you  encounter another infestation.

That being said, would it be worth doing some treating in or around the home to prevent fleas? Yes. In general, any kind of preventive pest control is smart and no doubt this applies to fleas. By treating ahead of the problem, you’re able to use a lot less, not have to keep applying it and save the aggravation of dealing with the pest. And based on where you’re seeing animal activity, I suggest you set out some BIFEN GRANULES as a way to prevent anything from happening. If you apply these 2-3 times a year, you should be able to keep all the local perimeter pests under control including ants, crickets, grubs, fleas, etc.

As for the home, I suggest setting out some FLEA TRAPS. They last many years, cost very little and can do a great job “alerting” you to any problem that may be developing. This way you can act accordingly before it’s too late. But should you treat inside? I would say this is not necessary. But if you feel you must do something, the least toxic, longest lasting product to apply that would stop fleas from living in your carpeting would be the ONCE A YEAR FLEA GRANULES. Odorless and easy to apply, they’re a good choice given the conditions you’re in.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Flea Control Article:  http://www.flea.net/flea-control

Bifen Granules:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/granule/bifenthrin-g-25-lb

Flea Traps:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/electric/flea-trap

Once a Year Flea Treatment:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/first-defense-20-ounce-jar

Cats are sensitive to many pests and can detect fleas before people. It’s my guess there is a flea problem developing in your home and he’s onto it before you’ve noticed anything happening. I suggest you set out some FLEA TRAPS in your carpeted areas to get a handle on what’s happening. They’ll capture many different pests that can be biting and not just fleas so they will probably alert you to what your cat already knows. I also suggest you read over our FLEA CONTROL ARTICLE so you learn more about this pest.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Flea Traps:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/electric/flea-trap

Flea Control Article:  http://www.flea.net/flea-control

If you read our FLEA CONTROL ARTICLE, you’ll learn that in fact fleas do not migrate or leave their host. Instead they’d much rather want to live out their life where they can stay protected, keep warm and have plenty to eat. That would be on a dog, cat or some other animal. Even in the cases where people are being bit the fleas involved do not want to stay on the target person; there is rarely enough to keep them satisfied beyond the food people supply so they’ll usually bite and jump away.

As for the “black droppings” you claim to have found; this is normal to see on any infested pet and if the pet isn’t treated, flea eggs and pupae would be falling off it as it moved about throughout the day. In fact, it’s all the flea eggs and pupae that fall off it which poses the potential for problems to arise.

Which leads me to your home. If your house is properly treated with some ONCE A YEAR FLEA GRANULES and you have some FLEA TRAPS installed, there is little chance of a problem developing even if flea infested dogs where present. So if you’d like her and her pets to come visit, get the home treated as our article explains and there will be no reason for concern.

As for your sisters home; it is quite possible for pets living there to harbor the flea problem and not the home itself. And as our article explains, it’s normal for fleas to ignore certain people yet be attracted to others so maybe they like you and not her. One way to find out for sure is to go to her home and see if you get fleas on you. If you do, there is no doubt a problem. But does that mean there is a problem? Well, maybe for you but what about your sister? I would say no if they’re not interested in biting her. And guess what? This situation exists and is quite common.

In fact I have a brother who doesn’t care at all that his home gets fleas because they’re not interested in biting him or his wife. For some reason the fleas ignore him but no one wants to go inside his house because it can be so bad. My other brother is immune to mosquito bites so when we sit outside his house, he doesn’t get bit while me and others get eaten alive! In this case he clearly has mosquitoes active but in his mind, it’s our problem and not his. Don’t be surprised if something like this is happening with your sister and her house as this scenario is quite common and exists all over.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Flea Control Article:  http://www.flea.net/flea-control

Once A Year Flea Granules:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/first-defense-20-ounce-jar

Flea Traps:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/electric/flea-trap

We rescued an injured feral cat last year. She’s somewhat friendly, she still wont let us come near her. We tried a tranquilizer pill (in food), but she wouldn’t touch it. Is it still possible to eventually break the flea life cycle? Are we doomed?

If the feral cat is left untreated, it will no doubt continue to have issues on itself. But if the home is properly treated, any eggs falling off her should not be able to develop (in theory). This means only the feral should continue to have problems because as our FLEA CONTROL ARTICLE explains, fleas will not leave their host so even if the feral does have active fleas, they’ll be content to stay on her where they should live their life and die.
Now if you’re still seeing fleas in the home or on any of your other cats, that would mean there is something not working with either their treatment or the treatment of the home. And if that’s the case, I suggest you first get some of our FLEA TRAPS installed and start monitoring the situation inside to see where the focal point is for the ongoing issue. If you’re able to identify a key location where activity continues, get it treated the best way possible which our article will no doubt cover (for carpeting, tile, cement, hardwoods, etc.).

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Flea Control Article:  http://www.flea.net/flea-control

Flea Traps:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/electric/flea-trap

It will. But if you review our FLEA CONTROL ARTICLE, you’ll learn that in fact clothing is rarely if ever a place where one would have flea eggs laid. As our article explains, fleas want to live on their host. In most cases this will be a pet. But when local populations get large, there will usually be a problem in the home or surrounding yard as well. These local infestations will usually lead to people getting bit when walking around the premises. But will the fleas stay on these people and lay eggs? No.

In summary, there is no reason to “waste” hot water all for the sake of trying to rid clothing from fleas. Normal wash cycles will do the job. But if you have a local flea infestation, you’ll need to start an integrated flea control program as our article explains if you want them gone.

Flea Control: http://www.flea.net/flea-control

Flea Trap (great tool to set out to see if you have local activity on the ground): http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/electric/flea-trap