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

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

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

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

The first thing you should do is read our FLEA CONTROL ARTICLE. It will provide details regarding why it is that fleas will most times target one person along with all the treatment options you have available using the best products now on the market. As you’ll learn, you don’t need a pet to get fleas and if left untreated, the problem will only get worse and worse.

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

First, all the flea treatments recommended in our FLEA CONTROL ARTICLE are safe around people and pets when used properly and as we describe. And to make sure you use them correctly, be sure to view the “safety videos” you’ll find on every product page. These short clips cover all the protective measures one should do to insure you safely handle, mix, apply and store our products.

Second, the flea treatments you are using are not to blame for the current situation. As you’ll learn by reading our article, flea control cannot be accomplished by just treating the pet. A complete flea program is needed once you get infested and this includes treating the yard and home. Once you get going with our program I’m sure you’ll see results because you’ll be dealing with the problem at all sources. Right now it sounds like you’re only treating the pet and since it’s more common for the home to be the “flea generator”, the pet will continue to have fleas until you stop the fleas from reproducing in the living environment.

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

It would depend on the problem. If I was to see active fleas in the yard, I would consider this to be bad problem. In other words, if I were to walk casually through my property and get 1-5 fleas on me at most anytime of the day or night, this would be a really bad infestation that needs fast acting products applied. For a problem like this I’d apply the BIFEN GRANULES followed by CYONARA RTS over the top. I’d expect to spray with the Cyonara every 4-7 days and keep spraying until I was able to walk outside without seeing any. As our FLEA CONTROL article explains, pupae will be hatching for some time following the treatment which is why I would keep liquid spraying.

For the remainder of the summer I’d apply granules every 30 days to make sure they didn’t come back. I wouldn’t keep spraying the Cyonara but I would have some on hand ready if needed since a resurgence could happen and I’d want to avoid that at all costs.

But if you were spraying for prevention, the products and frequency of treatments would be different. Treating before there is a problem is always best and when doing so, one can avoid having to a lot of extra work and cost. For this I’d probably just apply the Bifen Granules every 60 days and expect them to do the job. But if the property had a history of problems. I’d still apply the Bifen but then spray over the top with the NYLAR which is a growth regulator. Nylar doesn’t have to be used too often. Generally only 1-2 treatments a season will do the job. And since it works on other pests like ants and mosquitoes, it can really help keep pests minimized in the yard.

The moral of the story and something we try to point out all the time is that of all the pests one can get in the home or yard, the flea is the one that be so easy to control if you do preventive maintenance to keep them in check. But if you let the problem develop and get out of hand, they can be one of the most frustrating pests to control because once that happens, there is no way you’ll be rid of them anytime soon. Hopefully you’ll be treating for prevention rather than curative; the time, energy and cost savings between the two is significant not to mention the level of frustration and aggravation one will experience once they get a flea problem.

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

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

Cyonara:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/cyonara-32-oz-rts

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

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

Yes and no. Yes, freezing temps will kill both adult and larvae fleas that might be on the fabric if you keep it outside for 24 hours. But as our FLEA CONTROL ARTICLE explains, the adults and larvae are really only 25-40% of the problem. If you currently have a flea infestation, the only way to get rid of them will be to employ one of the control methods we have listed in our article. And this will have to be done where the fleas are laying their eggs which is usually inside the home or on the resident pet.

To read up more on just what you’ll need to do, review our article posted here:  http://www.flea.net/flea-control

If you read through our FLEA CONTROL ARTICLE, you’ll learn all the gory details of this persistent pest. In the article we explain that under ideal conditions, fleas can grow rapidly. When the right mix of temperature, moisture and food are present, fleas can go from egg to adult in as little as 7 days. But 2 days? Not likely.

But in our article we also point out that in general, fleas will almost always choose to live on a pet over a person. So if you had fleas on your person when you went to the house, it’s entirely possible some got off you and into your friends house. From there some would surely end up on her cats. But to the extent that the cats would become “infested” from your visits? That would be a tough level to reach in just two days.

Now if you carried over 1000+ fleas on your person when you were there Monday, it’s definitely possible a couple of hundred fell off you and into her home. But I’m guessing you normally don’t go about your business with a 1000+ fleas hitching a free ride as you go to work or run errands, correct? But what about 1-2 fleas? Is it possible that 1-2 or even 3-4 could hop on you at home and then hitch a ride around town with you without being noticed? Maybe. But even then only 1-2 would end up on her cats so in the end, it’s highly unlikely you could get them so thoroughly “infested” in just two days.

At this point you think you’re “off the hook”, right? Well, not that fast…

Of course, it’s also possible there was a massive hatching of flea pupae in the day or two your friend was at the hospital which has lead to the problem the cats are now facing.  In fact, this happens all the time in most every home that “gets infested”. As our flea control article explains, one pregnant flea will lay hundreds of eggs and after these eggs hatch and go through their course of development, at one point they’ll become biting adults. Not surprisingly most can become adults around the same time as their brothers and sisters. And when this happens, pets will seemingly become infested overnight!

Which brings us back full circle. Yes it’s true that you alone could not have gotten these cats infested in just two days. But how about two weeks or a month? That’s right, if you were over your friends house two weeks ago or even a month ago, it’s entirely possible one pregnant flea jumped off you and into her home where hundreds of eggs could have been laid. If that happened, it’s entirely possible those eggs could have all evolved into adult fleas around the same time which just so happened to be when your friend was at the hospital!

So in the end, my best guess is that these cats got the current flea problem from a massive hatching that just now occurred in the home. As to who brought in the flea that laid all the eggs leading this infestation? That’s the $64,000.00 question and I’m pretty sure no one can answer that question with any certainty.

Read up on all you’d ever want to know on fleas here:

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

It’s rare that fleas could or would even try to live their lives on people. As explained in our FLEA CONTROL ARTICLE, fleas prefer a host which can supply blood and provide a sheltered environment for them to hide. Dogs, cats and other hairy animals can provide both a blood meal and lots of hair; lots to eat and lots of areas for adequate housing. For this reason most fleas prefer these animals on which to live. But since people have blood, fleas will most certainly jump on us to grab a quick meal. But in virtually all cases they’ll usually forage away and off our skin where they land to feed. This is because they feel vulnerable and unprotected out in the open.

I have seen where fleas have been able to hide in patches of hair, like on the scalp or up in underarm hair. But even in these rare cases the population was quite small and had no chance of thriving long. More importantly, fleas won’t be able to survive the normal process of a good shower so for anyone showering daily that uses shampoo, soap and anti-perspirant, the odds of a flea living more than a day is pratically zero.

Here is a direct link to our flea article which goes over all the gory details of just what they want, where they like to live, how fast they can multiply and how to control local infestations:

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

If you review our FLEA CONTROL ARTICLE, you’ll learn that fleas typically breed on the pet and in the house. It’s important these areas are protected so if you haven’t yet taken care of the home, do so in one of the ways our article explains. Only then will your puppy be free and clear of this nagging pest.

In our article you’ll also learn of several products we have which are designed specifically for the itchy sensations pets feel following flea bites. At this point I recommend looking for fleas on the pet and don’t just judge based on them scratching. Flea bites will cause pets to itch for weeks but does not mean the fleas are still active. The only way to know for sure will be to see some on the pet and if you do, then use some of the products we have listed in our article. They will definitely work and they can be used as needed.

Lastly, I also suggest you start using something to relieve the itch your puppy is now experiencing. The OXY MED is excellent and when combined with the MELALUCA SHAMPOO, you’ll be able to provide some much needed relief for your pet which will make them more comfortable. In th end you’ll learn it’s really about keeping your home and yard flea, tick, mosquito and gnat free. By reducing these pests in and around the home, you and your pets will be a lot happier.

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

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

Oxy Med:  http://www.bugspray.com/item/oxy_med_itch_relief.html

Melaluca Shampoo:  http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page1238.html

If you take some time to read through our extensive FLEA CONTROL ARTICLE, you’ll learn the most favorite place for fleas to stay is on the “host” animal they target. Amongst the favorite host’s for fleas will be dogs, cats, squirrels, rats and mice. In fact, pretty much any animal in the yard could have fleas during the summer or warm months. But as our online article explains, fleas don’t want to leave their host animal as this is where they get both food and shelter. In fact most fleas will live their entire life on whatever animal they first find. Additionally, this life is quite short and in most cases will be less than a week. All the while they’ll be laying eggs on the pet which will live out their life cycle right there under all the fur and pet hair.

So if your pet isn’t getting them from the yard, where then are the fleas coming from? Well, the answer is the pet itself. As explained in our article, the pet and the inside of the home are the two most likely places for fleas to be breeding. The pet is actually number one with the house being a close candidate for second place because it’s usually infested by the time anyone living there realizes what’s happening. In fact the least important area to treat is the yard so I would say to forget it for now and instead focus your attention on the pet.

What usually happens in cases like this the pet will get 1-2 fleas. Once they feed they’ll start laying eggs. Most of the eggs will at first stay on the pet. Over time if the problem is allowed to develop without treatments being done, the pet will get so filled with fleas the eggs and larvae will start dropping off them which is what leads to homes getting infested. In many cases it’s the pet causing the problem in the yard too.

So at this point it’s important that you make sure your pet is being bathed and treated weekly. Using the TRIPLE PY SHAMPOO and some PETCOR should stop the flea cycle on the pet and for now, I’m willing to bet this is the main reason why your problem is continuing to have a problem. If you actually had fleas in the yard or home, you and anyone else living or walking around there would be attacked just like the pet. But when it’s just the pet that’s getting them, it usually means the pet is the main “flea generator” and only after you take a direct approach of treating it will the problem subside.

Second, if the pet has full access to the house, you should also set out some FLEA TRAPS to make sure they aren’t established inside. If you find the traps are catching fleas, treat with our ONCE A YEAR FLEA GRANULES which is by far the safest and most effective method for long term protection. It goes on dry and lasts 6-12 months no problem. Combine this with the direct pet treatments I outlined above and I’m sure you’ll be flea free in a few weeks.

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

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

Triple Py Shampoo:  http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page247.html

Petcor:  http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page2011.html

Flea Traps:  http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page22.html

Once a Year Flea Granules:  http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page23.html

First, some good news. I do believe you’re at the end of this vicious cycle and unlike most situations I comment on, yours is actually in “good” shape and should be over sooner rather than later. Additionally, it seems as though you have read our FLEA CONTROL ARTICLE which goes over all of the problems you’re experiencing so you’re observations and reasons for what is happening are mostly in line and correct.

Second, the things you might be missing or misunderstood from our article… It’s actually the third stage, what we call the pupae, which is the flea we’re not able to kill (and not the fourth stage which you listed). This third stage is impervious to chemical and can lay dormant for long periods of time (upwards of a year). As explained in our article, rooms which are void or left empty without people and pets are likely to harbor this stage for a long time. Additionally, cool temps in dark environments tend to prolong their existence. Basements are notorious for such conditions and I’ve seen fleas survive for more than a year in many different homes so what you’re experiencing is not nearly as long as it can go on. From your message, the problem is only 4-5 months old which isn’t that long in “flea time”.

Additionally, the fact you’re going down there and vacuuming is a good thing. But will that get the fleas to hatch? No. As our article explains, the vacuuming serves to remove debris, larvae and even the notorious pupae themselves but it won’t help to hatch them any faster. As for the fogging with aerosol bombs; that’s definitely not doing anything so you can stop wasting your money and time with them. As explained in our article, you can only kill a flea once it’s hatched and at this point, the only time anything in the basement will take a risk and hatch is if you’re close enough for them to “get on”. So by the time you set out any foggers, they’ll already be on you and I don’t think the aerosol will be able to find any still around to kill once you leave. But there is one thing you seemingly missed which we list in our article: FLEA TRAPS. You should definitely deploy some of these throughout the basement as they’ll help get pupae to hatch for sure thus breaking the cycle that much sooner. We’ve had vacant homes with nothing but our Flea Traps deployed with tremendous results so they do in fact expedite the process once set out. This video shows some of the results:

http://www.flea.net/flea-traps/rental-property-with-fleas.html

Lastly, the main problem is probably more due to the animal involved than anything else. Cats are usually more inclined to go in “other areas” compared to dogs. They tend to jump and move into cracks and tight spaces. All these locations could be involved here and I wonder if you may have missed some of these when vacuuming the basement. In other words, if the cats were jumping up on a work bench or some shelving, there could be fleas up there now. Eggs, larvae, pupae – all stages could easily find what they need in the confines of the average basement so anywhere the cats may have gone would be prime places to vacuum and inspect. Window ledges, crawl spaces, tops of boxes – any and all of these places are prime locations for our Flea Traps and should be considered. The point is you shouldn’t look on the ground only; be sure to look up at all levels present in the basement as they could all be involved with this problem.

In summary, if you continue to treat the pets and the upstairs like you said you did and don’t see any fleas up there, I doubt that area of the home is a problem. As for the basement, if you deploy 2-4 Flea Traps, I’m sure you’ll break the cycle there too. Lastly, be sure to treat the yard as it warms because undoubtedly there was a problem outside last year that seemingly was missed. Failure to treat this year means almost certainly that activity will be coming back and most likely will be more robust than ever. Get out some granules now, before the season starts, and you should be able to hold it off and prevent a replay of what you experienced this winter inside the home.

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

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

http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page22.html

jonathan

www.bugspray.com

The following video shows the Flea Trap in detail along with some results after being installed for just one day.