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

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

 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

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

At this point there is a distinct possibility that a flea problem could develop in your car. If you read our FLEA CONTROL ARTICLE, you’ll learn that it only takes one flea to infest a home and a car is no different. And once they get on any red blooded host, they’re first task is to bite so if there is just one female flea in the car that’s fed, it could be the start of something bad. And based on what was on your husband, there is a good chance some flea eggs could actually be there already. Does this mean they’ll survive and cause an infestation? That’s anyone’s guess.

So if you want to be completely sure nothing will develop, the simplest thing you could do would be to apply PRECOR 2000 to the upholstery and carpeting in the car. First do a thorough vacuuming and then lightly treat these areas. The Precor 2000 will kill both adult fleas and their eggs and remove any chance of them getting established. Since it will only take a little to do the treatment, use the rest of the can inside your town home if that will make you feel better but it’s probably not going to be needed.

That being said, you many want to install at least one FLEA TRAP in the home. These do a great job of monitoring local environments and if you did develop a problem, it would collect the fleas which in turn would let you know you need to do a more thorough treatment inside.

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

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

Precor 2000:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/aerosol/precor-2000

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

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

If you read through our FLEA CONTROL ARTICLE, you’ll learn the three areas where fleas like to reproduce are on pets, in the house and in the yard. The most common is on the pet but it sounds like you’re handling your dog just fine. But what about the inside of the home? This is the second most likely place where they’re inclined to develop. And as our article explains, pets are where fleas want to be so since you’re seeing just 1-2 on your dog at a time, I’m pretty sure it’s the home that’s causing the problem.

Now if the pet had hundreds of fleas in her fur, you’d no doubt be seeing some too. But just 1-2? That’s a sure sign flea eggs must have landed in the home some time in the past year and now you’ve got some pupae laying around waiting for a meal (pet).

The least I’d recommend is to get some FLEA TRAPS and then install them around the house. At least 2; 4 would be ideal. This will enable you to monitor the problem. But even if it turned out you don’t have many if any fleas in the home, I’d still say to go ahead and get the carpet treated with the ONCE A YEAR GRANULES that work so well at controlling most anything that wants to live in the carpet.

Lastly, the outside could be involved. But in most cases (95%+), it’s either the pet or the home that’s the cause. Once you get these areas treated if you still see fleas you can consider treating the outside with one of the products we have listed but for now, I’d focus in on the home.

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

Once A Year Granules:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/first-defense-2-lb

If you read through our FLEA CONTROL ARTICLE, you’ll see we have all kinds of products listed. But since you’ve had a recent treatment done, I would suggest you go with the ONCE A YEAR FLEA TREATMENT and some FLEA TRAPS inside the home.

For the outside, get some BIFEN GRANULES applied and then spray over the top with the CYONARA RTS which comes with it’s own applicator.

For the furniture, you can apply some PRECOR 2000 lightly to exposed surfaces but don’t forget to treat under the cushions and the under siding as well.

In general, no protective equipment is required. But I do recommend using LATEX GLOVES when spraying which will eliminate any dermal exposure. I also recommend viewing the “safety videos” which are on every product page that has a product for which some safety measures should be taken. These video’s are quite informative and cover all areas you need to be concerned about.

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-2-lb

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

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

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

Precor 2000:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/aerosol/precor-2000

Latex Gloves:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/safety

Pretty much any traditional flea control product will have this statement. Young puppies, much like infants or any other young animal, are more likely to have some kind of reaction or other problem when exposed to a wide range of things and flea spray is no different. We recommend following the labeled guidelines and avoid using any of those items till she is over 12 weeks old. The only product we carry which is okay to use on puppies is ECO EXEMPT. Commonly used on horses and other animals including dogs, it has none of the restrictions most standard flea products will be governed by. This is because it uses food extracts as the active and falls under a different category of registration.

If you review the ECO LABEL, you’ll see it lists “pets” and there are no restrictions on the age of your pet. This product can be used frequently and we recommend mixing it with water for best results.

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

ECO Exempt:  http://www.non-toxic-pest-control.com/concentrates/eco-exempt-ic-concentrate

ECO Label:  http://www.bugspray.net/labels/eco_exempt_ic_label.pdf

We have some really low impact type sprays and treatment options that you might can call a non-toxic spray for fleas. Mind you these won’t work as quickly because they won’t be acutely toxic. But they will be equally if not better in the long run. As explained in our FLEA CONTROL article, breaking the flea cycle is paramount to long term flea control.

Our favorite non-toxic flea product is the ONCE A YEAR FLEA TREATMENT. These boron based granules are like salt. Simply sprinkle them out over carpeted areas, broom them and leave them there for a year or more. They work by dehydrating flea egges and larvae so it’s very effective for long term control. Unfortunately it’s not going to do anything for the adult fleas so you should consider setting out some FLEA TRAPS to help with any that are active. The Traps will catch adult fleas quite well and this will make the residence livable.

Another option to consider is the ECO IC CONCENTRATE. This product is made from Food and will control many insects including fleas. You can read information we have posted on our NON TOXIC PEST CONTROL site; here is a direct link to the ECO IC.

The original Flea Terminator has been out of production for several years. We have a similar product that works just as well. Known as Dr’s Flea Treatment, it’s a dry powder that you simply sprinkle out onto carpeting, broom in and leave where it will control fleas for a year or more. We find it’s very effective and ideal for treatments before you have an actual flea problem. If you have live fleas at the time of treatment, we recommend setting up some Flea Traps to help break the flea cycle as explained in our Flea Control Article.

Fleas are commonly brought into the yard by animals like squirrels and cats. But trying to figure out where the fleas are coming from isn’t productive. What would be more productive would be to put out some flea treatment in the yard to the fleas left behind won’t be able to get on your dog or lead to futher problems in the future. I suggest you review our on line flea control article which talks abouts treating the yard. Apply some of the Bifen Granules out there and you should be able to keep the fleas at bay and still enjoy your bird feeder.

Get the Stinger Relief. It comes in small little swabs you simply apply to the bite. Stinger Relief will take the itch away and let the bite heal up much faster. The Stinger Stopper isn’t a bad choice either but it goes on yellow so adults don’t seem to like it like the kids do. One a side note, be sure to get some of the Flea Traps to place out after you treat. The traps will collect any adults and really cut down on you getting any new flea bites so they’re well worth the investment

We have been selling ONCE A YEAR TREATMENTS for over ten years and we have found it to work very well. This is probably because the flea granules get down to the bottom or nap of the carpeting where flea eggs and larvae seem to gravitate. The eggs and larvae die off by contact since the flea granules work as a drying agent and essentially dehydrates them before they can grow up to biting adults. By keeping the flea cycle in check, fleas are never able to get established in the carpeting which really makes flea control easy. As our on line Flea Control article explains, breaking the flea cycle is paramount when treating and it just seems like the once a year treatment does this the best.

Based on the limited information provided above, it sounds like you have a bad problem which will require a lot of flea treatment to be done to break the current flea cycle. For situations like this, we always suggest you use the Permethrin and Growth Regulator. With the Permethrin, you’ll be able to apply a fresh amount of adulticide out over and over which in turn will provide adequate control of the adults and make the situation more manageable. Be sure to apply enough. Most homes will need 2-3 gallons applied if they have a lot of carpet; 1 gallon per 500-1000 sq/ft should do the job. Use the growth regulator with the first tank mix and then again 2 months later but in between, spray with the Permethrin as much as is needed to make the home tolerable to all who live there. It would also be wise to set up some flea traps as they will help reduce the local population too.

Once the problem is under control which will only happen following some heavy flea carpet treatments are done, you can then change over to the once a year flea carpet granules and rely on them to provide a good long lasting flea treatment. The problem is they don’t work quickly and based on your situation, I don’t think you’ll be happy if you use them now. And don’t forget the pets. If you keep them flea free by paying them some attention daily, you will be able to get this problem under control eventually. Good luck!