Fleas In An Apartment

RE: Fleas In An Apartment Post By Barbara (Guest Post) (09/03/2008) I just had the same problem a few things to help get rid of them. First, get rid of your carpet, I just took a 12 X 16 carpet out and put a new floor in, tiles, not expensive, but the carpet was infested. Another thing to do is Baking Soda. It is not harmful to cats, and if you put it around the corners of your rooms it does help. Vinegar, put it on your baseboards, it creates a film and fleas will not stick to it. Another is Salt, just put it around the baseboards as well, It is pretty amazing what we learn after being infested with fleas. You have to vacuum everyday, and throw the contents of the vacuum bag in the garbage outside a.s.a.p. Believe me, this works! Best of luck! The last is Advantage, for the cats, it attracts them and kills them :) Report Spam or Abuse RE: Fleas In An Apartment Post By sjthomps (Guest Post) (08/27/2008) Me and my roommate just moved into our first apartment, we are both still in college. It is an older building and was majorly dirty when we moved in. I have only been here two nights and have been eaten alive with flea bites. I actually caught one crawling on me. My mom and brother stayed the night. My mom in the bed with me and my brother on the couch and they received no bites. Likewise my roommate has yet to be bitten. My mattress and boxspring and two couches have all been in storage for two years. I feel like it is not the case that my furniture is infested but rather the carpet in the apartment, mainly in my bedroom, however as an experiment I slept on the couch last night with flea repellent bug spray on my legs, and still received bites along the waistline of the shorts I had on. There are not suppose to be pets in this building but we have seen numerous people with dogs and cats. Is it possible the fleas are from the previous owner? The apartment has been empty for 4 months. Also why am I the only one that is being bit? If anyone can offer any suggestions I would greatly appreciate it! Thank you, A very itchy and disgusted college student Report Spam or Abuse RE: Fleas In An Apartment Post By (Guest Post) (06/30/2008) I have bombed my house three days in a row and this morning I would up with & more flea bites to add to my other 10. I don't know what else to do. I have a little dog and I don't want her to get sick so what should I do? Report Spam or Abuse RE: Fleas In my Apartment Post By Donatella (Guest Post) (05/03/2008) Thank you all for your input; last July, I did a favor for a friend by keeping her dog for a week while she was on vacation and didn't realize until this past February (after doing a through search on the Internet to find out what the heck was bitting me all the time for I don't even have a cat nor a dog) and to may dismay, I realized that my apartment is infested with fleas; they have been eating me alive! The concentration is right by my computer where I sit all the time and by my only few month old new couch. I am going insane! I spent $27 on a 10lbs of Diaotomacious Earth and have not seen any results yet. I use Raid all the time, buy it does pratically nothing other than leaving the bad chemical odor all over the area. I wiill try the soap and water under the light, and just sprinked some salt on my hardwood floor. I have enven mopped the floor with amonia twice already; it feels a bit less, but they are still here. Please help. Donatella! Report Spam or Abuse i got the same prob Post By killjoy47 (Guest Post) (03/19/2008) yea I got the same thing. Both my cat and dog have fleas and they just keep biting me. I think I lost like a cup of blood by fleas. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Fleas In An Apartment Post By Shara (Guest Post) (05/29/2007) I really wanted a kitten so bad, that when i brought home i didn't even think about the fleas. Well we found out that she did fleas pretty bad. I'll be laying in bed and they will jump on me ewwwww!!! If thats not bad enough we have a baby on the way. All we want to do is get rid of these fleas so it will be clean when the baby comes. I'm going to try to try some of things you say on here. I'm am so glad that people understand what we are going through! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Fleas In An Apartment Post By KatWithCats (Guest Post) (06/06/2006) I'm actually going through the same problem right now. We have an older cat and a 9 month old kitten in a 1 bedroom apartment, and for some reason the fleas are horrible. We've tried Frontline. (Saw no signs of it working on the older cat, the vet said he'd outgrown the weight limit- he's 25 lbs- but it didn't work on the 9 lb kitten either) We've tried Advantage. (In combo with capstarr and the shampoo, but it lasted about a week) We've tried Capstarr (it's temporary, but it works. It's the pill that kills all fleas on the cat at that point.) We've tried Ecto-Sooth shampoo (in combo with the capstarr and advantage). We even mixed up a batch of Rosemary and Mint salt water that worked pretty well, but is only a temporary measure. We want to try to avoid Borax or Boric Acid- we don't have any place to confine the cats while it goes to work, we're thinking of trying the salt thing, and the only thing stopping us from using Fleabane is that I'm allergic. I've heard that lavender will repell them, but I'm not sure (I have enough lavender dish liquid and baby powder, I'm sure I can saturate this apartment, and all else fails, I know of a lavender bush I can raid) if it actually works. Has anyone tried those fancy traps with glue discs, heat, and light? We're thinking of going that route, but we want to make sure it works before smacking down 40+ bucks on a set of two, let alone the cost of the replacement discs. We're also considering laying down lines of a bug spray that kills fleas around the doors and windows to the apartment. One thing we do to try and minimize the critters brought into the apartment is ask people to remove their shoes promptly upon entering. It kept the fleas to none at my parents house, but I don't know about here. Also, on a side note- there's another flea killer old wives tale that I've heard about, and that's a dish of vodka under furniture, does it work? Report Spam or Abuse RE: Fleas In An Apartment Post By hapiladi (Guest Post) (02/01/2006) I feel so sorry for anyone with flea infestation! We went through that a couple of years ago when my mother inlaw brought her dog to 'visit'. The vet said cats are the worse for bringing fleas in and also for getting rid of the fleas off a cat. At that time, we had a lab and our cat. Well, everyday, without fail I bathed both dog and cat (they ran and hid when I said "bath"!) Anyway, I also used Boric acid, putting it everywhere, scrubbed all the floors in our house everyday with vinegar water, and left the Boric Acid behind dressers, and in places where the pets could not get into it. Also, did not let the animals into the basement at all, as fleas love the damp enviroment there, and finally, light at end of tunnel...no more fleas. Our cat does not go outside at all, and our beloved Misti has gone over the Rainbow bridge this past summer. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Fleas In An Apartment Post By Jim - Connecticut (Guest Post) (09/02/2005) This really works but........ you have to be persistant in the application and CAREFUL as well. Get a soup bowl (flange type is fine). Fill the bowl about halfway or so with water. Add a generous dollop of dish washing detergent to the water and gently stir it in. Get a mechanic's drop light or a reasonable subs. Now...... select a room to start with. Place the bowl on the floor (carpet, whatever) and postion the light (with the screen off or open) in such a way that it is leaning over the bowl but NOT contacting the water in anyway. I use a couple of bricks to hold the light in positon (one to anchor it and one or two to prop it up in place). When you leave the room or go to bed turn the light on. The fleas are attracted to the light and fly into it. They then bounce off into the soapy water and drown. This really works. In the AM you can see the little suckers all dead in the bottom of the bowl. KEEP DOING IT every night until you see no more dead fleas and then move on to another room. You may have to repeat in a couple of weeks or so if they had dropped any eggs that will hatch. BE VERY VIGILANT about protecting flammable surfaces. The heat from the light could ignite a carpet so put something under the light for protection. You should also get flea collars for your pets. I hope this helps. Good luck. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Fleas In An Apartment Post By octoberbabye (Guest Post) (08/31/2005) I used Seven Dust- got a big bag at walmart. Safe for people and pets. Sprinkled it all over everything and then vacuumed the next day. Then put some down again for a second treatment, vacuumed that afternoon. Fleas gone in 2 days. Also rubbed it into the cat's fur. Didn't use much. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Fleas In An Apartment Post by Gourdlady (48) | (08/30/2005) Contact Fleas...I have had dogs and cats for years and I now use Frontline and Bio-Spot(I get this one from the farm store). It works like the Frontline. I use both. I switch from one to the other, bio-spot is a bit cheaper than the Frontline but does the same job and more.They both kill the fleas & the eggs. So if you do see a flea and it bites the animal it will die. Before I started these I was using Happy Jack Dip & spray for dogs and Vet-Kem that kills fleas and paramites for both. My animals are inside and outside and sometimes I might see a flea because I have neighborhood dogs running through my yard, and I guess they are just naturally in the yard. I would suggest that you get a dip from the vet and dip them or take them to the vet to get dipped. Then keep Frontline or Bio-Spot on them at least every 30-45 days if they go outside a lot. If not 45-60 days and Bio-spot in parts last for 3mo's on cats. I also have used in the past years Seven dust in the yard and house and then vacumed it up in the house. Of coarse you wouldn't want to use it in the house with children playing in the floor. I have put it on the yard dogs and it didn't bother them. But I once washed some gourds in Borax outside and just poured the water out on the ground right there and it killed the grass. Didn't grow back for over a year...LOL..So I don't suggest using borax on the grass. Fran Report Spam or Abuse RE: Fleas In An Apartment Post By lilyrose (Guest Post) (08/29/2005) Borax is great for indoor fleas. We have successfully used it for 20 years in our home. Read other feedback on this site for proper use--remember to vacuum it up, leave some in bag. It is possible to make cats sick because they will lick their feet. Especially go around your baseboards and under sofas, etc and put Borax there--leave it. Remember stray and outdoor cats will bring fleas into your yard and it also has to be treated. I have never used Borax before outside, but I am going to try it today. I have found a flea here and there on my dog. I would not and do not use chemicals in my house or near my pets and children. Although tea tree oil can be added to water for bathing dogs, DO NOT use on cats. It is definitely toxic, in any strength. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Fleas In An Apartment Post By Karen Parks (Guest Post) (08/29/2005) Sprinkle food grade Diatomacous Earth in flea infested areas. On sleeping areas and on your animals. Safe to use. Do an on line search to learn about it. Good Luck. Report Spam or Abuse Archived Request: Fleas In An Apartment Post by ThriftyFun (3740) | (08/28/2005) Profile | Blog! | Contact We have 5 cats right now and a whole lot of fleas in our house. I'm going to be giving my cats baths all week and pick up that spot on flea treatment from the vets when I get paid on August 1st, but I need remedies for getting rid of them in my apartment. All 5 cats are indoor/outdoor cats. I have a 14 month old son and our floors are linoleum. We have 2 couches. I gave the cats a bath last night and now I am going to give them one every night from now on and comb them out until i can get to the vets next week. Our orange tiger cat has tons of fleas, then we have 2 pure black cats, one black calico cat, and one dark grey cat. Any advice would be great. The fleas are driving me nuts! Lynn(kitty lady) Report Spam or Abuse RE: Fleas In An Apartment Post by ThriftyFun (3740) | (08/10/2005) Profile | Blog! | Contact Borax works well but make sure to vacuum it up. it can be poisonous in large amounts and if you have kids that are on the floor a lot or crawling, it's best to keep them out of the room until it is vacuumed. Let it sit there for about an hour or two. Cats groom themselves all the time so it can get on their feet so keep them out also until it is cleaned up. Susan from ThriftyFun Report Spam or Abuse RE: Fleas In An Apartment Post By Jennifer (Guest Post) (08/10/2005) Hi there, I am going through the same problem. I found a couple of fleas on my cats about five days ago and have gone crazy cleaning since. I immediately gave them both baths and treated them with store bought flea killer. I also did a lot of reading online about flea infestations and everyone seemed to like a product called 20 Mule Team Borax. I invested in a big box (I got it at the grocery store in with the laundry detergent). I sprinkled it on every carpet and in the basement and then worked it into the carpet with a broom. Basically, fleas need moisture and humidity to thrive and the borax dehydrates and kills them. The borax is safe for pets and humans (not 100% sure about children, but it's probably fine). I have been checking the cats every day, and the flea population seems to be dwindling. I have been reading a lot of articles online about how to treat flea infestations, and the best thing to do is treat the cats and the enviroment. A lot of treatments will kill the adult fleas, but they only make up about 5% of the flea population in your home. If you can kill them before they grow into adults, you stop the cycle. I'll be back to let you know how the borax works. Good luck, Lynn, I know how frustrating the situation is. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Fleas In An Apartment Post By P. (Guest Post) (08/04/2005) I had a terrible problem with fleas in the house a couple of summers ago...one cat is an indoors only cat and the other is indoor/outdoor. Someone told me about Frontline, one of the spot-on flea products. Went to the vet's office, and left with sticker shock! Looked on Ebay and found it for 1/2 the price or less than what the vet was charging. Bid on some, received it in a week or so, and put it on the cats. The fleas that were already on the cats died quickly. The other live fleas in the house environment died soon after jumping on the cats. The problem tapered off quickly, as the fleas that were newly hatching jumped on the cats and died..leaving fewer and fewer mature female fleas left to lay new eggs. Any fleas that the indoor/outdoor cat picks up are eliminated before they can be brought indoors. I don't like to spray the house with chemicals that I will be exposed to (since I have to live there too), so the gradual effect of the Frontline worked for me. I have also found that the product does not have to be applied to the cats EVERY 30 days as specified in the instructions. The effect lasts several weeks longer than just one month. I usually reapply it to the cats after 6o days or so. Have not had a flea problem since. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Fleas In An Apartment Post By Gayleen (Guest Post) (08/01/2005) I have had my cat (indoor only) for over three years and never had a flea problem until I was asked to cat-sit for a friend. Some favor!!! I didn't know that the other cat had fleas or I wouldn't have taken her, because it has been nothing but a headache for us over the past three weeks. I bathed my cat yesterday and took to sprinkling two boxes of Borax on everything in my house. I vacuumed and then did it again, washed every blanket, throw blanket in my house. I went out after spending most of the day on my house and came back to find little fleas jumping around in my kitchen. Out came the Borax and dishes of water with soap. The dishes caught a few, but after leaving the Borax over night, I had to re-vacuum again because of the little ones that hatched (throwing the bag out after). I am going to try the Head and Shoulders shampoo for my floors. But I totally swear by Borax and its ability to help get rid of these pesky creatures. Hopefully they will be gone in a couple of days!!! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Fleas In An Apartment Post by TonyaG (102) | (07/31/2005) Profile | Contact I had a friend that had a horrible flea problem. I'm talking like you walked in the house and your ankles were instantly black from fleas jumping on you. I got some stuff from Wal-Mart called Bug Stop. It is about $10 for a gallon but after one application they were pretty much GONE. We did spray twice just to be sure. We sprayed everything in the house - carpet, chairs, bed, floors - everything. You might want to check though with the baby. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Fleas In An Apartment Post By Rev Alex (Guest Post) (07/29/2005) Just had the same problem. Zodiac spray for carpet & upholstery is good -- however, vet said not to use Zodiac on pets because there's an ingredient dangerous to cats. Between combing out fleas, using the Zodiac spray on carpets, in and under furniture, beds, etc., AND bowls of soapy water that they jump into and drown themselves (that must be where the expression "flea brain" came from) they are now all gone. I use old butter dishes for soapy water and a tiny bit of dish soap, any brand. These placed around the house - where your son can't reach them - help to tell you if any are still there. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Fleas In An Apartment Post By (Guest Post) (07/29/2005) If you know where to get some black walnut twigs and leaves and put them around your house that will get rid of them and they won't come back Report Spam or Abuse RE: Fleas In An Apartment Post by reddlb (22) | (07/29/2005) Profile | Contact Living in the south fleas are always a possibility. I've used salt on my carpets for years. Treat your animal and sprinkle salt all over your house the day before you need to vacuum. I put a piece of a flea collar in my vacuum. I have a bagless vacuum & it works fine. I always take it outside to empty it out. When we had a bad infestation I did this every other day and it took care of them quick. Good Luck Debbie Report Spam or Abuse RE: Fleas In An Apartment Post by reddlb (22) | (07/29/2005) Profile | Contact Living in the south fleas are always a possibility. I've used salt on my carpets for years. Treat your animal and sprinkle salt all over your house the day before you need to vacuum. I put a piece of a flea collar in my vacuum. I have a bagless vacuum & it works fine. I always take it outside to empty it out. When we had a bad infestation I did this every other day and it took care of them quick. Good Luck Debbie Report Spam or Abuse RE: Fleas In An Apartment Post by crazybest (18) | (07/28/2005) Contact I got this great bomb from my vet, it was a large can that cost 32 dollars, I did it because the fleas were bad at one point. Not until I got a cat years later did I get fleas in the house again, I went back to the vet, he said they no longer make the product. But there used to be a flea extermination company, {can't remember the name} that used this powder let it sit for 24 hours came back and vacummed the entire house, they are out of business now because people found out that all they used was 20 Mule Team Borax. You can get it at your local supermarket for about 2.50 a box. He said to sprinkle it everywhre, couch, any cracks {we have old wood floors} bedding, etc. In twenty four hours start vacuuming, and like cookwie said throw out the bag. Works great, and is less costly. I wouldn't allow the baby to play on the floors..not sure what may happen. Best of Luck Kim Report Spam or Abuse RE: Fleas In An Apartment Post by mkymlp (184) | (07/28/2005) Contact If the problem is that severe, you should "bomb" your house with a flea product. Keep all your cats confined outside until it is done. Then before bringing the cats inside the house, treat them for fleas. Then put them in the house and treat outside your house. This is a big job to do. But if you don't stop the life cyle of the fleas, you will continue to have a problem. My girlfriend had a severe problem and used a product called Enforcer, sold at Home Depot for inside and outside her home. I believe they have a variety of insecticide products. She used a flea dip by the brand name of Zodiac on her cats and dog. You should probably spray inside and outside your house in two weeks. I always keep a two inch piece of flea collar in my vacuum cleaner during the summer. This will kill any fleas inside the bag. If financially possible, hire an exterminator. Be very careful with any chemical products concerning your child's health. Good luck to you. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Fleas In An Apartment Post by cookwie (1090) | (07/28/2005) Profile | Contact Vacuum daily and discard bag! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Fleas In An Apartment Post by kattankerous (54) | (07/28/2005) Contact Oh Lynn, i feel for you. I have been going thru this the past week. Someone dropped off a kitten infested with fleas on us. Without thinking i toted it thru the house before looking to see about fleas. In fact it wasn't til the next day we noticed them. And my oh my have i had a time. But i think i have this figured out now... lol. My dogs quickly got infested and here in the south weather has been perfect apparently for flea population explosion. The dogs would stay in the garage and it was so bad you couldnt walk out there. I did have to put a bug bomb in there cuz they kept hatching out and i couldnt find where from. I put the drops on the dogs to no success. I sprayed the kitten with the flea stuff just for them.... But the biggest non chemical secret has been Dawn dish liquid and Head and Shoulders shampoo. Put in a spray bottle and spray furniture, etc.with it. And mop with it. Yeh, you will have to mop back over so its not slippery, but the dawn kills the fleas. I sprayed rugs and all carpets with it and its working. Let me know if you find any other solutions... ~katt Report Spam or Abuse