Fleas!!! help!!!

[WortMonger]

Ok guys, this is the first time I have brought my personal life into the forum. I need some advice though. I am flipping a house that had some nasty people renting it prior to my purchasing it. I got all the carpet and filth out so the roaches would go away, and they did. I had no fleas a week ago and the roaches were gone so I loaded up and started bringing in supplies to start flipping. Wow, I walked in and looked down at my shins that were itching and to my horror saw thousands of newly hatched cat fleas. These where so tiny that at first I had trouble seeing what they were. WTF do I do to get rid of these things quickly and as cheaply as possible. I just paid to have the roaches killed and now I would have another $75 in flea spray. Any homemade tricks you guys could help me out with? I cannot work until they are gone and they are everywhere. I set a gas can on my front porch and looked down yesterday to find about 50-60 on my legs in just a short amount of time.

 

[clemson55]

According to DIY network you should plug in a green light and put a bowl of water under it the fleas are attracted to green light and will land in the bowl and drown.
Their other tip is to put moth balls in your vacuum and vacuum really good then sprinkle salt generously all over the floor and repeat daily. Changing the bag every few days. I don't know if either of them really work cause I havent had fleas in my house but I have seen the tips several times.

 

[conpewter]

I've used borax before for similar problems.

here are a couple testimonials I've found for solutions.

I have used Borax for a few years now. We were INFESTED with fleas a few years ago. I tried bombing, meds the works. Nothing took care of them. I now sprinkle Borax into carpets, furniture, etc and rub it in good. Let it sit for 7 days (put towels on the furniture for use) and then vacuum it up. It works and no danger to pets or people. I recommend it to everyone.

Try to make use of some of that trub....

"try using brewers yeast in your dogs food...fleas hate the smell....NOT BAKING YEAST!!!! go to a health food store and buy it...you can rub a little on the dogs coat too!!! "

Have used borax to rid my pets and home of fleas. Works better than most brand pestacides with no harmful chemicals. I would strongly advise all pet owners to visit a web site called Earth Clinic for holistic cures. This site will give you flea treatments for your pets. These treatments are chemical free and really work. (01/29/2008)

 

[Mutilated1]

First of all, get some Deep Woods Off for your legs.

Then spray them again before they get old enough to lay eggs and reproduce. There is some kind of spray that not only kills the adults it kills the eggs and larvae too - sorry don't recall the name of it, but you get it at the vets office. Maybe you can call and ask.

 

[nyer]

We had them last year for the first time ever. Wat pain in the ass it was to kill them. I bought a good flea spray from the vet and sprayed every nook and cranny of the house and basement. Then we had to vacuum for hours and hours and destroy the bag. It sucked but it worked. You really have spray and vacuum everywhere.

 

[WortMonger]

Awesome responses and very quick as expected . I think borax will be tried and the deep woods off is HEARD. I don't know why I didn't think to just use off on my legs. I need to get the fleas gone though before work because I won't be standing for most of this project. I need to disinfect and deodorize the floor boards so I may use a sprayer filled with borax. I have mowed and spread the yard with bug killer so I know that the house is the last place to attack. You are so right about me getting them before they have a chance to lay eggs though. This is why I didn't see them the first time when I removed all the carpet and stuff from the house. I have to say I have never met a bug I hate as much as these fleas. Anyone know if Borax has oder absorbing properties?

 

[DUCCCC]

This website has some good info.

Borax is boric acid, and it's great for killing ants as well.

 

[eschatz]

Permanon might still be around. I think it has DDT in it! We used to use that stuff when we were kids (cough cough). It would kill anything! (and probably will do me in)!

 

[Special Hops]

Get some of those flea bomb foggers and put one in every room of the house. Set them all off and don't go in there for a few days.

 

[WortMonger]

Bombs aren't really good for a house that is this drafty. As for any chemicals that hurt things, I'm not going anywhere near them. I think spraying the floor with Borax is good, and I will leave a green night light by a water bowl for extra killing while I am gone at night. There is nothing cloth for them to hide in so this is just spraying floor boards.

 

[Professor Frink]

I had the same problem when I moved into my apt. a couple years ago. I flea bombed it twice and had no problems. Just make sure you get the ones that kill the eggs as well as the fleas.

 

[Aubie Stout]

If you use an aerosol bug bomb in the house, remember to turn off any pilot lights!


Use Sevin in the yard.

 

[capcrnch]

My neighbors dog had fleas a few years ago, which in turn allowed them to jump onto my dogs and infest our house.

Get some Sevin for the yard. Yes, you still have to treat the yard.

Get bombs for the house. Turn off the pilot lights, turn off all the lights in the house, turn any furniture out of its normal resting area, set them off and get the hell out for at least 24 hours.

The bombs work better then anything, but the only way to know you're good is to make sure the surrounding area is good as well. (ie the lawn)

 

[MikeFlynn74]

This may seem a little extreme. But have you considered burning down the house?

Maybe nuking it from orbit? Its quite really the only way to be sure.

 

[WortMonger]

LOL, well I could probably come out ahead without doing any work if I nuked it or burned it down, but then it would be hard to flip the next one and get insurance for it . The yard has been taken care of and the house is the last remaining place to kill them. The foggers make for hell of cleanup and I don't want to be touching everything that has the poison on it. It is an empty hard wood floor house that probably has more fleas under the house that wouldn't be killed with the fogger. I need something that is non-toxic and easy to apply like a sprayer would be. I just don't want to fill the sprayer with poison. Borax sounds like it might work, and I know foggers work, just don't want to go that route if I can help it. Last ditch effort will be the fogger cans if need be.

 

[CodeRage]

Here are some other options.
Flea Control | Natural | Pest | Traps

 

[Melana]

Diatomaceous earth - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The guy i work with swears by Diatomaceous earth and uses it in his house. Kills dust mites in hardwood floors too!

 

[Rick500]

If you use the light and water dish trick, put a drop or two of liquid soap in the water to break the surface tension so they'll sink and drown. Otherwise they may be able to get out of the water. Then you'll just have pissed off fleas, and if you think they're mean now...

 

[Donasay]

honestly if you are flipping the house and doing the work, your time is more valuable than the money you would spend on a few foggers that you can buy at any supermarket.

 

[EvilTOJ]

I used to have a VERY bad flea problem. What helped to get rid of it was borax in the carpets, sprinkled liberally. It's supposed to dry out the eggs and larva. And in every room where the fleas are, plug in regular night lights, and put a pan of water under it with a drop of dishwashing soap in the water. The soap breaks up the surface tension. The fleas are attracted to the light and jump towards it, fall in the water and drown. Flea bombs didn't work.

And lots and lots of vacuuming. Always empty the vacuum outside, never leave it inside.

 

[budbo]

You are so right about me getting them before they have a chance to lay eggs though.

If they are biting you, too late make sure you do something about the eggs, the borax helps that. For under the house I would recommend boric acid. it is easy to spread (just don't breath it) and it will get in the dirt and last long enough to kill the next generation as they hatch (it also takes care of roaches, ants, and other unwanted guests)

 

[Homercidal]

Get some of those flea bomb foggers and put one in every room of the house. Set them all off and don't go in there for a few days.

We did this when my first born came home from hospital. Sudden infestation! We bombed the place (actually sprayed form bottle) and went to in-laws for weekend. They can be tough to clear out once they are established unless you go whole hog. (our place was so bad that a couple of our newborn kittens died from the bites).

Hard to imagine our hose back then to what it is now.