Nicholas Schweissguth asked 7 years ago
Will somone please explain why my wife keeps getting bit even after exterminator came? Exterminator came about 3 weeks ago and when he left there were no fleas and everything was fine. Now fleas are back again. About 5 bites per day on my wife. The cats have been treated for a couple months now but we waited to let them back inside until 2 weeks after the exterminator treatment. Now that shes getting bit again shes blaming it on the cats saying that \”they once again brought in more fleas!\” I keep telling her the fleas shes seeing are leftovers that didnt get killed the first time, so we need to call the exterminator again
Adam Retzer Staff answered 7 years ago
Hello Nicholas,
Adult fleas only make up 1-5% of the infestation. And they live permanently on the host once it’s acquired. The other 95-99% of the infestation are eggs, larvae and pupae developing in the environment. Eggs are laid on the host, but they aren’t sticky and fall off within a few hours of being laid.
When the exterminator sprayed, the insecticide likely only killed the emerged and emerging adults in the home, of which there aren’t very many. Insecticide sprays can’t penetrate to the depth of carpets, where most of the immature fleas are living. Many will remain unaffected.
The fleas that are currently biting your wife are likely those that were already in the carpets, and are now emerging as adults. This will continue until all of those immature stages are depleted. Here’s the good news: If the pets and home have been properly treated, then there will be no new eggs and thus no new generation of fleas. The problem should continue to diminish until the fleas are extinct in the home.
The flea life cycle, from egg to to adult, completes in 17 to 26 days in homes. However, after treatment, people will often continue seeing fleas for around 8 weeks. This is because after pupating, cocooned adults can stay quiescent (dormant-like) for up to 5 months while they wait to detect a host (heat and pressure). Vacuuming is the best way to force pre-emerged adults to emerge, as it simulates these host cues.
Continue vacuuming regularly. To prevent bites, pants and socks can be worn, with the pant legs tucked into the socks. Fleas can’t bite through most fabrics.
Ask the exterminator if he sprayed an insect growth regulator (IGR), either pyriproxyfen or methoprene. IGRs mimic natural insect hormones and prevent eggs and larvae from reaching adulthood. The nice thing about these compounds is they remain active indoors for 7 months, so reapplication won’t be necessary. Of course, he also likely sprayed and adulticide, but as I mentioned, these traditional insecticides are only really effective against adult fleas, and these fleas can easily be removed by vacuuming.
Hope this helps,
Adam
Michelle Printz
replied 5 years ago Thank you for sharing this information I have been feeling completely helpless crying everyday myself and my children and my husband mainly me and my son are the fleas favorite blood now that I have kicked the cats out of the house we have fogged the house with a little more canisters then dicerted
After the 2nd session since a week after the first I saw the fleas jumping and back again after the 2nd sessions immediately when we came back o house I have my daughter a bath and a flea jumped off onto me then I noticed several other ones were not dying in the bath water until I put soap on them I’ll keep Philly mistreatment for a few more weeks before I decide to call Professional I’ve been just using the Hotshot for Foggers we have almost 3,000 square feet of an all carpeted house besides the kitchen and bathrooms and laundry. I don’t know what’s going on we’ve never had fleas before in my entire life and we used to have two dogs on top of our two cats as well this is the first year we’ve ever I please I don’t know what’s going on
Jessica Budde
replied 5 years ago Did you ever get this situated? Currently going through it now
