su_G asked 7 years ago
Hi,
I I have had fleas in my home for a few weeks- prob for at least a couple of wks before I realised our dog was covered in them on 21st July after having lots of bites on my feet and starting seeing them all around the house after being more vigilant. I have had 2 professional sprays- one on 23rd July and 8th Aug and have the third booked on 18th Aug. Since the last spray on 8th I have seen 2 fleas and caught 1 in the flea trap but I am still getting 1-2 bites every other day so presumably there are more hiding.
i have been combing the dog through every other day and unable to find any fleas or flea dirt but perhaps I am missing them?. He was treated with frontline plus and wearing a flea collar and bathed every week plus washing his bed every week. He is confined to the kitchen and dining area downstairs and has never been allowed upstairs but have fleas in all areas of our house.
aside from the professional treatment I have been hoovering sometimes daily (emptying canister each time) and changing sheets every 2-3 days and spraying indorex in the house and my car. I Also spent a fortune at the laundrette washing clothes that were not put awayand my sons teddies etc. and a lot of our clothes are still in sealed bags. I am frightened fleas could be in my drawers/wardrobes which would be an absolute nightmare as we have so many clothes! My dog got the fleas from the garden as he is too old now to make it to the park so does that mean he could pick them up again? We just had decking out down and I am worried that they might be underneath the decking?!
the whole thing has made me completely paranoid and stressed I find it impossible to relax in my own home and my 10m son is completely traumatised by the hoover. All I can think about is when it will be over.
My questions are how do I know when the fleas are on their way out? Would fleas still be breeding and restarting the cycle after the treatment we’ve had? Can they survive without my dog as a host? Do I need to be concerned about fleas in my wardrobe/drawers? Everyone else in my house has had maybe a handful of bites but I have easily got 40+ bites over the last month (some turning to blisters) and continue to get them here and there. why are they more attracted to me?
Any advice would be much appreciated!
thanks
Su
Adam Retzer Staff answered 7 years ago
Su, I’m sorry it took me so long to respond. I hope this information is still useful.
It sounds like you’re taking all the correct procedures. However, you may want to consider not bathing your dog so often after applying flea drops. It can reduce the effectiveness of the treatments, even though they are labeled as waterproof.
Also, it can be helpful to let the treated dog roam the entire house. Fleas will emerge and jump onto him and be killed when their exposed to the treatment. Adult fleas can stay inside their cocoons for up to 5 months in a quiescent state while they wait for a host. Heat and pressure cause them to wake up and emerge within seconds. Having the dog wander the home can help take care of this problem stage.
Fleas shouldn’t be in your wardrobes or drawers or your son’s plush toys. Fleas aren’t attracted to these kind of things. Fleas are attracted to warm-blooded animals. And they lay their eggs directly on their host. The eggs aren’t sticky and fall off within a few hours. So, the only time fleas would infest clothes and related items is if your dog slept on them, and then eggs fell there.
It’s very possible the fleas are under the decking. It’s common for infested urban wildlife (raccoons, opossums) to take shelter under such areas. Flea eggs then fall there, and dogs can then get infested when they visit the zone. It’s possible that your dog could get re-infested. Check out our page on outdoor flea control.
Re-infestation shouldn’t be too much of a concern. Luckily, the insect growth regulator (IGR) in Indorex will remain active for 7 months indoors and prevents new eggs from developing. To further prevent re-infestation, some pet owners will continue to keep their animals on monthly flea drops.
You should see your problem diminish soon, and eventually be solved with the steps you are taking. It usually take 8 weeks for infestations to end.
Fleas can’t survive on human blood. Without your dog, the infestation would eventually end on it’s own, but not any faster than if your dog stayed and is properly treated.
I am not sure why the fleas are attracted to you in particular. Perhaps you are spending more time in areas where they are developing in the environment? Hot-spots tend to be where the dog spends a lot of time.
Warm regards,
Adam
