Hello,
Thank you for the compliments on the site!
You should definitely be towards the end of your problem. The fleas won’t be able to reproduce without any animals to feed on. They can’t reproduce on human blood. So, you’re seeing the last generation. That is, of course, assuming there are no animals in the home. Make sure no wild animals are living in the crawl space, attic, etc.
Enough time has passed where the eggs, larvae and pupae are completely gone. The only remaining stage left is the adults. The fleas you’re seeing are most likely adults emerging from their dormant-like stage. These ‘pre-emerge adults’ can remain inside their cocoons until they sense nearby heat and pressure, which indicates a host.
Unfortunately, insecticide treatments are least effective against pupae and pre-emerged adults. They are semi-resistant to treatments, plus they’re often protected in the environment beneath the carpet canopy (or within cracks of hardwood, etc). This is probably why you’re still seeing new fleas emerge after spraying and hiring an exterminator.
Here’s the good news: the pre-emerged adult stage can’t last beyond 5-6 months. Even without doing further decontamination, the problem will soon end on its own since you don’t have pets.
If you want to speed up the process, employ a regular vacuuming routine. Heat and pressure from the vacuuming will mimic a host and cause the cocooned fleas to emerge. The exterminator probably told you not to vacuum because it may remove some residual insecticide. However, vacuuming is best way to get the pre-emerged adults to emerge.
Ripping up the baseboards seems like an extreme measure. Especially considering the fleas should be extinct within your home soon. Though, I don’t know the full extent of your situation.
Wish you the best!
Adam
