skm10 asked 8 years ago
Thank you for your informative site. I would like to know if ALL life stages of fleas are killed when I wash laundry in hot water and dry in a hot dryer. I understand that adult fleas, larvae and eggs will be killed but I know cocoons are very tough to kill. I have some bedding and old clothing that my cat has slept on a lot and I am sure they were the source of fleas. I am wondering if I should just throw them out instead of laundering. For example, I washed a blanket in hot water twice (and dried) and I still see white spots on it. I’m nervous about bringing it back into my house. Thanks for your input.
Adam Retzer Staff answered 8 years ago
Yes, all the life stage should die. The cocoons won’t be able to survive the laundering and drying process. The cocoon wouldn’t provide any significant protection to the fleas. You won’t need to throw away the blankets and garments.
I’m not sure what the white spots are, but I doubt they are related to fleas. If you’d like, you can take some pictures of them, upload to imgur.com, and I can confirm it.
Cocoons are difficult to get rid of because larvae tend to spin cocoons at the base of carpets. The silk fibers get incorporated into the carpet matrix, making them hard to remove. Sprays and vacuuming can’t reach them well.
I hope this helps, and I apologize for the delayed response.
Adam
fl answered 7 years ago
fleas came out from these spots
Hi , I was wondering if you or someone has found out about the white spots you are talking about ?? I also see them on my cats and cloths that I have washed . I bought a cat tree 1year ago from a goodwill store ,had no idea it was infested !! 2weeks later I did ! It was in all 4 cars , on all 4 cats and my dog . In my garage and all through my 3000 sq. ft house !! And yard ! Things are slowing down a little now ! Anyways no one can tell me what the white spots are I am seeing and finding ! It reminds me of tephlon tape , and then the other white stuff looks like salt . That I’m thinking could be the eggs , but they are very white . Any info would be helpful ! This has been my worst nightmare ! I apologize to my cats and my dog everyday !
Can you get a picture of the white spots? The salt-like material could very well be eggs. The tape-like material is a bit more confounding. Could it be dandruff? I’ve also heard other visitors mention tapeworm segments.
Getting fleas from a used cat tree sounds very annoying. Sneaky way to spread an infestation. Sorry to hear about that.