south1607 asked 6 years ago
Hi!
Thanks for all the awesome info, it’s helped keep us sane while we’re dealing with an infestation.
We just moved into a first floor apartment that is all hardwood floors. No carpet anywhere. We have a pretty heavy flea issue though and can’t find the source. We don’t have pets and they seem to be concentrated in the kitchen and bed. We’ve fogged which took care of the problem for about 4 days and are washing the bedding in hot water every 3 days but they’re back and biting.
Any advice on finding where they’re coming from?
Adam Retzer Staff answered 6 years ago
Hello,
It makes sense that fleas came back after 4 days. Traditional insecticides don’t remain active for very long. And they primarily kill adult fleas, which only make up 1-5% of infestations. The bulk of infestations are immature stages living in the environment. This is why an insect growth regulator (IGR) is better for environmental flea control. An IGR will last for 7 months indoors, preventing eggs and larvae from becoming adults.
Even with an IGR, many immature stages won’t be affected right away. This is because they live within protected refuges where sprays can’t penetrate well. Fleas present at the time of spraying will eventually mature into adults and emerge. However, it should be the last generation of adults, as new eggs will get exposed to the IGR.
Did the fogger you used contain an IGR? The two common ingredients are pyriproxyfen (Nylar) and methoprene (Precor). Also, foggers aren’t considered as effective as pressurized sprays, which can be directed into flea habitats. Read more information on foggers vs sprays.
Also, are you vacuuming regularly?
It’s strange you have fleas without pets. You may be dealing with human fleas (P. irritans). This is a somewhat rare species, but it can survive and reproduce on human blood.
Here is how to identify human fleas.
You also may have some other pest that is acting as a host to fleas. For example, rodents may be living in your home. Or a bird may have a nest outside nearby. Or a raccoon or opossum may have gotten in the attic somehow.
Flea traps are useful for identifying where fleas are located, and can give you a better idea of where they are coming from.
It may be a good idea to hire a pest professional if you aren’t able to identify the host and source of the infestation.
I hope this helps!
Adam
south1607
replied 6 years ago Hey Adam, thanks for the reply! We really appreciate all the info. We did hire a professional who sprayed an aerosol with insecticide and IGR on the floors of our place. He retreated yesterday and said that should be enough to take care of the problem. Fingers crossed!
danielle2510 answered 6 years ago
Update on what happened with your flea problem after the two exterminator sprays?
south1607
replied 6 years ago So they came back again after the second round. The exterminators returned again one week ago and did the whole adulticide/IGR treatment and we haven’t seen anything since then but it took about 10 days for them to return after spray #2. I’ve read it can take up to 4-6 treatments for full extermination.
The landlord patched two large holes in the exterior wall that we believe squirrels were using as nests. We’ve also taken to sealing our baseboards because we think that’s how they are getting in. We found several areas where there was up to 1/4″ separation between the floor and the baseboard which could allow any fleas from animals in the walls to enter the room.
danielle2510
replied 6 years ago Are you seeing them in large amounts when they come back or just a few? We are on the fourth spray now. Second of precor ourselves before then whatever the exterminator sprayed they did that twice. And we are still seeing a few every few days. It’s super frustrating and I’m at my wits end seeing them.
