khristy asked 7 years ago
August 7th I found a flea in my kitchen (tile floor) and immediately knew I needed to treat my indoor cat (whom I let on the front porch a couple weeks prior to that). I put advantage 2 on him and naively thought that would take care of it. Two weeks later I returned from a weekend vacation to find fleas covering my feet when I stood in the kitchen. This was August 20th. Since then I have fogged my house, vacuumed nearly every day, washed blankets, had orkin treat my house THREE times, bombed my crawl space with an enforcer flea fogger, and continually spray the area in my kitchen that I’m seeing fleas with Precor. My cat had a seresto collar and I have a gate up to my kitchen because that seems to be the place I’m seeing the fleas. I have sprayed my yard twice and wear white knee socks anytime im in my yard or my house. I’m not seeing the fleas anywhere except the kitchen, but I know there must still be an occasional one in the living room because my poor kitty (though he has a new seresto collar on) goes through itchy phases. I am seeing the fleas behind my stove so I’ve moved that out, sprayed that area frequently with precor, and surrounded it with sticky traps to try and catch any that get past the precor treatment. I’m at my wits end. I bombed the crawl space this past Wednesday and orkin treated the whole house inside and I’m still catching 15+ fleas on the sticky trap. I don’t know what else I can do?! Please help, any advice would be beneficial. Thank you!!
Adam Retzer Staff answered 7 years ago
Khristy,
It sounds you’ve taken all the correct measures already. It’s important to keep in mind that while these techniques are effective, they won’t end an infestation immediately. In most cases, it takes around 8 weeks (sometimes longer) after proper treatment is employed before the infestation ends. Until then, it normal to continue seeing fleas, in diminishing numbers as time goes on.
The adulticides in sprays primarily affect adult fleas, which only account for 1-5% of the infestation. The insect growth regulator (IGR) in the spray mimics insect hormones and will prevent eggs and larvae from developing. However, many of the immature stages in the environment won’t be affected, because they develop in protected refuges (such as deep within carpets) where sprays can’t penetrate well. For these stages to die, they need to mature into adults and emerge. They’ll die when you vacuum or when they reach the treated cat.
With the cat treated and the environment sprayed with an IGR, the fleas you are currently seeing should be the last generation. It will just take a bit of patience now for them to die out.
Spraying frequently with Precor isn’t necessary. The IGR is the most important ingredient, and it will remain active for 7 months. The adulticide has a short residual effect.
Hope this helps,
Adam
