kristine asked 8 years ago
I have been working on this flea infestation since the end of august! In 5 yrs never had a problem until now and boy it’s a huge! Our cat is an inside only. Has been to the groomer, bathed with dawn soap before going to groomers. Given capstar and frontline plus. combed every other day!(yes, with dawn in the water and disposed of down the toilet). I have used diatomaceous earth (food grade), bombed the house 3 times for every room including the basement. I also used, borax and salt. I also poured flea spray that has Nylar in it, on the concrete! yes, i have kids, and one is so sensitive to flea bites that she needs to see a dermatologist! I have steamed the carpets and furniture. oh, by the way vacuuming is must everyday! My husband travels so i told he had to come home to see what i have been going through. after seeing his daughter suffer for a weekend he said to call the professional in, so i did. They will be back towards the end of this week. The basement is concrete, has my washer and dryer (since this started i have been going to the laundry mat every three days!) Its storage our winter clothes, christmas stuff, cooking extras, and dry good food. yes, it’s been shop vacuum and flea traps. I wear full painter with foot covering on. As you hear them bounce off! The cat has not been in the basement since this all started, he is just now going on the other floors. He has been staying in my kitchen which I am not happy about but it is what it is. And now that it’s getting cold out it was 34 degrees this morning! I put our heat on at 66 degrees. (which is also down in the basement) oh, i did throw away a lot of stuff from the basement. My neighbor thought we were moving! i am so embarrassed of this whole thing! Our one neighbor did say that they, have fleas, too. They think it was from a family of skunks that was visiting the neighborhood over the summer! Yes, they where spotted in our yard by my kids. I really am at my wits end. What else can I do?
Adam Retzer Staff answered 8 years ago
Kristine,
Wow, that sounds like quite the infestation. Sorry to hear you had to deal with this. It’s quite possible that the fleas came from skunks visiting the neighborhood. Other possibilities are feral cats, opossums, or raccoons.
Is the flea infestation getting any better after all the procedures you’ve taken? Is it mostly limited to the basement at this point?
I am not sure what else you can do, as you’ve really been diligent thus far. Just ensure you keep using Frontline Plus monthly for the recommended duration (3-4 months). And continue to shop vacuum the basement often. The Nylar should stay residually active for 7 months.
With all the steps you’ve taken, I’d think the infestation is dying down at this point. However, you’ll likely continue to see fleas here or there for a couple months, especially since the infestation was so severe.
You can help prevent flea bites by wearing long pants and socks. Then tuck the pant legs into the socks.
Let me know if you have any more specific questions.
Adam
