Autumn Polston asked 5 years ago
Hello.
A couple of months ago I took in a sick kitten. When I say take in, I mean she was confined to my backyard. She started getting beat up pretty bad by some other neighborhood cats so at night I started letting her stay in the garage. She never comes into my home and I have to say I do not spend a lot of time with the cat in terms of petting her (sorry). I have put some flea medication on the back of neck every two months as the packet described. But the cat has brought fleas into my garage which have now traveled in with me into my home. I’ve removed the cat from the garage and she’s no longer going to be let in. She’s going to be treated for fleas. But as for the fleas the have found their way into my home and are biting me, how long will it be until they’re gone? I’ve hired a professional pest control company to spray my entire home including the garage for fleas. Will this be enough to keep them from bothering me permanently since I have removed the host – the cat?
Adam Retzer Staff answered 5 years ago
Autumn,
The professional spraying should be enough to eradicate the fleas and prevent them from coming back. They likely sprayed an insect growth regulator (IGR) which is an insect hormone mimic. It will prevent eggs and larvae from becoming adults, and will last for 7 months.
Without an animal host in the home, the fleas shouldn’t able to survive and reproduce. The exception would be if they are human fleas, but even then, the IGR will stop them.
It usually takes around 8 weeks for infestation to end after treatment. This is because immature stages make up the bulk of the infestation. They live in protected micro-habitats (deep within carpets) where sprays can’t penetrate well. So time is needed for this last generation to mature, emerge as adults, and die.
Vacuuming regularly is a good way to speed up the eradication process.
I hope this helps!
Adam
