dawn asked 9 years ago
my daughter is in college and her roommate has 2 cats in Florida. the apt has been infested for a couple months now so my daughter is not living there yet she does have items there that she is moving out. What precautions should she take to be sure she doesn’t move any of the fleas with her. She is completely grossed out and wants to be sure they are not in her car or anywhere else.
Adam Retzer Staff answered 9 years ago
Dawn,
Sorry to hear about your daughter’s problems. Luckily, she shouldn’t have much to worry about without pets herself.
The flea stages to be concerned about are pre-adults (eggs, larvae, and pupae). These stages develop in the environment, largely carpeting.
Young adults sometimes bite humans when their preferred host isn’t around. They only stay on people for a short period of time. However, once adults reach a dog or cat, they stay there permanently.
The primary items to be worried about are those that lay on the floor, or those that the cats frequently sleep/rest/groom on. Common examples are rugs, kennels, and pet bedding.
Laundering clothes and bedding will kill any possible fleas. However, these items aren’t likely to harbor any fleas to begin with (unless the cats slept on the bed or clothes).
There shouldn’t be any fleas in her car unless the cats were there. Still, fleas won’t be able to survive in a car during warm months. It gets too hot and they die.
