To Whom It May Concern,
My husband and I recently uthenized our dog and two weeks later we start getting bites and come to the realization that we have fleas.
I had no idea that our dog had fleas, I think that she did not have fleas as we just moved into a new house a year ago and I’m thinking the fleas were here previously none the less we now have fleas.
My husband and I vacuumed the house upside and down and the next day we had a Pest Control service person come in and spray the house. They used a growth regulator and some other type of chemical that gets rid of fleas. The next day I found a flea again so I called them and they came back again 2 days later. Next day my husband and I vacuumed the house again and I am still finding fleas. While we do not have a huge infestation I have seen 2 fleas in the past two days they are still here.
I have a 8 month old baby and thank goodness they are not biting her only me mostly it seems and my husband a little.
I am now using salt on the rugs. We have no carpet in our home we have hardwood everywhere and laminate in the basement but I do have rugs. I am planning on vacuuming again tomorrow and perhaps buying flea bombs as well and trying to purchase some other products that you have suggested.
I have a few questions:
Is this ever going to go away? I feel like a prisoner in my home to a flea.
Do I have to wash every piece of clothing, curtains etc in my home?
Should I ask for my money back from the Pest Control service?
I would appreciate your input.
Thank you so much.
If you read through our FLEA CONTROL ARTICLE you’ll learn more about what is happening. Basically it’s the flea pupae (third stage of the flea) that’s causing all the issues. Since there is no pet around for them to target, they will all end up on any people present. In most cases this will be one of the local residents and for the time being, it seems like you are their prime target. As our article explains, this is quite normal. Generally it’s the woman in the house that bears the brunt of the flea attacks once a pet is removed.
More importantly, since there is no way to kill them (flea pupae that is), there is no need to keep spraying which isn’t safe for you or your baby. No doubt a good treatment was needed and from what you included in your message above, it would appear that there has been plenty of material applied so I would refrain from any more treatments for the near future. As for your questions and what to do? Here is my response.
First, the problem will in fact go away. Since fleas only live a short while, the pupae will eventually run out and with a good treatment in place, there is no way any flea eggs can develop so in theory the local flea cycle should be broken. Normally this will take 2-4 weeks; in bad cases 4-8 weeks.
Second, there is no need to wash anything beyond what you normally would do.
Third, whether you ask for your money back from the service company your hired or not is a personal decision. If they told you they’d treat once and you’d never see another flea, then you might consider going that route. Of course this would be a huge mistake on their part and risky to say the least because most any “real” flea infestation will take time to run it’s course and it’s perfectly normal for the customer to see more following any treatment. And in cases where the pet is no longer present? These are no doubt the worse.
Lastly, there is a couple of things you should do to help get the rest of the flea pupae to hatch out. The first is continue to vacuum. As our article explains, this will get the pupae to hatch and in the end, this is what you need to happen for the problem to “run out” and be done. You should also install several FLEA TRAPS around the home. These will also get the pupae to hatch because the pupae will perceive the trap as a small animal that’s laying on the ground. Flea Traps will help collect any rogue fleas as well as get the pupae to hatch and by making the trap the target instead of yourself, you can no doubt break the cycle with a lot less fleas bothering you or your family. I also suggest you read our Flea Control article so you can better educate yourself regarding this pest. Knowing what to expect will make dealing with the problem a lot easier. Good luck!
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Flea Traps: www.bugspraycart.com/traps/electric/flea-trap
Flea Control Article: www.flea.net/flea-control
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