Flea Infestation

[kawagino]

Any helpful ideas please.

My daughter has just purchased her first home but the excitement has quickly turned to a nightmare. The house is full of fleas. We have tried all the sprays and bombs that can be bought, taken out any existing carpet, and not moved in any new furniture. She has been bitten badly particularly on her legs. She has now employed Rentokil at the cost of £300 and they treated the house last week. The fleas are still hopping everywhere. They offer one follow up visit but we are losing confidence and they then say she will need a surveyor if the fleas continue.

Has anyone had any experience similar and can offer some advice.

[boxtops]

Not of moving into a new house, no - but I found my own flat full of fleas when one of my cats moved on. They had no cat to jump onto so the hatching fleas jumped onto me instead :-(

If Rentokil treated the house and it didn't work, and there is no animal in the house to keep the flea cycle going, then she needs to get them back to see the position for themselves.

[kawagino]

She has no animals, but the previous couple had a cat. Apart from her bed there is no furniture in the house at the moment. She has removed everything and keeps a few clothes in her car.

[pixie373]

We had this when we moved in. We used flea powder on the carpets, but more importantly, hoovered twice a day. I'm sorry she's having problems.

[Daffy6543]

Which sprays has she used? I have found in the past that the supermarket or pet shop bought ones are next to useless, I always buy from vets now.

[kawagino]

I know she has used a bob martins house spray, 5 bombs in the house were set off and it is a house with tiny rooms, I cannot remember the others. She has been hoovering twice a day every day but since Rentokil came they said not to Hoover.

[RATTER15]

A common problem I'm afraid when taking over an empty house previously occupied by a cat, the house had fleas that were feeding off the cat, now no cat so feeding off you.

You need to use professional pest control, such a shame you used Rentokill, they are the most expensive.

When I was doing pest control, I would have sprayed every inch of carpet in the house, that is essential! ( dont care what its says on the tin from the vet) I would then have used a smoke bomb (no not the ones you buy over the counter). The smoke bomb would kill every living flea within a few hours, the chemical sprayed on the carpets would take care of any eggs that hatch (the smoke has no affect on eggs and leaves no residue) If I was still trading now I would have charged in the region of £100 for a 3 bedroom house.

If Rentokill dont eradicate it on the second treament, go elsewhere and ensure you get a guaranteed treatment!

Fleas often need a second treatment I hasten to add.

Make sure that every inch of carpet is treated. make sure that you dont hoover for a few days after the treatment. When you do hoover, make sure you immediately empty the hoover out side or the fleas will find a way out again.

Good luck.

[pastafreak]

Bob Martin sprays are not very effective. She needs to get either R.I.P., or Indorex sprays. Both are effective for six months...killing eggs and any that hatch out.

Amazon.co.uk User Recommendation

[RATTER15]

I would suggest not buying from vet, it rarely works and is very expensive to treat a house properly with it according to recommendations on tin. If the treatment fails you need to buy the same again.

I think it works out cheaper to treat it professionally, just not by Rentokil!

[kawagino]

Thank you all for your advice. My daughter phoned the council but they did not offer a service to eradicate fleas and the only pest control company we could find locally was Rentokil. We will have to stick with them for their second/follow up visit but feeling pretty down about getting any success. Especially now another £300 down on top of all the other sprays and bombs. Is it stupid to think of just spraying Jeyes fluid or ROUND UP all over the house? Not sure who there is to try after Rentokil. She has no carpet left in the house at all. It is floor boards all over now.

[Buenchico]

I've had major problems with fleas in the past, which nothing seemed to sort out. Then I came across a place selling horse feed and equine equipment. They had a spray which was really intended to be used solely in horse stables but, upon reading the small print on the label, it was clear that it could be used in a domestic environment (IF, and ONLY IF all of the safety precautions were meticulously followed!). One treatment with that stuff did the trick.

[woofgang]

Why would Jeyes fluid or Round Up work? One is a disinfectant and the other is a weedkiller! I have picked up fleas in the course of my job a couple of times, as Pasta says, RIP Flea or Indorex is the stuff. I used RIP Flea. I don't think much of Bob Martin products. I treated a four bedroom house and my car successfully with one can of RIP Flea.
Can I also suggest that she makes sure that she hasn't got rats or mice as they harbour fleas and also keep the grass and weeds well under control in the garden to discourage wildlife for the time being.

[RATTER15]

Kawagino. I dont know where you live but there are usually a few different Pest Control companies servicing most areas.

[kawagino]

That is interesting Buenchico. Do you think it could be Jeyes Fluid, as I remember washing out stables with that?

[RATTER15]

Jeyes fluid should not be used indoors to my knowledge!

[kawagino]

No sign of any rats or mice. Maybe the flea ridden cat dealt with them. My daughter lives in Hampshire. Daughter did remove a compost bin that was quite close to the house shortly after moving in - maybe that was home to a lot of little creatures. It was not very pleasant and too close to the back door.

[pastafreak]

I meant to post this link...it really does work...maybe use along with professional treatment.

Amazon.co.uk User Recommendation

[RATTER15]

It is only cat and dog fleas that will infest your home, usually cat fleas.

[kawagino]

Thank you Pastafreak. I will definitely get her some Indorex to try. We were wondering if what we had been using the fleas had become immune to - similar to rats being immune to the rat poison.

[kawagino]

Thank you all for your input will pass on to daughter all suggestions

[Buenchico]

>>>Do you think it could be Jeyes Fluid

No. It was an 'industrial strength' pesticide of some sort, in a very large spray can.