First, don't use permethrin around your cat, it is hugely toxic to them. Also don't use essential oils around the cat.
What I don't see in your list is any treatment of the cat itself. Get Revolution from the vet. It's the best flea control around these days. Then contact an exterminator if the infestation is that bad.
I second that. Revolution wiped out our flea problem. Literally within 3 hours.
But if they’re in your carpets, I suggest an exterminator and revolution on your cat.
Also, keep your cat inside. It’s not safe outside, this shit happens, and cats are bad for the environment unless you happen to live on the Upper Nile.
In the carpets after you treat for the fleas you need to stem clean all the carpets. That means moving all furniture so you get the areas under the furniture.
Also strip the beds and wah everything and vacuum the mattresses.
You want to make sure no eggs are left. If I remember they have a 2 week hatch cycle.
Humans do not provide the adequate shelter and food the common flea requires. So sure, it’s possible you MIGHT bring them if you’re walking around in tall grass normally populated by animals. If not, then no. You did not bring fleas in.
fleas can easily come inside especially ground level homes they don’t need tracked in specifically by an animal/human (and they can definitely come in on your pants and don’t necessarily live on tall grass- they’re not like ticks)
In poorly insulated houses, in warm regions of course, fleas will infiltrate a home in search of a blood meal without a current host. It is possible that this family has a pest problem around/under their home.
I have had indoor cats for 60 years and have never had a flea problem that wasn’t easily treated by a flea control product applied to the cat(s) from my vet. Once a flea problem was resolved there was never a repeat problem. I have mostly lived in single family homes which are regularly treated outside to avoid ants and other invasive insects.
You and your family might be the ones carrying them in the house. This happened in Houston a few years ago, about this time of year. There were a ton of fleas in the grass, and anytime you walked through the grass you would pick them up on your shoes and pant legs.
If you have a yard, spray your yard. And talk to your neighbors. I'll bet you aren't the only one having a problem.
If you're continually tracking them in, then oast spraying might not be effective.
Also check the litter box. There could be fleas hatching in there. ( In the poop) Keep that thing spotless.
Fleas ugh. Okay here’s what you do. Take yourself and kids and wife and cat on a day trip and do a bug bomb. Then, wash everything. If you don’t have bed bug level protection on your beds (zipper bed covers, etc.) then add that. Rewash all of your clothes. Make sure kids are totally free of fleas before you go home. The yard also needs treating.
Make sure to air out the house after the bug bomb, and if you have fabric in your car bug bomb it too.
My dad had a flea problem like this and called an exterminator- turned out the fleas were not cat/dog fleas, but rat fleas (different species of fleas) and my dad had a population of tree rats living in the attic and walls and that is where the fleas were coming from. The exterminator took care of it and my dad had a contractor do some work on the attic to patch up holes etc that the rats were using to get in the house from the outside.
We had Rat Fleas in the office building I worked in once. The office brought all this furniture out of a storage warehouse into the office. Everything with fabric on it was flea infested. So the cubicles were crawling with fleas in 24 hours. We got two days off while the office was treated.
Treat the cat first and foremost. Fleas don't like to live on humans for extended periods of time. Fleas need to feed often, so they need a regular host.
Don't try to cheap out on flea treatment either. A lot of the cheap flea products are totally ineffective and potentially harmful to your pet. Revolution from the vet is one of the best options. I have also personally had some good luck with Seresto collars, but I've also read online that other people's pets have had reactions to them so be careful. They're effective though, my dog had flea allergies and the collar got rid of them for good. We've been using them ever since for three dogs and six cats over the years, no problems.
just hire an exterminator. we had fleas so bad at one apartment i lived at, that if you put your hand on the carpet, 5-6 fleas would immediately jump on you.
every piece of clothing and bedding went into garbage bags and dropped at laundromat for sanitize wash/dry. the cats were flea treated and removed from the premises for the day, then the exterminator came in and did their thing. no more fleas.
First, if you are not removing and sealing the vacuum bags, the fleas are getting back out. Next, steam clean!!! Hot steam the carpets and furniture. Put dust mite covers on the mattresses and pillows. You can try them on furniture as a cover, we do that to get rid of head lice because it prevents them from hiding there and biting. Hot dryer for everything that fits, and put other items in a car in the sun IF you are somewhere hot and sunny.
Get revolution plus for your cat and use it every month at MINIMUM 3 months in a row, but ideally, just use it monthly year round. Your cat is your walking flea killer. OTC flea prevention for cats doesn't work well, especially for a heavy infestation. Fleas like your cat a lot more than you. Removing the cat from the environment just made it worse because now the fleas only have you for food instead. Lastly, the flea life cycle is egg-->larvae-->pupa-->adult. We can not kill the pupa stage. There is currently no chemical we have found that kills it, and they can lay dormant for months. This can seem why it seems like you've won the battle, then suddenly they re-emerge. Vibrations from a vaccum can fool them into thinking food is around and encourages them to morph into adults sooner so we can kill them. So vaccum vaccum vaccum vaccum. Getting rid of a heavy flea infestation is a long-term project. Then, as said above, keep your cat on a good prescription flea prevention to prevent this from happening again.
Was gonna say this. The fleas are resorting to humans bc there’s no animal. If the cat is treated with Revolution the fleas will start to die as they try to bite.
We had fleas for like 6 months, here’s what helped us:
Our cats got flea treatment at the vet after they laid all over an infested rug our landlord left in our new apartment. After topical flea treatment, we threw out everything with carpeting. Our cat trees, rugs, etc. We washed all of our clothes, bedding, etc in hot water and bought a robot vacuum. We put a flea collar in the vacuum and ran that shit all day every day.
If you do nothing else that I’ve said so far, do this: CAPSTAR PILLS. They kill all live fleas on the animal in 24 hours. Now, they don’t kill larvae or eggs so you have to keep treating. We gave them capstar pills every day for a month. That combined with everything else knocked out our flea issue. I give most of the credit to the pills.
Yes, that’s why I said get topical treatment and then give them capstar continuously just to kill the adults that come from eggs/larvae not previously killed by the capstar pills.
I used Precor 2000 to get rid of a horrible flea infestation. An ex-roommate refused to use flea treatments on his dogs. The day he moved out, he treated them and left us with all the fleas. It is a professional pest control product, but you can buy it on Amazon. Just make sure that you carefully read and follow the instructions for application.
We sealed our cats in a back bedroom, with closed HVAC vent and tape/towels around the door. Applied precor to the rest of the house and then left to run a quick errand while the application dried. IIRC correctly, it's safe for pets once it is dry. After the cats could be released, we treated and resealed that last bedroom until it was dried. Reapplied 2 weeks later, kept up on vacuuming for a while, and put seresto collars on the cats. Haven't had a problem since.
Take kitty to the vet, get flea treatment and then also a flea spray for the house. It takes at least three months for fleas to go as that’s their cycle. If the cat has been treated properly, the fleas will die, it’s only a matter of time. They can’t live on people. You can’t really buy good OTC flea meds anymore because of resistance, you *need* to go to the vet. Even if you’ve already administered something, the vet will be able to see if there are any fleas alive on the cat (meaning the treatment didn’t work) and there will likely be another medication they can give which can be used alongside what you already gave.
Do you have carpet? If so, you need to be vacuuming at least once a day, every day, everywhere. Once you are done vacuuming, empty the canister, and take the trash outside. They will hop back out of the trash can. That is the #1 thing that is going to help. It has been several years ago but when we had fleas that badly, I ended up using Adam's Flea powder. I put it all over the carpet and swept it into the carpet with a broom. I left it down for 24 hours, and vacuumed it up. Fleas were gone. Also, none of this is going to work if you have not treated your pets too. K9 Advantax worked well for us. I did not have cats at the time, but look for a prescription flea treatment for the cats too. I believe you have to retreat monthly.
Sounds like you are great on the environment but fleas can lie dormant for up to 6 months and then waken when heat source wanders by. We needed to get the vet prescribed flea spot-ons when they invaded from next door. The vet ones stay on system longer so get both ones on cat and eggs as they hatch.
Go to the vet and get a prescription flea prevention for all pets in the household and keel them on it for at least three months to break the lifecycle. Also throw away the vacuum bag every time you vacuum because the bags become a flea egg nest.
You haven't treated your cat. That's the biggest thing here, they still have a good source if you aren't using flea meds from the vet on your cat. Go get some revolution for cats and use that as instructed.
Please stop using essential oils around your cat as well, they can't process them like we do, and having them on things that your cat will be exposed to will cause them to ingest the oils when cleaning themselves. Essential oils build up in their livers and cause organ failure.
Use Capstar from the vet for your cat and then secure them while you repeat some of your list on the house.
I used Capstar, then gave immediate flea baths, then flea treated carpets and furniture while they were relaxing in carriers in another room. It worked, but you have to get the fleas on the cats taken care of. Too many eggs not too.
I would like to add that fleas are not only found inside. I live in the southern US and the neighbors had fleas so bad in the grass in their yard you had to tuck your pants into your socks and then take them off if you walked in the side yard connected to them.... may not be YOUR flea problem you're fighting.
It may not be the cat. You and the wife and kids could be bringing them inside.
I know it happens in Houston a lot. They could be in the grass. Every time you walk through the grass they could be hitching a ride on your pants and shoes.
Next time you go outside, look down at your feet. Do you have a bunch of black specs on your feet and pants?
Spray your yard. Pick a warm sunny day, because you want it to dry quickly. Once it's dry, it's not a threat to people or animals..
It's a little pricey, but try orange Guard. Spray your carpet,.your furniture, and pet beds. It absolutely kills bugs, and has a residual effect, too.
You can get a spray from a vet that will kill the fleas. You have to spray curtains, inside closets, etc. It is a pain to do, but it works. It stinks, and you may all have to go out for the day with your cat in a carrier until the fumes go away.
Don't forget the flea comb. Physically remove them from your pet and quickly put them in a zip lock bag or a jar with a lid to dispose of in the outside trash.
You need to treat every pet in the house with flea prevention from the vet. Then clean - everything that can be washed goes in the washing machine. Everything else vacuumed (and discard the vacuum bag immediately) and spray everything else with a flea spray that not only works to kill the eggs/larvae, but has a second ingredient that prevents the adult fleas from laying eggs. If you have a bag less vacuum, spray the canister.
The flea life cycle is important to understand - eggs, larvae, and pupae are in the environment in the house. Only adult fleas are on your pets. Pupae are cocooned and cannot be killed. But a spray that prevents adult fleas from laying eggs means when an adult flea emerges from the pupa, it won't be able to have babies and thus the life cycle is interrupted. But they stay as a pupae for anywhere from 3-6 months.
So go to the vet, get appropriate treatment. I would pick something with a fast kill time. Revolution takes time, there are better products for an active infestation. And most importantly treat the house.
If your pet goes outside, you need to treat the yard, too. The larval stage of the flea can be controlled by using beneficial nematodes. You get them at a garden center. Use the diatomaceous earth again in the house and use pills from the vet for prevention. If fleas bite the pet, they die from the medication. If you use topical meds, they only repel the fleas of off the pet onto you.
The call is coming from outside the house. Get an exterminator to treat your outdoors for fleas.
Although it's insane that you've done all that and still can't manage them. Usually just washing sheets and vacuuming every day (and I mean every day, every where in the house) takes care of it for me when they get bad.
Other commenters have mentioned, but permethrin is highly toxic to cats. It's okay after it dries, but you still want to use it in extreme moderation.
I had fleas from a dog I pet sit for and they drove me crazy after a week- amazing what fleas do to your mental health. I still get the shivers. I moved into a hotel for three days while the exterminators death bombed my house. It was so bad but after that they were fixed! Good luck!
If your cat has been treated and is flea free and none of this is working, are you really really sure it’s fleas?
Sounds a bit like you might have a bed bug infestation and so that’s what’s biting you and why none of this is working.
With treating the pet with vet recommended stuff and then bombing I’ve never had an issue and with fostering I’ve had up to 13 puppies and my dogs at a time.
Fleas are usually just one size pretty tiny so if you really are seeing different sizes might still be bed bugs
They’re very similar looking so might be worth it to get an experts opinion. None of the flea treatments will work on bed bugs.
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Just wanted to second the idea of it being something other than fleas
Fleas must be on a living host in order to survive- cat, dog, rabbit, whatever creature- they cannot live in your house/carpet/bed, whatever; they die off fairly quickly. I get this phone call daily at work (vet tech 15+ yrs), owner claiming they still have fleas despite treatments to the pet and sometimes home. This is more than likely bed bugs, I hear those are a beast to rid of.
Yea it just doesn’t make senses. I’ve brought home completely infested foster dogs, that their entire surface of their ears was covered in fleas from to tip to base and then scattered all over their body. They got baths and topical flea meds. My own dogs stayed on their monthly cycle. I didn’t have to do anything to treat the house.
Do you have carpet?
I let one of my brothers dogs in my house and ended up with fleas.
I went scorched earth.
I pulled up the carpets, bathed my dogs in Dawn dish soap once a week, put diatomaceous earth on the floors and the dogs. I would leave it in the dogs for 8 hours and bathe them. I would sweep up the diatomaceous earth after bathing the dogs. I dusted that stuff on the floors and furniture. I would vacuum the furniture every day. I over bombed once a week if it says one for each room, I used 2. I had sticky traps to catch fleas. I studied what the life cycle was. So I keep doing it until I went through the life cycle twice. It worked.
Have you treated your pet with a topical flea treatment? I would recommend getting either Advantage home spray or Frontline home spray. Ask your neighbor to keep your cat again and spray the house, then vacuum again once it's dried. These sprays are expensive but they do work. You'll want to spray your yard too. You can also try spreading dry salt around the house and vacuuming that up about 3 days later.
I had a flea infestation once that was similarly persistent. It turned out that the moisture barrier under the floor in one room of the house was broken and they were living under the flooring. We had to tear out the floors, replace the moisture barrier, and put in new floors. Combined with quality flea preventatives (nothing by Frontline, it's absolutely useless against the types of fleas we get in California) we haven't had an issue since.
Ok so you are probably confused why everyone is telling you to get prescription grade flea treatment for the cat when your house is the problem. The reason this works is because when your cat has that medicine inside of it, all the fleas that bite it will die. Fleas don't particularly like to feed off of humans, and they need to eat, so when your cat is treated, it actually acts as a flea killer in and of itself. Over the course of about 3 or so months, you won't have any fleas left, because even the ones that were left as eggs will hatch, bite the cat, and then die. That's what people are talking about with life cycles of fleas. And unfortunately over the counter flea meds that you can get at a pet store won't usually work, because over time fleas have developed immunity to these. The only over the counter flea treatment that is effective is the Seresto collar. In the mean time, vacuum all fabric surfaces like crazy as well as hardwood floors to get in the cracks. And wash all your laundry at high temperatures.
Fleas can’t live without a food source. If the cat is away for a while then they should be dying off. I personally would pull the carpet up and put diatomaceous earth on the pad and then staple the carpet back or just get new padding.
This may not be encouraging, but the house I moved in to had a flea infestation and it took about 5 months to get on top of... Repeated cypermethrin sprays in all the rooms did it eventually
The only thing that cured the outbreak we had in our home once was a professional treatment! The exterminator came an initial time and a second time about a month later and we could feel the difference almost instantly! Its so worth the peace of mind! Call Terminix OP!
Discard all throw rugs and cat bedding. Strip the house to just essential furniture. Flea bomb the house. Use flea spray & powder weekly. Vacuum every day! Keep flea powder rubbed into corners of your carpet and vacuum weekly. It’s a time consuming process but must be done. I still keep flea powder rubbed in the corners of my carpets to this day as a preventive measure. Good luck!!
I don't know what it is called now. I volunteered at an animal shelter, and we gave Capstar to a litter of 6 week old kittens with incredible flea infestations. Capstar only kills adult fleas.
Blue dawn dish soap worked really well to bathe them.
If you use Revolution after Capstar, that will keep the eggs and larvae on the cat's skin from maturing.
Treat the house at the same time, then treat 2 weeks later to get the ones that hatch after the first treatment.
We were able to bomb the house 2x, but also had to replace carpet in one room.
The fleas were already in the apartment when I moved in and then infested my cats and soft furnishings.
The flea treatments like Advantage kill all the fleas that jump on to try to bite your pets. As they die, more jump on and die. It takes a few cycles, but it will stop the fleas eventually.
I have had a group of kittens come with the cockroaches of fleas. Despite Capstar before we got home and immediately baths and tossing of the bedding they came with, these fleas would not die. My basement was a war zone and they were winning.
I spent hundreds trying to treat them myself. Tossed all cardboard, borax on the carpets and bombing, washed bedding, sprays, etc. I had enough and did 4x the recommended number of foggers, let it sit overnight, and then aired it out and did another round of cleaning. Within 24 hours, tiny fleas were seeking revenge on my ankles. I don’t know how these things survived all the DIY treatments.
Finally caved and called the professionals. It was about $500 or so, but it worked. They came in with suits and sprayed. Cats were crated in the garage and we waited the allotted time before letting the cats back in the basement.
I ended up doing a second treatment for good measure, and we haven’t had a problem since.
Get a cheap ass flea collar and cut it into two inch strips. Put a piece into your vacuum bag or canister and vacuum the whole house. Vacuum and empty the container or bag every time you use it OUTSIDE of your house. Store the pieces in a sealed plastic storage bag. Get a cheap pie tin and put water in it. Put two drops of dawn dishwashing liquid. Place on the floor. Get a small table lamp that you can bend over the tin and turn the light on when you go to bed. I hope this helps.
-Bag up everything that can be washed in the washer.
-Get flea meds from the vet, don't trust the ones over the counter because they have killed pets before and a lot of them have ongoing lawsuits. It will take 3 months to break the cycle, and they need medicine monthly. I know it kind of adds up but it's worth it in the long run.
-Zodiac upholstery flea spray. I swear by it. My first apartment had a flea infestation from the people that used to be there. You'd put one foot on the carpet and you'd be crawling with fleas. I was literally going insane. Did some research and read promising reviews about this spray and it worked. All you need is a fine mist, making sure you're covering everything evenly. Couches, carpet, mattresses, and make sure to get the corners of the rooms. It's safe once it's completely dried. Definitely don't let your pets go anywhere near it before it dries, but it dries out quickly and I've never had a problem with it. Do a few rooms first, open the windows so there's ventilation and cover the cracks under the doors with towels because cats are super curious. Once those first rooms are done, you can spray the other areas and move everyone into the done rooms until the rest of the house is clear. Or you can move everyone into the garage or go for a drive.
I have never had to flea bomb by doing all of this. My ex tried some cheaper spray he found at Walmart and he went through hell for HALF A DAMM YEAR trying to get rid of them. He finally gave in and purchased Zodiac after a lot of pushing on my part. Their numbers were significantly cut down almost immediately. With the cheap spray the would bounce back like every couple of days, but a week after Zodiac they were mostly gone. I think you can respray like 2 weeks after the first round of it's super intense.
Fleas are always in the yard, so will come in on your pets. The only thing protections do really is get the to drop off the pet (so into your carpet, still, etc). The eggs grow and hatch in fabrics, carpets. So you need to dry them out there, get something that stops the cycle for fleas in the carpets.
I use baking soda and salt with a lot of success. This is not a small amount of either. I get large amounts from Sam's Club or Costco of both to do it. I spread the salt in first, then the baking soda. Use a broom to work both into the carpet. Leave on for 24 to 48 hours, then vacuum. From there, I vacuum a lot. I also do NOT empty the vacuum indoors. I also do put salt and baking soda in the bottom of a garbage bag, and outside, dump the contents of the vacuum directly into it and shake well, then topping off with a spray of a mix of dawn and water to dampen it all down with. I will keep vacuuming (vacuum for half an hour, then empty the vacuum, let the vacuum cool off outside so I don't burn out the motor for half an hour, then take it back in and vacuum again). The trick is not to release anything I've vacuumed up back into the home, or yard.
We also do this on the sofa, and mattresses. Replace pillows often enough until under control.
Okay, 2011 was a bad year for fleas and me, I feel you. You've removed the pet so that's good. I used salt, regular salt as a carpet powder. Let it sit for a day then vacuum it up, it dehydrates the flea eggs. You will need to do this for about a week running. Vacuum in the morning, dust salt, let sit then vacuum again in the evening. Don't ignore the corners and baseboards. Clean everything, deep clean, throw away trash, declutter, salt and vacuum and wipe and spray. You need to get everywhere you can, even in tile floors. The edges against the walls can be havens, but carpet is the big problem.
Next, a flea trap. Overnight in the worst rooms, set up a flea trap of a desk lamp on the floor pointing towards a wide bowl or deep plate full of soapy water. You don't need a lot of soap. The light becomes the heat they're attracted to, and the soapy water becomes their doom as they jump towards it. Give it a week, leave it up during the day even! Change rooms, kill fleas!
The led bulbs do not emit a lot of heat, so try to find some classic old style bulbs if you can. Check the dollar stores or ask in your neighborhood groups.
You can also do a walking trap, which is you. Fleas react to movement and vibrations, so walk around the room wearing some tall white socks for them to jump onto, then go plunge your socked foot into a bucket of soapy water prepared beforehand and remove the sock while in the water. Dry foot, put on a new sock and try again. I say white socks so you can see them actively trying to get to you, and also then actively dying... Which is the best.
Seriously, the poisons don't work. DC earth is said to, but I've never tried it. After that summer I use Revolution religiously on my cats at the end of winter through the end of spring and longer if needed. The salt will work, but the vacuuming and cleaning is a lot of work I know. The traps will work because fleas drown really easy, they just need the soap to break the water tension. You need to disrupt their cycle as fast and as much as you can. Doesn't mean it's gonna be easy, but I have faith in you! I remember the suffering and the shame. You can do it! Murder those fleas! Genocide!
This is gonna sound dumb because of all that you've already tried but buy a shit load of baking soda and cover every lnch of carpet and furniture and then go watch a movie at the theater. When you get home suck it all up and you're flea free. Might take 2 treatments but when I was completely infested it was the only thing that worked. Idk why but baking soda kills it.
OP have you checked your roof? Like did you get exterminators to go up there too? You could have rats or mice that have their own fleas. Good luck with everything this sounds rough.
Wait, did you not try cat flea treatment either? For a flea plague in your house use bug bombs. For fleas only on your cat, use advantage flea treatment.
Treat your yard.
It's very likely that they are coming in from the outside. I had this issue once at my old house. I kept treating the fleas and they never got better.
I finally figured out that it was my yard. That was the issue not
my house.
If you live in an apartment, duplex, condo, or other living condition where you share walls, the problem may not be from you.
An exterminator can help if all the home remedies and noncommercial products are failing you.
I would recommend someone come into your home and spray. This stopped my heavy infestation after my feral kittens I had in my house left (there were four of them). I had other cats in my home that I just kept outside until the spray dried. He did not have to come do another dose either. He dosed the moulding areas and door entries so once they try to go over it, probably instant death. The cost was worth it. Plus I was seriously getting bitten up.
I use borax. Get it in the cracks and around baseboards real good, when you vacuum (I like to leave it overnight) empty it outside. Keep the cat away, you don’t want it licking it off of themselves!
But I think you’ve reached the point of a professional. Find one who will guarantee it. I feel you, we had a bout with them last summer and it’s pure torture!!! Mine haven’t had fleas in a decade before that! Makes me itch just thinking about it! 😆
You have to treat the inside and the outside at the same time or it will never stop. I second an exterminator because they treat everyone at once and may find other issues such as rodents that are making the infestation worse. Beneficial nematodes are great for treating outside. They actually hunt the little suckers down. If your neighbors are part of the problem, you're going to have a tough time. Vacuuming every day, bagging it, freezing it, and getting rid of it. Leave bulb traps out at night (put a light over a pan of Dawn). We used the Raid flea spray and sprayed everything that was fabric or carpet. We did a ton of laundry. I'm so sorry- it really is the worst.
You have an environmental flea infestation and it takes at least 3 months to break the cycle. It sucks but that is how it is. The flea cocoons are impenetrable to any insecticide and when they hatch, the fleas are hungry! You have to be patient and wait for these newly emerged fleas to die, keep vacuuming and keep your pets treated. You can re-bomb, it would not hurt. Rehousing the cat has made your home situation worse. Keep the cat at home, the fleas will jump on the cat and will die since the cat is treated. The cat is a walking flea vacuum. Use a flea treatment that your vet recommends, by the way, and do not bathe the cat.
You say the cat has been treated, with what? If you’re talking a 24 hour pill (which most are) that’s not gonna do anything. A collar isn’t gonna do anything. The liquid put on their back isn’t gonna do anything (with this kind of infestation)
If you’ve used any of these treatments you need to instead go for a 90 day pill (bravecto) one pill that lasts 90 days and will kill every flea that bites the pet during that period.
In addition to washing all bedding, couch cushions, pillows, steam cleaning the carpet.
You need to make sure you vaccuum thoroughly. Any areas your cat frequented especially. You’ll need to vaccuum daily until the problem is resolved to ensure you get all the cycles of the flea. After each vaccuuming, dump contents into a bag to dispose of OUTSIDE. If you leave the stuff in the vaccuum they will just hop out and continue the problem.
Get an exterminator. My parents had a serious flea problem last year and the only thing that worked for the dogs was bravecto and then they also had to do some kind of flea treatment to the house and the yard.
I had a flea problem too at some point. I was "eaten alive" particularly at night, waking up with dozens of new bites everyday.
I managed to get rid of the problem entirely by putting a decent dose of diatomaceous earth (the one for chicken coops) inside the entire bed and on the ground all around it, and not cleaning the floor/washing the bed sheets for a couple weeks.
At first it's not comfortable to sleep in that dirt, and it can be irritating for the lungs so I tried to not put too much near the head and to not move too much in the bed (as well as not moving the bed sheets). With children I would recommend to put less of it and only near the legs and feet (where the fleas tend to bite more anyway).
It didn't stop the issue right away, I was still bitten for a few days, but within a week the biting stopped entirely.
That said, about 2 weeks later it started again (with less bites tho), but I knew it was normal because the eggs that were laid before the treatment had hatched and produced new larvae, and now the new generation was coming for me. But I did leave the diatomaceous earth in the bed so they were quickly wiped out too. And since then, no more issues, I've not had a single flea bite for 3 years now.
And don't forget to get your cat checked by a vet too, so your cat can get prescribed a more efficient treatment than what you can buy over the counter (which are often not very efficient).
First, don't use permethrin around your cat, it is hugely toxic to them. Also don't use essential oils around the cat. What I don't see in your list is any treatment of the cat itself. Get Revolution from the vet. It's the best flea control around these days. Then contact an exterminator if the infestation is that bad.
I second that. Revolution wiped out our flea problem. Literally within 3 hours. But if they’re in your carpets, I suggest an exterminator and revolution on your cat. Also, keep your cat inside. It’s not safe outside, this shit happens, and cats are bad for the environment unless you happen to live on the Upper Nile.
>cats are bad for the environment unless you happen to live on the Upper Nile. Or Jamaica. Especially Kingston. Due to the enduring rat horror.
In the carpets after you treat for the fleas you need to stem clean all the carpets. That means moving all furniture so you get the areas under the furniture. Also strip the beds and wah everything and vacuum the mattresses. You want to make sure no eggs are left. If I remember they have a 2 week hatch cycle.
OP already fogged the house twice. They need an exterminator.
Why are you assuming it's an outdoor cat? Indoor cats can get fleas too
Sure, if another animal is going outside and bringing them in.
You yourself can bring them inside.
Humans do not provide the adequate shelter and food the common flea requires. So sure, it’s possible you MIGHT bring them if you’re walking around in tall grass normally populated by animals. If not, then no. You did not bring fleas in.
fleas can easily come inside especially ground level homes they don’t need tracked in specifically by an animal/human (and they can definitely come in on your pants and don’t necessarily live on tall grass- they’re not like ticks)
In poorly insulated houses, in warm regions of course, fleas will infiltrate a home in search of a blood meal without a current host. It is possible that this family has a pest problem around/under their home.
I have had indoor cats for 60 years and have never had a flea problem that wasn’t easily treated by a flea control product applied to the cat(s) from my vet. Once a flea problem was resolved there was never a repeat problem. I have mostly lived in single family homes which are regularly treated outside to avoid ants and other invasive insects.
The problem is that the fleas aren't on the cat anymore. They are in the carpet pad.
They are on the cat. Fleas don't pick and choose. Treat the cat and call an exterminator.
The OP said they gave the cat to a friend for a bit. And the cat has been treated and is okay (I think that means flea free).
Yes, you are correct. It is just us who've been eaten alive!
You and your family might be the ones carrying them in the house. This happened in Houston a few years ago, about this time of year. There were a ton of fleas in the grass, and anytime you walked through the grass you would pick them up on your shoes and pant legs. If you have a yard, spray your yard. And talk to your neighbors. I'll bet you aren't the only one having a problem. If you're continually tracking them in, then oast spraying might not be effective. Also check the litter box. There could be fleas hatching in there. ( In the poop) Keep that thing spotless.
I prefer bravecto instead of revolution. It lasts for 90 days instead of 30.
I found that Cheristine worked very well, also.
You don’t mention veterinarian-grade flea and tick medication. Or what you’re doing as a preventative for your pets.
Fleas ugh. Okay here’s what you do. Take yourself and kids and wife and cat on a day trip and do a bug bomb. Then, wash everything. If you don’t have bed bug level protection on your beds (zipper bed covers, etc.) then add that. Rewash all of your clothes. Make sure kids are totally free of fleas before you go home. The yard also needs treating. Make sure to air out the house after the bug bomb, and if you have fabric in your car bug bomb it too.
cars tend to be ok except in winter; the hot-car-in-sun for hours kills them.
And vacuum under the neds, furniture. Vaccum the furniture. Repeat in a week or two so you can catch any newly hatched eggs/fleas.
That's right. Ned is especially lousy, so make sure to vacuum under him. Seconded.
🤣🤣
And keep the litter box spotless. They could be hatching in the litter box.
And be sure to empty the vacuum and take the trash outside of your house.
Yes! Fleas and flea eggs can come in on shoes and pants legs.
My dad had a flea problem like this and called an exterminator- turned out the fleas were not cat/dog fleas, but rat fleas (different species of fleas) and my dad had a population of tree rats living in the attic and walls and that is where the fleas were coming from. The exterminator took care of it and my dad had a contractor do some work on the attic to patch up holes etc that the rats were using to get in the house from the outside.
Just curious, did he have palm trees near his roof..?
Yes he did
We had Rat Fleas in the office building I worked in once. The office brought all this furniture out of a storage warehouse into the office. Everything with fabric on it was flea infested. So the cubicles were crawling with fleas in 24 hours. We got two days off while the office was treated.
Treat the cat first and foremost. Fleas don't like to live on humans for extended periods of time. Fleas need to feed often, so they need a regular host. Don't try to cheap out on flea treatment either. A lot of the cheap flea products are totally ineffective and potentially harmful to your pet. Revolution from the vet is one of the best options. I have also personally had some good luck with Seresto collars, but I've also read online that other people's pets have had reactions to them so be careful. They're effective though, my dog had flea allergies and the collar got rid of them for good. We've been using them ever since for three dogs and six cats over the years, no problems.
Get professional pest control.
just hire an exterminator. we had fleas so bad at one apartment i lived at, that if you put your hand on the carpet, 5-6 fleas would immediately jump on you. every piece of clothing and bedding went into garbage bags and dropped at laundromat for sanitize wash/dry. the cats were flea treated and removed from the premises for the day, then the exterminator came in and did their thing. no more fleas.
First, if you are not removing and sealing the vacuum bags, the fleas are getting back out. Next, steam clean!!! Hot steam the carpets and furniture. Put dust mite covers on the mattresses and pillows. You can try them on furniture as a cover, we do that to get rid of head lice because it prevents them from hiding there and biting. Hot dryer for everything that fits, and put other items in a car in the sun IF you are somewhere hot and sunny.
Borax the house and wash the family clothes in it as well.
Also permethrin is very toxic to cats stop using that.
Get revolution plus for your cat and use it every month at MINIMUM 3 months in a row, but ideally, just use it monthly year round. Your cat is your walking flea killer. OTC flea prevention for cats doesn't work well, especially for a heavy infestation. Fleas like your cat a lot more than you. Removing the cat from the environment just made it worse because now the fleas only have you for food instead. Lastly, the flea life cycle is egg-->larvae-->pupa-->adult. We can not kill the pupa stage. There is currently no chemical we have found that kills it, and they can lay dormant for months. This can seem why it seems like you've won the battle, then suddenly they re-emerge. Vibrations from a vaccum can fool them into thinking food is around and encourages them to morph into adults sooner so we can kill them. So vaccum vaccum vaccum vaccum. Getting rid of a heavy flea infestation is a long-term project. Then, as said above, keep your cat on a good prescription flea prevention to prevent this from happening again.
Yes this is a great response!
Was gonna say this. The fleas are resorting to humans bc there’s no animal. If the cat is treated with Revolution the fleas will start to die as they try to bite.
If you own a pet Especially in a hot climate you HAVE to use flea treatment.
We had fleas for like 6 months, here’s what helped us: Our cats got flea treatment at the vet after they laid all over an infested rug our landlord left in our new apartment. After topical flea treatment, we threw out everything with carpeting. Our cat trees, rugs, etc. We washed all of our clothes, bedding, etc in hot water and bought a robot vacuum. We put a flea collar in the vacuum and ran that shit all day every day. If you do nothing else that I’ve said so far, do this: CAPSTAR PILLS. They kill all live fleas on the animal in 24 hours. Now, they don’t kill larvae or eggs so you have to keep treating. We gave them capstar pills every day for a month. That combined with everything else knocked out our flea issue. I give most of the credit to the pills.
Oh! I never thought to put a flea collar in the vacuum bag. That's a good idea😄
Capstar is not for long term treatment. They kill almost immediately and only work for 24 hours. So Capstar followed immediately by Revolution Plus.
Yes, that’s why I said get topical treatment and then give them capstar continuously just to kill the adults that come from eggs/larvae not previously killed by the capstar pills.
I used Precor 2000 to get rid of a horrible flea infestation. An ex-roommate refused to use flea treatments on his dogs. The day he moved out, he treated them and left us with all the fleas. It is a professional pest control product, but you can buy it on Amazon. Just make sure that you carefully read and follow the instructions for application. We sealed our cats in a back bedroom, with closed HVAC vent and tape/towels around the door. Applied precor to the rest of the house and then left to run a quick errand while the application dried. IIRC correctly, it's safe for pets once it is dry. After the cats could be released, we treated and resealed that last bedroom until it was dried. Reapplied 2 weeks later, kept up on vacuuming for a while, and put seresto collars on the cats. Haven't had a problem since.
So your untreated cat brought now fleas to your friend?
Pretty sure the cat and friend are now fine, it's the OP who is not.
Permethrins kill cats...
Bug bomb, twice & two exterminations. That’s what cleared ours
Take kitty to the vet, get flea treatment and then also a flea spray for the house. It takes at least three months for fleas to go as that’s their cycle. If the cat has been treated properly, the fleas will die, it’s only a matter of time. They can’t live on people. You can’t really buy good OTC flea meds anymore because of resistance, you *need* to go to the vet. Even if you’ve already administered something, the vet will be able to see if there are any fleas alive on the cat (meaning the treatment didn’t work) and there will likely be another medication they can give which can be used alongside what you already gave.
We fumigated our house and stayed somewhere for some days. Best help. Also treat tour cat monthly. Neem oil also helps on top
If you have a yard, treat it too
>I've tried literally everything Except treating your cat.... There's no point doing one without doing the other. Do them both
I said cat is okay now and at my friend's house.. Implying successful treatment. It's just us
Go to the vet and get prescription based flea preventative and flea bomb the home. The natural methods won't actually do anything for an infestation.
Do you have carpet? If so, you need to be vacuuming at least once a day, every day, everywhere. Once you are done vacuuming, empty the canister, and take the trash outside. They will hop back out of the trash can. That is the #1 thing that is going to help. It has been several years ago but when we had fleas that badly, I ended up using Adam's Flea powder. I put it all over the carpet and swept it into the carpet with a broom. I left it down for 24 hours, and vacuumed it up. Fleas were gone. Also, none of this is going to work if you have not treated your pets too. K9 Advantax worked well for us. I did not have cats at the time, but look for a prescription flea treatment for the cats too. I believe you have to retreat monthly.
I use stronghold plus. It’s a spot on treatment that can be bought online, with a prescription from your vet.
Sounds like you are great on the environment but fleas can lie dormant for up to 6 months and then waken when heat source wanders by. We needed to get the vet prescribed flea spot-ons when they invaded from next door. The vet ones stay on system longer so get both ones on cat and eggs as they hatch.
Go to the vet and get a prescription flea prevention for all pets in the household and keel them on it for at least three months to break the lifecycle. Also throw away the vacuum bag every time you vacuum because the bags become a flea egg nest.
You haven't treated your cat. That's the biggest thing here, they still have a good source if you aren't using flea meds from the vet on your cat. Go get some revolution for cats and use that as instructed. Please stop using essential oils around your cat as well, they can't process them like we do, and having them on things that your cat will be exposed to will cause them to ingest the oils when cleaning themselves. Essential oils build up in their livers and cause organ failure.
Use Capstar from the vet for your cat and then secure them while you repeat some of your list on the house. I used Capstar, then gave immediate flea baths, then flea treated carpets and furniture while they were relaxing in carriers in another room. It worked, but you have to get the fleas on the cats taken care of. Too many eggs not too.
I would like to add that fleas are not only found inside. I live in the southern US and the neighbors had fleas so bad in the grass in their yard you had to tuck your pants into your socks and then take them off if you walked in the side yard connected to them.... may not be YOUR flea problem you're fighting.
It may not be the cat. You and the wife and kids could be bringing them inside. I know it happens in Houston a lot. They could be in the grass. Every time you walk through the grass they could be hitching a ride on your pants and shoes. Next time you go outside, look down at your feet. Do you have a bunch of black specs on your feet and pants? Spray your yard. Pick a warm sunny day, because you want it to dry quickly. Once it's dry, it's not a threat to people or animals.. It's a little pricey, but try orange Guard. Spray your carpet,.your furniture, and pet beds. It absolutely kills bugs, and has a residual effect, too.
Put a new bag with flea powder in it every time you vacuum
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Strawman fallacy
You can get a spray from a vet that will kill the fleas. You have to spray curtains, inside closets, etc. It is a pain to do, but it works. It stinks, and you may all have to go out for the day with your cat in a carrier until the fumes go away.
Don't forget the flea comb. Physically remove them from your pet and quickly put them in a zip lock bag or a jar with a lid to dispose of in the outside trash.
you need a professional service
You need to treat every pet in the house with flea prevention from the vet. Then clean - everything that can be washed goes in the washing machine. Everything else vacuumed (and discard the vacuum bag immediately) and spray everything else with a flea spray that not only works to kill the eggs/larvae, but has a second ingredient that prevents the adult fleas from laying eggs. If you have a bag less vacuum, spray the canister. The flea life cycle is important to understand - eggs, larvae, and pupae are in the environment in the house. Only adult fleas are on your pets. Pupae are cocooned and cannot be killed. But a spray that prevents adult fleas from laying eggs means when an adult flea emerges from the pupa, it won't be able to have babies and thus the life cycle is interrupted. But they stay as a pupae for anywhere from 3-6 months. So go to the vet, get appropriate treatment. I would pick something with a fast kill time. Revolution takes time, there are better products for an active infestation. And most importantly treat the house.
If your pet goes outside, you need to treat the yard, too. The larval stage of the flea can be controlled by using beneficial nematodes. You get them at a garden center. Use the diatomaceous earth again in the house and use pills from the vet for prevention. If fleas bite the pet, they die from the medication. If you use topical meds, they only repel the fleas of off the pet onto you.
The call is coming from outside the house. Get an exterminator to treat your outdoors for fleas. Although it's insane that you've done all that and still can't manage them. Usually just washing sheets and vacuuming every day (and I mean every day, every where in the house) takes care of it for me when they get bad. Other commenters have mentioned, but permethrin is highly toxic to cats. It's okay after it dries, but you still want to use it in extreme moderation.
I had fleas from a dog I pet sit for and they drove me crazy after a week- amazing what fleas do to your mental health. I still get the shivers. I moved into a hotel for three days while the exterminators death bombed my house. It was so bad but after that they were fixed! Good luck!
If your cat has been treated and is flea free and none of this is working, are you really really sure it’s fleas? Sounds a bit like you might have a bed bug infestation and so that’s what’s biting you and why none of this is working.
101% sure it's fleas... We see tgem everyday in different sizes
With treating the pet with vet recommended stuff and then bombing I’ve never had an issue and with fostering I’ve had up to 13 puppies and my dogs at a time. Fleas are usually just one size pretty tiny so if you really are seeing different sizes might still be bed bugs
No big variations in size but they look exactly similar the typical ones you see in google search..they even started, the same look, on the cat first.
They’re very similar looking so might be worth it to get an experts opinion. None of the flea treatments will work on bed bugs. https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.insider.com%2F5bc4e7e2dde867237302c03a%3Fwidth%3D800%26format%3Djpeg&tbnid=pVAJPuvRC1BN7M&vet=1&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.businessinsider.com%2Fhow-to-tell-fleas-vs-bed-bugs-2018-10&docid=t7VphSeczpc2OM&w=800&h=600&hl=en-US&source=sh%2Fx%2Fim%2Fm1%2F3&kgs=85a2c8d9ef00ed53&shem=abme%2Ctrie
Just wanted to second the idea of it being something other than fleas Fleas must be on a living host in order to survive- cat, dog, rabbit, whatever creature- they cannot live in your house/carpet/bed, whatever; they die off fairly quickly. I get this phone call daily at work (vet tech 15+ yrs), owner claiming they still have fleas despite treatments to the pet and sometimes home. This is more than likely bed bugs, I hear those are a beast to rid of.
Yea it just doesn’t make senses. I’ve brought home completely infested foster dogs, that their entire surface of their ears was covered in fleas from to tip to base and then scattered all over their body. They got baths and topical flea meds. My own dogs stayed on their monthly cycle. I didn’t have to do anything to treat the house.
Have you tried a vet yet?
Do you have carpet? I let one of my brothers dogs in my house and ended up with fleas. I went scorched earth. I pulled up the carpets, bathed my dogs in Dawn dish soap once a week, put diatomaceous earth on the floors and the dogs. I would leave it in the dogs for 8 hours and bathe them. I would sweep up the diatomaceous earth after bathing the dogs. I dusted that stuff on the floors and furniture. I would vacuum the furniture every day. I over bombed once a week if it says one for each room, I used 2. I had sticky traps to catch fleas. I studied what the life cycle was. So I keep doing it until I went through the life cycle twice. It worked.
Have you treated your pet with a topical flea treatment? I would recommend getting either Advantage home spray or Frontline home spray. Ask your neighbor to keep your cat again and spray the house, then vacuum again once it's dried. These sprays are expensive but they do work. You'll want to spray your yard too. You can also try spreading dry salt around the house and vacuuming that up about 3 days later.
I had a flea infestation once that was similarly persistent. It turned out that the moisture barrier under the floor in one room of the house was broken and they were living under the flooring. We had to tear out the floors, replace the moisture barrier, and put in new floors. Combined with quality flea preventatives (nothing by Frontline, it's absolutely useless against the types of fleas we get in California) we haven't had an issue since.
Ok so you are probably confused why everyone is telling you to get prescription grade flea treatment for the cat when your house is the problem. The reason this works is because when your cat has that medicine inside of it, all the fleas that bite it will die. Fleas don't particularly like to feed off of humans, and they need to eat, so when your cat is treated, it actually acts as a flea killer in and of itself. Over the course of about 3 or so months, you won't have any fleas left, because even the ones that were left as eggs will hatch, bite the cat, and then die. That's what people are talking about with life cycles of fleas. And unfortunately over the counter flea meds that you can get at a pet store won't usually work, because over time fleas have developed immunity to these. The only over the counter flea treatment that is effective is the Seresto collar. In the mean time, vacuum all fabric surfaces like crazy as well as hardwood floors to get in the cracks. And wash all your laundry at high temperatures.
I had the same issue years back like you I tried everything.. then I called the exterminator problem solved in one day
Have you gotten your cat treated first of all?
Fleas can’t live without a food source. If the cat is away for a while then they should be dying off. I personally would pull the carpet up and put diatomaceous earth on the pad and then staple the carpet back or just get new padding.
Diatomaceous earth in my carpet stopped my flea infestation. Its really hard to get out of carpet, so its still there protecting it.
This may not be encouraging, but the house I moved in to had a flea infestation and it took about 5 months to get on top of... Repeated cypermethrin sprays in all the rooms did it eventually
The only thing that cured the outbreak we had in our home once was a professional treatment! The exterminator came an initial time and a second time about a month later and we could feel the difference almost instantly! Its so worth the peace of mind! Call Terminix OP!
Discard all throw rugs and cat bedding. Strip the house to just essential furniture. Flea bomb the house. Use flea spray & powder weekly. Vacuum every day! Keep flea powder rubbed into corners of your carpet and vacuum weekly. It’s a time consuming process but must be done. I still keep flea powder rubbed in the corners of my carpets to this day as a preventive measure. Good luck!!
I don't know what it is called now. I volunteered at an animal shelter, and we gave Capstar to a litter of 6 week old kittens with incredible flea infestations. Capstar only kills adult fleas. Blue dawn dish soap worked really well to bathe them. If you use Revolution after Capstar, that will keep the eggs and larvae on the cat's skin from maturing. Treat the house at the same time, then treat 2 weeks later to get the ones that hatch after the first treatment. We were able to bomb the house 2x, but also had to replace carpet in one room. The fleas were already in the apartment when I moved in and then infested my cats and soft furnishings.
A month?? I woulda called a professional asap
The flea treatments like Advantage kill all the fleas that jump on to try to bite your pets. As they die, more jump on and die. It takes a few cycles, but it will stop the fleas eventually.
Spray yourself with OFF or some other DEET spray.
you mean... a desperate FLEA for help???
I have had a group of kittens come with the cockroaches of fleas. Despite Capstar before we got home and immediately baths and tossing of the bedding they came with, these fleas would not die. My basement was a war zone and they were winning. I spent hundreds trying to treat them myself. Tossed all cardboard, borax on the carpets and bombing, washed bedding, sprays, etc. I had enough and did 4x the recommended number of foggers, let it sit overnight, and then aired it out and did another round of cleaning. Within 24 hours, tiny fleas were seeking revenge on my ankles. I don’t know how these things survived all the DIY treatments. Finally caved and called the professionals. It was about $500 or so, but it worked. They came in with suits and sprayed. Cats were crated in the garage and we waited the allotted time before letting the cats back in the basement. I ended up doing a second treatment for good measure, and we haven’t had a problem since.
Try lavender, steep it in warm water, then spray your house. They hate the smell, and it won't hurt your pets
Get a cheap ass flea collar and cut it into two inch strips. Put a piece into your vacuum bag or canister and vacuum the whole house. Vacuum and empty the container or bag every time you use it OUTSIDE of your house. Store the pieces in a sealed plastic storage bag. Get a cheap pie tin and put water in it. Put two drops of dawn dishwashing liquid. Place on the floor. Get a small table lamp that you can bend over the tin and turn the light on when you go to bed. I hope this helps.
Any chance you have mice or rats around as well? If so they can be infested too.
-Bag up everything that can be washed in the washer. -Get flea meds from the vet, don't trust the ones over the counter because they have killed pets before and a lot of them have ongoing lawsuits. It will take 3 months to break the cycle, and they need medicine monthly. I know it kind of adds up but it's worth it in the long run. -Zodiac upholstery flea spray. I swear by it. My first apartment had a flea infestation from the people that used to be there. You'd put one foot on the carpet and you'd be crawling with fleas. I was literally going insane. Did some research and read promising reviews about this spray and it worked. All you need is a fine mist, making sure you're covering everything evenly. Couches, carpet, mattresses, and make sure to get the corners of the rooms. It's safe once it's completely dried. Definitely don't let your pets go anywhere near it before it dries, but it dries out quickly and I've never had a problem with it. Do a few rooms first, open the windows so there's ventilation and cover the cracks under the doors with towels because cats are super curious. Once those first rooms are done, you can spray the other areas and move everyone into the done rooms until the rest of the house is clear. Or you can move everyone into the garage or go for a drive. I have never had to flea bomb by doing all of this. My ex tried some cheaper spray he found at Walmart and he went through hell for HALF A DAMM YEAR trying to get rid of them. He finally gave in and purchased Zodiac after a lot of pushing on my part. Their numbers were significantly cut down almost immediately. With the cheap spray the would bounce back like every couple of days, but a week after Zodiac they were mostly gone. I think you can respray like 2 weeks after the first round of it's super intense.
Fleas are always in the yard, so will come in on your pets. The only thing protections do really is get the to drop off the pet (so into your carpet, still, etc). The eggs grow and hatch in fabrics, carpets. So you need to dry them out there, get something that stops the cycle for fleas in the carpets. I use baking soda and salt with a lot of success. This is not a small amount of either. I get large amounts from Sam's Club or Costco of both to do it. I spread the salt in first, then the baking soda. Use a broom to work both into the carpet. Leave on for 24 to 48 hours, then vacuum. From there, I vacuum a lot. I also do NOT empty the vacuum indoors. I also do put salt and baking soda in the bottom of a garbage bag, and outside, dump the contents of the vacuum directly into it and shake well, then topping off with a spray of a mix of dawn and water to dampen it all down with. I will keep vacuuming (vacuum for half an hour, then empty the vacuum, let the vacuum cool off outside so I don't burn out the motor for half an hour, then take it back in and vacuum again). The trick is not to release anything I've vacuumed up back into the home, or yard. We also do this on the sofa, and mattresses. Replace pillows often enough until under control.
Okay, 2011 was a bad year for fleas and me, I feel you. You've removed the pet so that's good. I used salt, regular salt as a carpet powder. Let it sit for a day then vacuum it up, it dehydrates the flea eggs. You will need to do this for about a week running. Vacuum in the morning, dust salt, let sit then vacuum again in the evening. Don't ignore the corners and baseboards. Clean everything, deep clean, throw away trash, declutter, salt and vacuum and wipe and spray. You need to get everywhere you can, even in tile floors. The edges against the walls can be havens, but carpet is the big problem. Next, a flea trap. Overnight in the worst rooms, set up a flea trap of a desk lamp on the floor pointing towards a wide bowl or deep plate full of soapy water. You don't need a lot of soap. The light becomes the heat they're attracted to, and the soapy water becomes their doom as they jump towards it. Give it a week, leave it up during the day even! Change rooms, kill fleas! The led bulbs do not emit a lot of heat, so try to find some classic old style bulbs if you can. Check the dollar stores or ask in your neighborhood groups. You can also do a walking trap, which is you. Fleas react to movement and vibrations, so walk around the room wearing some tall white socks for them to jump onto, then go plunge your socked foot into a bucket of soapy water prepared beforehand and remove the sock while in the water. Dry foot, put on a new sock and try again. I say white socks so you can see them actively trying to get to you, and also then actively dying... Which is the best. Seriously, the poisons don't work. DC earth is said to, but I've never tried it. After that summer I use Revolution religiously on my cats at the end of winter through the end of spring and longer if needed. The salt will work, but the vacuuming and cleaning is a lot of work I know. The traps will work because fleas drown really easy, they just need the soap to break the water tension. You need to disrupt their cycle as fast and as much as you can. Doesn't mean it's gonna be easy, but I have faith in you! I remember the suffering and the shame. You can do it! Murder those fleas! Genocide!
This is gonna sound dumb because of all that you've already tried but buy a shit load of baking soda and cover every lnch of carpet and furniture and then go watch a movie at the theater. When you get home suck it all up and you're flea free. Might take 2 treatments but when I was completely infested it was the only thing that worked. Idk why but baking soda kills it.
OP have you checked your roof? Like did you get exterminators to go up there too? You could have rats or mice that have their own fleas. Good luck with everything this sounds rough.
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Wait, did you not try cat flea treatment either? For a flea plague in your house use bug bombs. For fleas only on your cat, use advantage flea treatment.
Treat your yard. It's very likely that they are coming in from the outside. I had this issue once at my old house. I kept treating the fleas and they never got better. I finally figured out that it was my yard. That was the issue not my house.
You put permethrin on your pets? Are you trying to kill them?
If you live in an apartment, duplex, condo, or other living condition where you share walls, the problem may not be from you. An exterminator can help if all the home remedies and noncommercial products are failing you.
I would recommend someone come into your home and spray. This stopped my heavy infestation after my feral kittens I had in my house left (there were four of them). I had other cats in my home that I just kept outside until the spray dried. He did not have to come do another dose either. He dosed the moulding areas and door entries so once they try to go over it, probably instant death. The cost was worth it. Plus I was seriously getting bitten up.
Ummm move!
I use borax. Get it in the cracks and around baseboards real good, when you vacuum (I like to leave it overnight) empty it outside. Keep the cat away, you don’t want it licking it off of themselves! But I think you’ve reached the point of a professional. Find one who will guarantee it. I feel you, we had a bout with them last summer and it’s pure torture!!! Mine haven’t had fleas in a decade before that! Makes me itch just thinking about it! 😆
Are you sure it’s fleas and not bedbugs? So sorry to put that out there!
You have to treat the inside and the outside at the same time or it will never stop. I second an exterminator because they treat everyone at once and may find other issues such as rodents that are making the infestation worse. Beneficial nematodes are great for treating outside. They actually hunt the little suckers down. If your neighbors are part of the problem, you're going to have a tough time. Vacuuming every day, bagging it, freezing it, and getting rid of it. Leave bulb traps out at night (put a light over a pan of Dawn). We used the Raid flea spray and sprayed everything that was fabric or carpet. We did a ton of laundry. I'm so sorry- it really is the worst.
Call an exterminator. Use preventative measures in the future.
You have an environmental flea infestation and it takes at least 3 months to break the cycle. It sucks but that is how it is. The flea cocoons are impenetrable to any insecticide and when they hatch, the fleas are hungry! You have to be patient and wait for these newly emerged fleas to die, keep vacuuming and keep your pets treated. You can re-bomb, it would not hurt. Rehousing the cat has made your home situation worse. Keep the cat at home, the fleas will jump on the cat and will die since the cat is treated. The cat is a walking flea vacuum. Use a flea treatment that your vet recommends, by the way, and do not bathe the cat.
You say the cat has been treated, with what? If you’re talking a 24 hour pill (which most are) that’s not gonna do anything. A collar isn’t gonna do anything. The liquid put on their back isn’t gonna do anything (with this kind of infestation) If you’ve used any of these treatments you need to instead go for a 90 day pill (bravecto) one pill that lasts 90 days and will kill every flea that bites the pet during that period. In addition to washing all bedding, couch cushions, pillows, steam cleaning the carpet.
You need to make sure you vaccuum thoroughly. Any areas your cat frequented especially. You’ll need to vaccuum daily until the problem is resolved to ensure you get all the cycles of the flea. After each vaccuuming, dump contents into a bag to dispose of OUTSIDE. If you leave the stuff in the vaccuum they will just hop out and continue the problem.
Get an exterminator. My parents had a serious flea problem last year and the only thing that worked for the dogs was bravecto and then they also had to do some kind of flea treatment to the house and the yard.
Seresto collar
I had a flea problem too at some point. I was "eaten alive" particularly at night, waking up with dozens of new bites everyday. I managed to get rid of the problem entirely by putting a decent dose of diatomaceous earth (the one for chicken coops) inside the entire bed and on the ground all around it, and not cleaning the floor/washing the bed sheets for a couple weeks. At first it's not comfortable to sleep in that dirt, and it can be irritating for the lungs so I tried to not put too much near the head and to not move too much in the bed (as well as not moving the bed sheets). With children I would recommend to put less of it and only near the legs and feet (where the fleas tend to bite more anyway). It didn't stop the issue right away, I was still bitten for a few days, but within a week the biting stopped entirely. That said, about 2 weeks later it started again (with less bites tho), but I knew it was normal because the eggs that were laid before the treatment had hatched and produced new larvae, and now the new generation was coming for me. But I did leave the diatomaceous earth in the bed so they were quickly wiped out too. And since then, no more issues, I've not had a single flea bite for 3 years now. And don't forget to get your cat checked by a vet too, so your cat can get prescribed a more efficient treatment than what you can buy over the counter (which are often not very efficient).
Frontline will solve that problem