It appears that my home has been invaded by fleas, and now I’m going to take hard core action. I’ve decided that best recourse of action would be to set off flea bombs in my home, but being unfamiliar with this experience, I’ve not done it before.
Has anyone tried this method for flea removal, and if so, I would appreciate any advice or suggestions you care to put forth.
P.S. I know it was the evil kitty who brought the fleas into the house, and she has been treated, however, the carpeting and furniture have not.
I say you take off and nuke the site from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure…
Seriously, though…get any and all pets (and humans) out of the house for six hours or so. Read the instructions on the fogger carefully. You’ll be re-washing any dishes that are exposed to the insecticide, and you’ll need to be extra careful with kids’ toys, too - get 'em out of the house if it’s practical, and wash any that are exposed to the poison. Read the instructions on the fogger carefully. Yes, I know I’ve said that twice, but…
“Bug bombing” a house is very effective, but it’s also a pain in the ass. I’ve never done it for fleas, but it was just what the doctor ordered for a roach-infested apartment I moved into once. Little suckers didn’t stand a chance.
Mrs. Kunilou had a student whose mother decided to bug bomb their house. She figured if one bomb would work, three would work much better. So she set the three bombs on her kitchen table, set them off and locked up the house.
Minutes later the bombs ignited from the pilot light on her stove and set off a tremendous explosion that destroyed the house and a couple others on the block. It was all over the evening news.
Moral: Always read and follow label directions. Do not use near open flame.
Fleas have to feed occasionally in order to reproduce. If you get some of the topical flea remedies, like Revolution, Frontline, etc., your vet can guide you as to what would be best, and apply it to all your cats and dogs, all your fleas will be gone within one or two weeks without having to resort to chemical sprays.
These products kill fleas when they bite your pet, kill the flea larva and some even prevent eggs from hatching. I swear by it.
I used to do this when I lived in CA. I used to use several in the house. Keep in mind that the bombs may not kill the eggs, so you may have to repeat the process a few days later. Make sure the fog can penetrate underneath all the furniture, behind bookshelves, etc.
I agree with SnakeSpirit that the topical flea treatments available from the vet will keep your house flea free. There is also a vaccination available that keeps the cat flea free for six months. I don’t use it because I have too many cats to take in twice a year. The treatment I use (Advantage) also keeps the cats free of ear mites.
In the olden days, I used a fogger, but it is a pain and not a long lasting solution. To be effective, you must spray everywhere that the fogger doesn’t reach (under and behind furniture, the flip side of cushions, etc) and then you must vacuum everything everywhere and throw the vacuum bag out immediately. I hated knowing that there was a chemical layer on everything in the house, so I always washed all counters, table tops and bedding after fogging.
Remove all pets, treating them for fleas while they’re out, and put bombs in all rooms. Set off the bombs, starting with the bombs furthest from the door by which you intend to leave. Follow the directions about returning and airing the house. Be prepared to bomb again in a couple weeks. Although most bombs say they kill the larvae, it’s best to eridicate them totally.
Frontline works very well, but fleas that are in the house will feed off humans, too, so treating the house helps. Fleas can be brought in not just by pets, but on pants legs from the yard, so it’s no all your pets fault.
Here’s my earlier post to your rabbits & fleas questions. Don’t use Frontline on your bunny.
09-08-2004, 11:53 PM #4
StGermain
Charter Member Join Date: Nov 1999
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You can buy flea bombs at any Wal-mart, Target, Home Depot, etc. Remove the rabbit and bomb the house. Be prepared to rebomb the house in a couple of weeks even though they say it’ll kill the eggs. While you have the bunny out of the house, treat it for any fleas. www.rabbit.org recommends you use cat products rather than dog products on the bunny. Here’s a link to their FAQ on rabbit care.
The bombs come in three and six packs, I think. And if you have an open floor plan, you might get away with fewer bombs, but I’d rather go through the hassle as few times as possible, and leaving living fleas means you’ll just have to do it again because they multiply like rabbits.
I know the flea bomb has that “kill them all and let the flea god sort them out” instant gratification, but I’ve found that the sprays that interrupt the flea life cycle and stop the eggs from hatching work very well. So if you spray some of that around the house and diligently flea comb your evil kitty, you should be fully flea free in a few fortnights.
