almondbutterandjelly Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 How do you keep from getting fleas in the house? Last year, I tried to open the windows a lot (they are screened, but fleas are so tiny) to save on electric costs plus I just love fresh air in the house. However, eventually we seemed to have a house full of fleas. So this year, I haven't opened the windows at all, and we are essentially flea-less. We do put Advantage or Frontline on our two cats every month. Tips? I would love to open the windows again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 No problem w fleas here (we don't have any pets). We've had the windows open so much this summer as the weather has been amazing :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 We don't have fleas in our yard. If we did, we'd treat it with something to get rid of them. My vet friend highly recommends Siphotrol products. She says they're very safe to use around pets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
almondbutterandjelly Posted August 8, 2014 Author Share Posted August 8, 2014 We don't have fleas in our yard. If we did, we'd treat it with something to get rid of them. My vet friend highly recommends Siphotrol products. She says they're very safe to use around pets. Oh, great! Thank you! By the way, this made me think of calling our pest control company (kind of necessary here in S. TX), but they want way more than $24 that Amazon is advertising. So I'm going to go with this. Much appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 Siphotrol products were extremely effective when I worked at the vet. Fleas aren't necessarily coming in the window (I know they're not in our house because our windows are elevated), but could be coming in on people's pant legs or socks. Treating the yard is probably the best course. If you have them in the house, you should treat there as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 The only time I have ever had fleas get in via windows is when I had a basement apt with windows at the grass level and a cat who liked to jump up to sit in the window sill. Now that I have a two story house, with the windows many feet above the grass it doesn't seem to be an issue. We have indoors cats and they have never had fleas in this house despite them spending all summer sitting in the windows. We do have basement windows that we open on occasion, but the cat can't sit near them to attract fleas. Are they coming in via a window that is ground level or a basement window etc? Maybe they are coming in on your shoes and pants etc.? How do you know it is the windows? I've never thought to worry about such a thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyS Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 Fleas through the windows? Are you sure that's what they are? Weird. I dunno. Are the windows older with metal screens? Maybe replace the screens with finer mesh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 Fleas through the windows? Are you sure that's what they are? Weird. I dunno. Are the windows older with metal screens? Maybe replace the screens with finer mesh? We get fruit flies every summer, that look a lot like fleas but hang around the kitchen instead of the cats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
almondbutterandjelly Posted August 8, 2014 Author Share Posted August 8, 2014 Well, I guess I just assumed they came in through the windows. We have a one story house, and the windows the cats like most to sit in are about two feet off the ground. Plus sometimes I open the back door and just have the screen door, which does have a bit of a gap in places. You are theorizing that we are just tracking them in, then? I live in a suburban neighborhood where houses are fairly close but there are a few outdoor cats around, plus backyard dogs on all sides of me. In any event, I guess we'd still need to treat the yard? My husband seems to think we still have some fleas inside. I don't like to think that. Short of hiring a pest control company, what's an easy way to get rid of them? We aren't having a huge infestation or anything. The cats scratch their necks once in awhile. Is this fleas? I don't see any. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 The only flea infestation we have ever had was when we lived in a second-floor apartment and had no pets at all. So, yes, it is entirely possible that your fleas hitch-hiked in on someone's leg or foot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim in Appalachia Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 When we lived in WV we could not open the windows because of the white flies. They came right through the screens. We could not figure out how to keep them out. It's very frustrating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 I keep my windows open and have yet to see a flea. I get plenty of other weird, much larger critters like spiders that come in through cracks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 We get fruit flies every summer, that look a lot like fleas but hang around the kitchen instead of the cats. Fruit flies come in on the fruit from the store, Well, I guess I just assumed they came in through the windows. We have a one story house, and the windows the cats like most to sit in are about two feet off the ground. Plus sometimes I open the back door and just have the screen door, which does have a bit of a gap in places. You are theorizing that we are just tracking them in, then? I live in a suburban neighborhood where houses are fairly close but there are a few outdoor cats around, plus backyard dogs on all sides of me. In any event, I guess we'd still need to treat the yard? My husband seems to think we still have some fleas inside. I don't like to think that. Short of hiring a pest control company, what's an easy way to get rid of them? We aren't having a huge infestation or anything. The cats scratch their necks once in awhile. Is this fleas? I don't see any. Why don't you just treat the cats. Fleas don't live on human blood, like lice can't live on cat or dog blood. But a flea will take a nip of a person in an attempt to get food. So, if you use a monthly flea treatment the fleas lose their meal and they stop bothering you. The one time we had a terrible flea infestation (in that basement apartment) I just treated the cats and the problem stopped in a matter of days. You get the monthly flea treatment from your vet. You just put the medication on the back of their neck and forget about fleas for a month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 My husband seems to think we still have some fleas inside. I don't like to think that. Short of hiring a pest control company, what's an easy way to get rid of them? We aren't having a huge infestation or anything. The cats scratch their necks once in awhile. Is this fleas? I don't see any. I imagine cats get itches just like people do. It doesn't necessarily mean they have fleas. Our cat is treated (he's indoor/outdoor) and he doesn't have fleas but he still scratches. You could check your cat for "flea dirt"--dried bits of blood--near the skin. If you see this then your cat probably has fleas even if you don't actually see any fleas. They're sneaky buggers. I've also never had fleas coming in through windows. Do your cats go out at all? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted August 9, 2014 Share Posted August 9, 2014 How do you keep from getting fleas in the house? Last year, I tried to open the windows a lot (they are screened, but fleas are so tiny) to save on electric costs plus I just love fresh air in the house. However, eventually we seemed to have a house full of fleas. So this year, I haven't opened the windows at all, and we are essentially flea-less. We do put Advantage or Frontline on our two cats every month. Tips? I would love to open the windows again. Ok, so you are treating the cats. If you are treating the cats then fleas shouldn't be an issue. Were you treating them last year when you got fleas inside the house? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted August 9, 2014 Share Posted August 9, 2014 We do not have flea problem, just lots of dust when we open our windows, and we have goats and stray cats behind us. Maybe get your yard treated for fleas? That would be very annoying, both the fleas and not being ale to open your windows, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted August 9, 2014 Share Posted August 9, 2014 Wow, I never even knew fleas could come in the window! We have screens and keep every window open all summer long. We also have three screened porches, and we usually keep all doors leading to those porches open all summer as well. We don't have fleas, but we do get tiny little gnats that squeeze through the screens that drive us crazy! Usually they only last for a few days though, and then they're gone til later in the summer. I'm not sure what I'd do about fleas. I'd probably try and spray something all around the perimeter of the house, because I'd really miss having the windows open. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted August 9, 2014 Share Posted August 9, 2014 Never heard of fleas coming in through the windows. I do know that flea eggs can survive a long time so if you had an infestation prior it might resurface even if you've since treated the pets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted August 9, 2014 Share Posted August 9, 2014 Ok, so you are treating the cats. If you are treating the cats then fleas shouldn't be an issue. If there are stray cats (or dogs) or wildlife that come into the yard . . those can all carry fleas. As can untreated pets in the neighborhood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingiguana Posted August 9, 2014 Share Posted August 9, 2014 When we had a bad flea infestation, the fleas were escaping OUT the windows. Particularly where the sun was shining and it was warm. We had a cat come visit in the apt for a few minutes -- that's how the fleas got in. And then they started to breed like crazy. The cat was long gone. Depending on where you live, you might just have a free standing population in the house, even if the animals are treated. They might not be coming in through the screens (although they could be). Once they're in, it doesn't matter if you have an animal around or not. I'd figure out some way to treat the house and not worry about changing the window screens. (We used some kind of carbamate flea powder, but I don't know if that sort of thing is even available anymore. Or desirable.) Looks like there are some growth inhibitors you can use now, although it probably will require a 2nd treatment. (I'm seeing them at the Petco site and maybe Home Depot. They're probably all over) When I was a kid, I remember coming home to a pretty brutal flea infestation after a several month vacation. No one had been in the house. The windows were all closed up. The cat had been outside the entire time. They'd probably hitchhiked in on the cat before we left and laid a ton of eggs. We either returned just as they were coming out of the pupal stage -- or they could sense our warm-bodied arrival and had all come out in response to our return. If you read the wikipedia article on fleas: looks like it takes about 4-6 weeks after egg laying for adults to emerge. And the larvae don't have to feed on the host. They're perfectly happy eating whatever is lying around. So even if your animals were treated, if they'd brought in a flea 6 weeks earlier, you could have an infestation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted August 9, 2014 Share Posted August 9, 2014 Depending on where you live, you might just have a free standing population in the house, even if the animals are treated. They might not be coming in through the screens (although they could be). Once they're in, it doesn't matter if you have an animal around or not. I'd figure out some way to treat the house and not worry about changing the window screens. I remember years ago we had a flea infestation. This was before there were handy and effective flea treatments for cats. We had a carpet remnant that we put in our living room. The fleas lived there. I used to get flea bites on my ankles! Once we got rid of the carpet--we had hardwood and tile throughout the house--the fleas were gone. I'm sure the cats probably still had fleas but they didn't infest the furniture (maybe it was the kind of furniture we had--rattan) like they had done with the carpet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 If you put your cats on Comfortis instead of the topicals, then every flea that bites them will DIE DIE DIE right away, which is what you want. :) I highly recommend considering switching. Ask your vet about it. (Comfortis used to be only labeled for dogs, but is now labeled for cats, too.) It is great stuff. You will have to "pill" the cats once a month, but it will cure any lingering minor flea problem in the house and prevent any random stray fleas that make it in to the house from making a home there. Because they will DIE DIE DIE. Which is a good thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
almondbutterandjelly Posted August 10, 2014 Author Share Posted August 10, 2014 Ok, so you are treating the cats. If you are treating the cats then fleas shouldn't be an issue. Were you treating them last year when you got fleas inside the house? That is a good question. Maybe we did not stay on top of it. They never go out at all. We have ordered some siphotrol from Amazon and will soon be treating the yard. We do treat the cats monthly with something. I opened the windows this morning. Lovely. Thanks everyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyS Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 If it's fleas, it is entirely possible to track them in on your shoes/pants if they live in the ground where you live (this is just an environmental thing and varies - I used to live in the woods and ticks were a constant problem and fleas never were, just luck of the draw). If you suspect that you have fleas in your carpet/furniture I would get a great big bag of DE from the garden center and spread it over the carpet and upholstery and leave it for a couple of days. It's not toxic at all, it kills by "cutting" the tiny things like fleas/eggs to death. Vacuum it up in a couple of days. If you think the fleas are environmental, I would repeat this treatment once a month during warm months. I still wonder if you have midges or some other very tiny biting fly. Where I live the midges will come right through older metal screens (bigger holes) but can't get through the finer nylon mesh of our newer windows. They tend to come in when the days have been warm and the nights have been cool (because even with the windows open the inside of the house is warmer than outside), they are looking to get warm, that you make an available meal is just a side benefit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.