Familia Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 Our elderly kitty was almost killed by fleas. I had no idea what was wrong with her and, since she was so old, we decided to let her lethargy/weight loss run it's course. Then we noticed black specks on her, and a quick google search led us to learn more than we wanted to know about flea dirt. All animals inside/outside are now on Revolution or Nexgard and will continue monthly - it seems she wasn't the only one. The puppy was already on her Nexgard, but the outdoor kitty was overdue. The vet said the elderly kitty was anaemic -- the fleas were killing her!!! I feel like a pretty bad owner, but she is on the mend. I have her and the other indoor kitty quarantined in the guest suite (don't worry, it will be thoroughly fumigated before you come visit=). This thread was very reassuring and educational: But, I do have a further query regarding whether laundering/hoovering is enough. I realize now that the black/red specks that I have been seeing around the top edge of my washer for the last month or so are flea droppings/larvae (Google 'flea dirt under microscope' for lunch time fun!) Yes, I did verify by comparison with the old Brock Magiscope. I had been cleaning it off the washer with lysol spray occasionally, but did not pay enough attention to notice how often/which type of load! (sense me beginning to itch/freak out!) I am washing everything the cats have touched, and that is when I realized what it was, because, after the washer being thoroughly cleaned yesterday, there is a lot of flea dirt around the top edge of the washer now, after washing their items. So...what do you think? Is our top-load washer just spitting the flea dirt to the top as it cleans? Is the washer infested? Could flea dirt be on all of our clothes? If it is, isn't that a bad, bad sign? I have not noticed 'black specks' all over the house or anything, although our son saw a live flea on the kitchen floor Sunday, before we knew what it was. Thinking of taking all bedding to the launderette. Will washing really do the trick? That flea dirt along the top of washer has me nervous...and itchy! Heading back to hoovering.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 You might want to call in professional help. My house got flew infested as a child and it took multiple flea bombs to get rid of them. Thinking back, we were probably just living in pesticides during that time. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Familia Posted June 21, 2018 Author Share Posted June 21, 2018 Our understanding is that the Revolution/Nexgard will render the fleas sterile, although it may take a few months for all cycles to die off. With hoovering/laundering I imagined we would be right on top of it. But this washer thing has me feeling icky. If there are no house-pet hosts, will they find us? We do our own pest control with professional products - on the outside, keeping a wide periphery where nothing can live LOL. That's been enough to keep our home relatively pest-free inside. I 'heard' that bombs do not get into the nooks or crannies that fleas climb into. What about the outdoor animals? I mean the farm animals? If they were bitten by a flea, and we or a pet carried it into the house, could it fall off, laying it's farm-animal-blood-fed eggs in the house, beginning the cycle again? Am I overthinking this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 Flea bombs are not the best bet - they tend to scatter the bugs and send them deeper into hiding, making it harder to eradicate them. Instead, I suggest you do two things. First of all, vacuum every day, especially baseboards and near the pet beds. Secondly, in the evenings, lay down some diatomaceous earth in a very fine layer around hotspots. (This will be vacuumed up in the morning.) Fleas can't develop a resistance to DE because it attacks them physically, cuts them up inside. (Also cuts up your lungs, so wear a mask while applying and keep kids and pets out of the room until it's safely on the floor.) Edit: Oh, I guess it's three things! In between vacuuming and applying the DE, spray the baseboards and under the pet beds/couch/human beds with Gentrol. This doesn't kill fleas, but it disrupts their growth cycle so they can't reproduce. You have to apply monthly. You can also seed your lawn with parasitic nematodes that kill fleas. It certainly won't do any harm to wash all your clothes and bedding for the next few weeks on HOT either, and put them in the dryer on HOT. If you feel better taking them to the laundromat to do this, go ahead. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Familia Posted June 21, 2018 Author Share Posted June 21, 2018 27 minutes ago, Tanaqui said: Secondly, in the evenings, lay down some diatomaceous earth in a very fine layer around hotspots. (This will be vacuumed up in the morning.) Someone said that DE is bad for vacuums, is that true? I have a bagless, in which I have placed a flea collar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 I haven't heard that, but I certainly could be mistaken. You can always wipe it up with a damp paper towel before vacuuming. (Seriously, though, limit application to hotspots.) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Familia Posted June 21, 2018 Author Share Posted June 21, 2018 I just scheduled a carpet-cleaning for next week. I want all of this flea excrement out of this house! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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