44 replies to this topic

[brianthephysicist]

My apartment is under siege by fleas. What do I do?

I told my landlord. He acted confident, but I don't think he knows what he's doing either. :facepalm:

What chemicals do I need to use? Should I try it myself or call a company?

Should I stay at a friend's house or should I quarantine myself there?

Should I wear a flea collar on my leg like an ankle bracelet? Is there anything else I can do to protect myself?

Are there any diseases I need to watch out for?

[xTrishaxLynnx]

They make these ultrasonic repellants that you just plug into the wall. We had SO many fleas once that I took a step off my bed and it looked like my leg turned black. A couple of days after my dad plugged those ultrasonic things in, they seemed to be gone. If you have carpets, though, I'd use a fogger on the place. Your landlord would have to fog the whole building if you want to go that route.

[xTrishaxLynnx]

If you go to a friend's house, you risk carrying them there in your clothing and then you may both have the problem. :\

I don't know anything about diseases they may carry or if it's safe for a person to wear a flea collar; I doubt it, but...

[Marie-Therese]

Do not put a flea collar on your person.

Get a product called Sevin Dust. Follow the instructions and apply it to your carpet. You might want to arrange to spend a night or two with a friend while the Sevin Dust works. Once done, it vaccuums up from the carpet. It will kill fleas and a multitude of other pests. Really. Trust me on this one. Sevin Dust.

You should be able to get it at any store that sells products for home and garden.

[sixpence]

whatever treatment you choose, make sure it last long enough (or you repeat it enough times) to wait out all the unhatched eggs!! Do you have pets? Do you have carpets? And most importantly...and you sure they are fleas? I don't think you need to worry about getting typhus

[Brother Adam]

I second the sevin dust.

[brianthephysicist]

Do not put a flea collar on your person.

ty

Get a product called Sevin Dust. Follow the instructions and apply it to your carpet. You might want to arrange to spend a night or two with a friend while the Sevin Dust works. Once done, it vaccuums up from the carpet. It will kill fleas and a multitude of other pests. Really. Trust me on this one. Sevin Dust.

You should be able to get it at any store that sells products for home and garden.

I looked at sevin dust online and the FAQ's say not to use it in the house at all and that it should only be used on plants. Am I looking at the wrong product?

whatever treatment you choose, make sure it last long enough (or you repeat it enough times) to wait out all the unhatched eggs!! Do you have pets? Do you have carpets? And most importantly...and you sure they are fleas? I don't think you need to worry about getting typhus

I don't have pets, but my old roommate did before she moved out. When I'm away from her room, there's no problem, when I'm near her room there's some fleas, and the one time I walked in her room, they swarmed my legs.

All of the apartment is carpeted except the kitchen and bathroom.

Yes, I am sure they are fleas.

[Anomaly]

I would avoid Sevin Dust. Do a google search. It's not as safe as a pyrethin insecticide. Also, if you have cats or dogs (or even you) the dust may be irritating.
We've used Precor and pyrethins to treat our home for fleas with great success (we have had 3 cats and a dog in warm Florida). We've gotten them occaisionally, but never for long. It took two weeks to take eradicate fleas in my neighbor's INFESTED house when they were gone for months and I took care of their pets. It doesn't happen over night since you have to worry about eggs hatching, etc. Vacum and dispose your bag every couple of days to get rid of eggs and dead fleas. Follow the directions on the insecticides. I don't know how bad your fleas are, but I wouldn't recommend wearing flea collars on your legs.

[sixpence]

It will be easier since you don't have to worry about animals... its better to just wear long pantaloons and do the dorky sock-tuck than to use flear collars not meant for people. You probably have a good amount of options as far as pesticides, but read the directions, make sure its safe for indoors, and like anomaly said, keep vacuuming!!!

Also, if there were cats, dust off and furniture they might have been on

Edited by sixpence, 19 June 2012 - 09:36 AM.

[brianthephysicist]

I would avoid Sevin Dust. Do a google search. It's not as safe as a pyrethin insecticide. Also, if you have cats or dogs (or even you) the dust may be irritating.
We've used Precor and pyrethins to treat our home for fleas with great success (we have had 3 cats and a dog in warm Florida). We've gotten them occaisionally, but never for long. It took two weeks to take eradicate fleas in my neighbor's INFESTED house when they were gone for months and I took care of their pets. It doesn't happen over night since you have to worry about eggs hatching, etc. Vacum and dispose your bag every couple of days to get rid of eggs and dead fleas. Follow the directions on the insecticides. I don't know how bad your fleas are, but I wouldn't recommend wearing flea collars on your legs.

That Precor product looks perfect. I'm going to try that.

The annoying thing is that the vacuum my landlord has down here is one of those fancy bagless things. I'll need to figure out how to clean that properly. Maybe the hose will work.

[Laudate_Dominum]

Run!

[Anomaly]

That Precor product looks perfect. I'm going to try that.

The annoying thing is that the vacuum my landlord has down here is one of those fancy bagless things. I'll need to figure out how to clean that properly. Maybe the hose will work.

I think you want to do both. If I remember correctly, Precor keeps fleas from maturing, prethins is an actual insecticide. Sixpense probably knows.

Dude, you don't own a vacum? Shop GoodWill for used, and check out dollar stores or a Harbor Freight for cheap bags before you chose a vac.

[MIkolbe]

i say kill it with fire...

you're renting, right?

[brianthephysicist]

Dude, you don't own a vacum? Shop GoodWill for used, and check out dollar stores or a Harbor Freight for cheap bags before you chose a vac.

My landlord has his own vacuum and he left his old vacuum in my apartment. It works great, but it's one of those bagless thingamajigs.

Lolwut. Apparently this text editor doesn't think "thingamajigs" is spelled wrong.

I think you want to do both. If I remember correctly, Precor keeps fleas from maturing, prethins is an actual insecticide. Sixpense probably knows.

I'm not sure. It says it's a "insect growth regulator (IGR) and residual insecticide" but idrk what that means.

[brianthephysicist]

Just ordered Precor. It'll take 1-3 days to get here.

[BG45]

I've been itching since reading this in Six's bug thread originally just at the thought of them!

i say kill it with fire...

It's the only way to be sure.

[Anomaly]

Do the best you can with the bagless vacUUm. The idea is to get eggs, and maybe live fleas out of the apartment.

Precor is an insect growth inhibitor that keeps the bugs pre-adult so they don't breed and lay eggs. Pyrethin is and insecticide that kills bugs. I'm not sure that Precor is an effective killer, I've always used both. Pyrethin to kill, then follow up with Precor. Pyrethin again if I see more fleas after a few days. I forget the life of Precor. You may have to apply it a regular intervals, like evey week or few days to get any new hatchlings before they grow up.

[brianthephysicist]

Do the best you can with the bagless vacUUm. The idea is to get eggs, and maybe live fleas out of the apartment.

Precor is an insect growth inhibitor that keeps the bugs pre-adult so they don't breed and lay eggs. Pyrethin is and insecticide that kills bugs. I'm not sure that Precor is an effective killer, I've always used both. Pyrethin to kill, then follow up with Precor. Pyrethin again if I see more fleas after a few days. I forget the life of Precor. You may have to apply it a regular intervals, like evey week or few days to get any new hatchlings before they grow up.

Ok that makes sense. After I get back from lunch I'll look for Pyrethin.


Thanks so much to everyone that's been helping.

[Luigi]

Fleas - a scourge of God upon unrepentant sinners!


















Wasn't "fleas" one of the ten Egyptioan plagues back in Moses' day?

Edited by Luigi, 19 June 2012 - 10:29 AM.

[maximillion]

You will need to do whatever you do at least three times, once won't be enough. Also, beware that it is more than likely you are carrying the eggs of these beasties on your person, on your clothing etc so don't forget to put EVERYTHING through a wash cycle.....maybe more than once.