UPDATE How do I keep fleas away from my babe?

[buddyleebaby]

UPDATE: After reading all your replies, I became more and more convinced that we should not go and called my dh at work and essentially threw a fit, which was probably not the best way to go about it, but it got his attention. He immediately called his mother to find out what she wsa talking about and it seems there may have been a miscommunication between the two of us, which is not uncommon in our spanglish conversations. According to him, fleas come in from the factory next door so fleas are a reoccuring problem. However, he says that they do regularly fumigate which solves the problem for a limited time and since they know they are having company they will do so shortly before we are scheduled to travel. I was still nervous so he spoke to his uncle who lives about half an hour away and even though he has a small apartment it is flea free and he says if we encounter any problems he will happily put us up. i completely forgot about his uncle- the rest of the extended family lives together in one huge house.
So it still doesn't sound ideal, but doable. Knowing I have somewhere I can take my baby should we have a problem makes all the difference in the world to me. I also am insisting that my dh call as the date gets closer for a flea update, and if it's bad news, I have made it very clear that we will not be going.
Truth be told, I am very nervous about the trip in general and way outside my comfort zone but I am trying. It is the house my dh grew up in, the people that raised him, and they want very much to meet me and dd, but I have never been outside the US before and it is so scary to me.
Thank you all for reassuring me that I was right to be feeling the way I was!

My MIL casually mentioned today that her parent's house, where we will be staying on our trip, is loaded w/fleas!
Apparently bug bombs don't work b/c of the factory next door.
So now I am freaking out b/c I hate fleas (and pretty much all bugs that bite) and I do not want them near my dd. She has very sensitive, fair skin, and I am worried not only about her comfort but about possible scarring and don't fleas carry disease???
She's almost nine months. I don't know if we can put repellant on her based on her age.
There are no hotels in the town we are going to.
Our only other option is to cancel the trip entirely but then we'd be out almost 2000 dollars b/c we'd have to forfeit the price of the tickets.
Help! What do I do?

ETC Typos

[tiapam]

Honestly, if it was me, I would cancel. I would feel itchy the whole time, just knowing the fleas are there! And what if you brought some of them home with you? Is this in another country? I'm not saying we don't have fleas here, but I seem to remember you are outside the U.S. or have family outside the U.S. Could you pay to stay in someone else's flea-free home?

-Pam

DD - One year old!

[miki]

If there is no where else to stay within reasonable driving distance, I would not go. I wouldn't want to be amongst all the fleas myself and I would not want my kid to get bitten and be so miserably itchy that I'd have to give her Benedryl for days.

You're certain you can't trade in the tix for a future trip by paying the airline some sort of fee? Or just send your DH?

[JElaineB]

Um, I all can say is ick. I am wondering what kind of factory is next door that makes a massive pesticide bomb not work? Sounds scary. I would not go and expose myself or my child to that environment. Just stay home, no matter who it might torque off, and even if you lose a little money.

Jennifer
mom to Jacob 9/27/02

[BeachBaby]

This sounds horrible to me. Aside from the fleas, I'd be worried about that factory next door. If it makes a bug bomb ineffective, what is in the air you'd be breathing? As for the fleas, I would have to burn everything that I brought on that trip because no way would I be bringing that stuff back to my house. *shudder*

None of that is worth $200 IMO, so there's no way you'd get me to go on that trip. :(

[pb&j]

Airlines will give you credit for cancelled itineraries, though not the full price you paid for the tickets. It seems pretty cruel to subject your DD to a flea-infested home next to a factory so toxic it renders bug bombs useless. If the house is that flea-ridden, I'm guessing there are other hygiene issues as well. Cash in what you can out of the tickets, and go somewhere nice. JMHO...


-Ry,
mom to Emma, stillborn 11/04/04
and Max, 01/05/06

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[kijip]

Stay in the next town. Or cancel.

What the heck sort of place does she live in that she can't de-flea the place?

Sounds worrisome to me.

[buddyleebaby]

I need to clarify my op. The factory next door has no fumes whatsoever. It is a mattress factory and is just loaded with cotton which for whatever reason either attracts fleas or gives them a good place to hide. (Keep in mind also that this is all according to my MIL. I really don't know a thing about it.)

[kellyotn]

You're going to be out $2000 whether you go or don't go. It'd suck, but Option A is to fork over $2000 to stay in a flea infested home. Option B is to fork over $2000 and stay put in your non-flea infested home. ;) (I'd double and triple check that you can't get a partial credit for future travel though.)

Additionally, like others have mentioned, I'd be compelled to throw out any clothing worn there. So, that's more money wasted.

I guess what really matters (since the money is gone either way) is how badly you want to see the people you are visiting.....

I'd take a long drive and a hotel over that situation. If you end up staying there, call your ped and ask about repellants safe for her weight and age. Maybe there is something, but I'd still not want to go!! :)

[Tondi G]

Avon skin so soft may be an option??? I've heard people use it on their pets to help with fleas when some dogs sensitive skin can't handle flea repellants!

I don't see why they couldn't set off something like a (smoker, not a wet fogger) Raid Fumigator maybe a few days or a week before you come. It might not be a long term solution but would probably kill off the fleas there and make their home flea free while they have guests! They need to get a flea/pest control company if they want to keep control long term!

Are you sure they still have a problem? Has MIL been there recently? Do they have carpet or hardwood floors?

Given the option I would try to look into a motel/hotel.... maybe a B&B something that may work for you guys either in town or in the next town over. There has to be some kind of lodging??!!

Good luck

~Tondi
Mommy to Mason 7/8/01 and Aidan 5/4/05

[s7714]

I don't think fleas carry any diseases--suck your blood out yes, but I've never heard of them causing a disease. And I've never seen a flea bite big enough to leave a scar. That said, I think I'd cancel the trip and try to transfer the $2000 towards tickets to some other location, if possible. Or look into the surrounding areas for a place to stay? Even if you had to drive an hour to visit these people, I'd think it'd be better than living with fleas! The thought of being in a flea infested house (not to mention trying to sleep there???) with a little one just seems like a bad idea. I mean even if she can't get sick from flea bites, she's still going to be miserable from constantly getting bit and being itchy afterwards.

Like a PP said, is your MIL sure there is still a flea problem? Fleas are usually a seasonal problem in most places, but I suppose with a factory next door they could be year round?

Jennifer
Mommy to
DD 3/03
DD 6/05

Calling fellow BBB SoCal moms...we'd love to meet you!
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[pb&j]

>I don't think fleas carry any diseases--suck your blood out
>yes, but I've never heard of them causing a disease.

Fleas are well-known disease vectors. The bubonic plague is transmitted by fleas.


-Ry,
mom to Emma, stillborn 11/04/04
and Max, 01/05/06

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[s7714]

Yipes, good call. I forgot about that. Should have remembered that from one of my spelunking trips--a cave we were going to go into had just recently been reopened after a bubonic plague/rat problem and we were warned about checking for fleas post visit. Totally slipped my mind!

Well, that settles my vote! I'd cancel the trip or stay elsewhere!

Jennifer
Mommy to
DD 3/03
DD 6/05

Calling fellow BBB SoCal moms...we'd love to meet you!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/babybargainssocal/

[juliasmom05]

Alicia,

Not to be an alarmist or anything but the fumigation would bother me much more than the fleas especially with Abigail crawling on the floor. I would definitely find out what they are fumigating with before going. I am not sure what country you are going to and what the regulations are with that sort of thing. Although this was many years ago, our family had a horrible experience with dire consequences when my cousins had their house fumigated when one of their DC was crawling. So, this type of thing just makes me nervous.

I'm sorry this trip has turned out to be so stressful. Hopefully everything works out.

Marci

Mom to Julia 4/05

[Moneypenny]

Do you know what they fumigate with? I would honestly be more concerned about the chemicals from that than with the fleas.
Ugh. What a difficult situation!
Susan
mama to my cutie pie, Avery
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[starrynight]

Good luck and I'm glad you have an alternate place to stay if needed. Fleas are awful!

[mudder17]

I hope you have a good and safe trip, but I would stay with your DH's uncle because of the possibility of toxins from the fumigation. Abigail will be crawling all of the floors, and I think the possibility of her picking up stuff from it is probably pretty high. I would at the very least check up on what they fumigate with before choosing to stay with your IL's.


Eileen

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/candle.gif for Leah
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Kaya's a cousin! 10/1/05, 5lb13oz