Fleas when we don't have pets?

[WatchingThemGrow]

DH says he is getting bitten, then he found a flea in the bathroom this morning. We don't have pets or carpet. What do we do??

[Snow mom]

I hate to ask and creep you out, but have you seen any other signs of "pests" in or around your house? We do have dogs, but DH thinks that the major flea problem is possums and rats that live in a wood pile on our neighbors property right by our fence. They harbor fleas that our dogs end up getting in the yard and bringing into the house. I'm not sure if bats typically have fleas, but that seems like a potential source that you might not be aware of inside your house. Anyway, the good news is it should be relatively easy to get rid of fleas at this point, especially if they don't have a major source within your home. I'd just vacuum really well (including all area rugs and couches, beds, etc) daily for a few days. Leave the vacuum somewhere where fleas cannot escape back out into your house (in our case this would be our shed) or take out the bag each day after vacuuming. You might want to treat your yard with something like diatomaceous earth. It's an inhalation hazard when being spread, but I think it's okay to have in your yard with kiddos. It basically cuts little slits in insects and then they dry out and die. Just remember you don't want those little slits in your lungs and don't breathe the stuff! Good luck.

[DietCokeLover]

If they are in your yard, they can hop on your socks and shoes and walk right in the house with you. I'd treat your yard and your house.

[Smillow]

When I was a kid, the lady next door fed the ducks in her yard & fleas were EVERYWHERE (this was in Florida)... So they could be in your yard.

[wellyes]

Yes, as PP said, just vacuum vacuum vacuum for a couple days and it will get better. Fleas are nasty but common. Don't worry about the cause too much unless it recurs.

[WatchingThemGrow]

I hate to ask and creep you out, but have you seen any other signs of "pests" in or around your house? We do have dogs, but DH thinks that the major flea problem is possums and rats that live in a wood pile on our neighbors property right by our fence. They harbor fleas that our dogs end up getting in the yard and bringing into the house. I'm not sure if bats typically have fleas, but that seems like a potential source that you might not be aware of inside your house. Anyway, the good news is it should be relatively easy to get rid of fleas at this point, especially if they don't have a major source within your home. I'd just vacuum really well (including all area rugs and couches, beds, etc) daily for a few days. Leave the vacuum somewhere where fleas cannot escape back out into your house (in our case this would be our shed) or take out the bag each day after vacuuming. You might want to treat your yard with something like diatomaceous earth. It's an inhalation hazard when being spread, but I think it's okay to have in your yard with kiddos. It basically cuts little slits in insects and then they dry out and die. Just remember you don't want those little slits in your lungs and don't breathe the stuff! Good luck.
Ok, my next door neighbor just told me he saw a possum run toward our house the other night. DH sprayed the yard a week or two ago with Cutter, which, I believe, should have flea stuff in it..

[melonpan]

vacuum every single day until you dont see them for 2 or 3 days. if its really bad, use a flea bomb but continue to vacuum to suck up eggs/larvae/pupae.

vacuuuuuuuuuum

[twowhat?]

And throw out the vacuum bag EVERY time!! We had this happen when we were in an apartment. No pets at the time. So the fleas were feeding off of ME. You can fix the problem a bit sooner by using the flea foggers or bombs to kill the adults so they can't lay any more eggs. Yes, they are nasty chemicals. If you use them, do it on a nice day when you can completely close up the house for a few hours and then open up all the windows to air out for a few hours. And then just keep vacuuming to get all the larvae that hatch.

You can also use diatomaceous earth in the carpeting. Make sure it is FOOD GRADE (NOT the swimming pool stuff). It dessicates the adult fleas. Safer than the chemical bombs, but more expensive.

I think the flea cycle is 4-6 weeks (you can google it) so you have to vacuum like crazy for at least that long.

[WatchingThemGrow]

And throw out the vacuum bag EVERY time!! We had this happen when we were in an apartment. No pets at the time. So the fleas were feeding off of ME. You can fix the problem a bit sooner by using the flea foggers or bombs to kill the adults so they can't lay any more eggs. Yes, they are nasty chemicals. If you use them, do it on a nice day when you can completely close up the house for a few hours and then open up all the windows to air out for a few hours. And then just keep vacuuming to get all the larvae that hatch.

You can also use diatomaceous earth in the carpeting. Make sure it is FOOD GRADE (NOT the swimming pool stuff). It dessicates the adult fleas. Safer than the chemical bombs, but more expensive.

I think the flea cycle is 4-6 weeks (you can google it) so you have to vacuum like crazy for at least that long.
REALLY, throw out the bag that many times? I have a Miele and will go broke doing that! They are $4 each x 28 days = okay $112. Not that bad, but still...ugh.

[twowhat?]

REALLY, throw out the bag that many times? I have a Miele and will go broke doing that! They are $4 each x 28 days = okay $112. Not that bad, but still...ugh.

Ugh, that sucks:( Maybe what you can do is vacuum, then put the bag inside another bag and seal it, then take out the bag the next time you vacuum and reuse...you just don't want the little crawlies making their way out of the bag back into your carpet...

[WatchingThemGrow]

We don't have carpet - just the area rugs in 3 rooms and one room with FLOR. Thankful for that!

[twowhat?]

We don't have carpet - just the area rugs in 3 rooms and one room with FLOR. Thankful for that!

Thank goodness! You will have to also wash curtains, bedskirts/bedding, and vacuum your couch cushions too...anywhere a flea can hide. I hate fleas. And cockroaches. The world would not suffer one iota with the extinction of these bugs:)

[melonpan]

miele! oh HA!

this is funny. so i have been dealing with this flea infestation at our place. i am into my third week of vacuuming and all looks really good. after nearly 20 days of vacuuming the entire house ive started to covet nice machines, including mieles. we plan to get one of the s5s in the new year. maybe the callisto, maybe the capricorn.

one of the reasons we arent getting a miele now is the vacuum bag cost.

i am now using a hoover windtunnel. heavy HEAVY HEAVY vacuum. but bags are less than a dollar each and that helps since i have to throw the bags away every day.

even after we get the miele, i plan to keep the windtunnel in case we ever see any more fleas. that way i can just use that for a month or so and keep throwing the bags away.

getting rid of fleas:

1) frontline or advantage your pet (you dont have any though)
2) boric acid or d.e. powder
3) daily vacuum EVERYWHERE (curtains, in/under furniture)
4) occasional flea bomb if the adults are biting too often

[SpaceGal]

I think we have a flea problem too and have been vacuuming for almost a month now. We have an indoor cat so I'm not sure where the fleas are coming from, he;s never had a flea problem and I gave him a bath and didn't see any fleas. I suspect our day at the state fair (petting animals and walking through the hay and diary farms) might have been it since it all happened after that. You can also make sure to wash al your clothes in borax...and I sprinkled that on the carpet and waited a few hours and then vacuumed it up. What's terrible is that I'm not even sure if it is fleas...just hoping it is rather than BED BUGS!!

[gatorsmom]

I've heard of people getting fleas or some kind of mites from bats in the attic and bird nests in their eaves or gutters.

[WatchingThemGrow]

I've heard of people getting fleas or some kind of mites from bats in the attic and bird nests in their eaves or gutters.
oh heaven forbid! That would be just our luck!