Flea Infestation

[kawagino]

Any helpful ideas please.

My daughter has just purchased her first home but the excitement has quickly turned to a nightmare. The house is full of fleas. We have tried all the sprays and bombs that can be bought, taken out any existing carpet, and not moved in any new furniture. She has been bitten badly particularly on her legs. She has now employed Rentokil at the cost of £300 and they treated the house last week. The fleas are still hopping everywhere. They offer one follow up visit but we are losing confidence and they then say she will need a surveyor if the fleas continue.

Has anyone had any experience similar and can offer some advice.

[bunkmoreland]

Fleas may be on a human body,but they can not live and breed on a human body,some sort of wildlife in or near the house is the problem

[RATTER15]

Bunkmoreland, sorry you are incorrect, fleas from wildlife is not a problem here, the problem arose from the pets that lived in the property. When I was in pest control, 50% of all the flea problems I encountered we from people moving into a house that previously had fleas and had been empty for a while or it was people returning from holiday. Poor fleas were starving and would bite anybody they came across. The best treatments are only available to qualified pest controllers, and even they often have problems with flea infestations, that is why I suggest a guaranteed treat treatment.

[EDDIE51]

This prompts me to ask 'how long can fleas live in an empty house?' do they not starve to death after say a few weeks/months or do they become dormant and last years?

[RATTER15]

EDDIE, Depending on who you talk to: fleas can last for a week or two without a host to feed on, however, flea eggs and larvae can last for a few months, some will say up to a year as they can go dormant without a host.

[237SJ]

I know someone at work who had the same situation. The place was full of fleas. She got onto her solicitor who contacted the vendor`s solicitor and the previous owner coughed up the money for the de-fleaing. If it was me, I would be at least letting it be known via the solicitor what state the place was in.

[Old_Geezer]

When I bought my first house I had a similar problem, but luckily at my age I was able to treat with sprays and stay at my parents.

For me the sprays worked, but that said I sprayed umpteen times the recommended amount in each room and can not believe much could have survived that. So the only advice I can give is overdo the dose, come back next day, repeat.

[kawagino]

Daughter has been dosing continually with the over the counter products, until Rentokill came in. Every night she sprays in her bed and herself and sleeps with tracksuit and socks hoping they will not get her but still being bitten. She will probably have to move out soon but is waiting until next Monday when Rentokill come with their follow up visit.

[RATTER15]

She does not need to spray herself or her bed and probably not safe to do so! It will make no difference to flea problem but could very well cause her some serious harm!!

[kawagino]

Thank you for your advice Ratter. You have been a great help. I am sure she will take it better from an expert. I did not think that spraying her skin with all her open bite wounds would be at all healthy, but at the moment she is feeling exasperated with all the treatment to the house and still being bitten and seeing fleas hopping around .

[Old_Geezer]

If you can stand being in the room, or even outside the door, after spraying, you need to increase the dose. ;-)

[ladybirder]

Tell her to talk to her solicitor as 237sj suggested. The property should have been VACANT once the sale was completed not full of living creatures. Seriously, RIP or the other one pasta suggested are both brilliant but I believe you have to get them from the vet. No good buying rubbish from the supermarket. Either one will cost you less than £20 and follow the instructions.

[kawagino]

An update on the fleas three weeks on.

Daughter now had three visits from Rentokill. After the first there seemed no improvement, but after the second there did seem a few less fleas. It has now been a week since the third treatment and only one flea has been seen,so very hopeful and positive now. She did order some Indorex and has been spraying that as well.

We are really grateful for all the helpful advice and maybe she can move her furniture in soon.