[~Mummy~Mel~]

We have fleas in the house. Dog has been treated with frontline and capstar but they are all through the house especially my bedroom where the dog sleeps. Ewww
I have 6 flea bombs to let off today (can't afford an exterminator), just wondering if I should take sheets of bed before or after and should I cover all our toys as DS is only 1. What about the lounge? Is it safe to sit in after? Any other precautions I should take. The can does say to turn off all power etc and put exposed food away.

Thanks!

[scarfie]

I know you say you can't afford an exterminator, but we have had problems with fleas and those bombs you buy from the supermarket don't really do the job and you end up spending just as much by re-doing it again.

Best thing we ever did was pay for someone to come in and do it, and it isn't as expensive as we thought.

[ubermum]

Flea bombs are like fly spray. I would vacuum everything and wash any toys that get mouthed. I would probably strip and wash the sheets so that I knew for sure there was no eggs anywhere and that all the nooks and crannys around the mattress got bombed.

[mummytotwo]

Need to get yard sprayed as well. Otherwise they will come back. Cheaper in long run. We don't even use flea treatments now.

[Monket]

It is hard to get rid of fleas with flea bombs. Make sure you spray under furniture as that is where they like to hide. Ideally, spray and leave for 24 hours or longer. Then vacuum and dispose of the vacuum bag elsewhere or put it in a plastic bag that is well sealed.

It might pay to call a pest control company. They spray and also give you a guarantee which means that if the fleas return within a certain period, they will respray for free. This is great for fleas because the chance of reinfestation is high due to the length of time the eggs can lay dormant.

Good luck, fleas are the pits.

[Bodacious Prime]

OP is the problem in the carpets?
I've used salt before with great results to remove fleas from carpets. It might be worth a try first and it's certainly better than filling your home woth noxious chemicals.

[~Mummy~Mel~]

Yes it is the carpets. Did you use everyday table salt and what, sprinkle it on the carpet then vacuum it up?

The exterminator will cost $240. I had it done a year ago and he did the yard too. My dog has scratched up fleas that were lying dormant in the dirt outside. The exterminator did say that he thought the fleas would be back because of my dogs digging.

[Chelara]

My PIL had a terrible flea problem in their home a few years ago (indoor dogs and yes it was the carpet) they flea bombed, I think they may have done it twice, no issues ever since.

It was really bad, we'd walk into the lounge room and have fleas instantly all over our legs and ankles. They live rurally and have a large yard with long grass and the fleas did not come back.

[Bodacious Prime]

Yes, just normal salt. You need to do all the rooms at once or you'll find that one room will reinfect the next, move as much furniture as you can. Vac first and suck up as many of them as you can, empty the vac straight away and then sprinkle the salt. Put it on pretty heavy, I think we left it on for a day or two. No young kids in my house back then though.

[*Spikey*]

There is a thread on Fleas in the Pet Section. Some of the links I posted had some good suggestions for killing off fleas in yards and other places.