Fleas!!!!!

[dougnaie]

Thanks JustPassinThru for all of that invaluable information. I have been helping my sister sell her house and move so had to let my own crises languish for a bit. I was in my garage for a few minutes last night, and the problem remains although I do think it is a little better... I did do a few more foggers just to try and do a temporary mitigation so I can get in and out.

You list of things to do was most helpful, however I have a question...You indicate the need to vaccum the garage...well, it has a lot of stuff in it, mostly stacked on the floor. Are you saying emty the garge out and then vac? I dread doing that but can see the sense..Is that a one time thing or would I need to do it repeatedly?

Thanks again for taking the time to write - I really appreciate it.

[cynwldkat]

In order to rid yourself completely and throughly of a flea problem it requires work and lots of it! IMO you should remove everything and then vacume. I know it sounds like a horrible job but those little buggers can hide anywhere and everywhere. Vacume and spray or bomb (or both). If possible, put most of those items in new boxes etc. and toss the old boxes. Once you do it this way you can follow up with just bombing or spraying. So many of the "over-the-counter" sprays and bombs are just to weak to get rid of our little insects nowdays. That's where the professionals are a step ahead of us. But even for them it is getting harder to purchase poisons that actually work great. Soooo, it requires more work for us...but it can be done!! Good luck!

[JustPassinThru]

Originally Posted by dougnaie

You list of things to do was most helpful, however I have a question...You indicate the need to vaccum the garage...well, it has a lot of stuff in it, mostly stacked on the floor. Are you saying emty the garge out and then vac? I dread doing that but can see the sense..Is that a one time thing or would I need to do it repeatedly?

That could be quite a chore, depending upon the garage. One alternative would be to treat the open floor space and fog weekly for one month. If the garage floor is not sealed, the porous concrete will absorb the pesticide quickly, hence the need for a weekly treatment. This schedule should obtain the same results as a more thorough cleanout and treatment. You could place a pair of rat glueboards on the floor a day after each fogging to monitor current insect activity.

Read the pesticide label. It will tell you the frequency and number of re-treats permissable. There are restrictions on some pesticides labeled for exterior use due to their tendency to leach through the soil to groundwater. I don't see a problem with re-treating concrete, but do read the label.

In regards to the poor results achieved by your pest control company, I have to tell you that a flea treatment will usually fail unless the source of the infestation is dealt with. If you told the tech about the cats I have a feeling that he believed that the source was eliminated, but that may not have been the case. Also, some companies prefer to use IGR's only, as they have no odor and are relatively non-toxic to humans. The drawback with that method is that adult fleas will continue to seek a bloodmeal, mate, and lay eggs. It is only the larval stage that is affected. They never develop any further. (All of my info is very dated, so please forgive me if there are new developments in chemicals or treatments that I am unaware of.)

Finally, you could contact another company and inquire about their methods and costs. At the very least, ask for suggestions on how to solve your flea problem. You will, however, still have to do the "heavy lifting".

Disclaimer: these methods apply to this specific situation. A single garage treatment for roaches could be effective for 6 months. Why? Because of the difference in physiology. A lawn treatment for adult junebugs will last a year.
Same reason.