Rented house - just moved in and fleas

poppysarah

Your child has only got their fear of bugs from learning it. Teach her bugs are amazing. Seriously it'll make like easier in the long run.

Speak to an alternative pest firm. See what they say about the chemicals used and whether it should be flea free and safe.

BlondeHeadOn

The bit about the chemicals used being 'safe' I would question, as I have personally had a very violent reaction to some flea killer spray! I used to share a flat with a girl who had a cat, cat got fleas. I got bitten to pieces, flatmate didn't. So after trying sprays from Boots etc. I was advised to go to a vets and get a spray from them which was stornger and would work.

It worked all right - only trouble was I was violently allergic to the damn stuff (asthma for the first time ever, tachychardia, burning red all over skin rash, streaming eyes, coughing - I had to go to the doctor for treatment) and had to move out of the flat. And as the chemical fixes itself in the carpets etc. and lasted for up to 12 weeks (to catch the fleas in their life cycle), I had to move out for 3 months!!! So I gave up and found somewhere else.

The chemical may be classed as 'safe', but still not be okay for everyone...

I hope you can sort this out soon - I would ask for your money back and find somewhere else.

Good luck.

not_loaded

I think there two issues here, 1) How you react to fleas, and 2) How you react to flea treatments.

poppysarah wrote: »

Your child has only got their fear of bugs from learning it. Teach her bugs are amazing. Seriously it'll make like easier in the long run.
Speak to an alternative pest firm. See what they say about the chemicals used and whether it should be flea free and safe.

I agree that kids need to be mollycoddled less and helped to have a full understanding of flora, fauna, insects, etc, but here we are talking about an almost invisible insect that can bite and leave ghastly itchy lumps IF you react to what they do (piercing the skin and sucking blood). Adult fleas can survive two months to a year between meals, so that’s a pretty daunting insect to have around. Amazing is just one word for them!

BlondeHeadOn wrote: »

The bit about the chemicals used being 'safe' I would question, as I have personally had a very violent reaction to some flea killer spray! I used to share a flat with a girl who had a cat, cat got fleas. I got bitten to pieces, flatmate didn't.

This is what I meant by IF you react. The flatmate must have been bitten, but had no reaction.

BlondeHeadOn wrote: »

…I was advised to go to a vets and get a spray from them which was stornger and would work. It worked all right - only trouble was I was violently allergic to the damn stuff (asthma for the first time ever, tachychardia, burning red all over skin rash, streaming eyes, coughing - I had to go to the doctor for treatment) and had to move out of the flat…

Unfortunately the stronger you go with stuff like this, the more likely the problems.

The spray we found bearable price-wise, and that didn’t affect us was: Johnsons 4fleas Household Spray. The best price was to be found at the very large pet shops. Huge aerosols of 600ml are available. I used to do the manic hoovering bit very thoroughly, then spray heavily around the edges of the room, easing off into the middle of the room and then back out the door spraying as you go.

I’d still leave the room and close the door for around 4 hours after spraying though, preferably much longer if you can.

Hope this helps!

gre20863

fleas cant live without a host and do not live on people. the fleas that you encounter 10days ago will be dead and what is there now will be the eggs that have hatched.. they too will be dead soon and you should have no more problems unless you have animals yourself.

not_loaded

gre20863 wrote: »

fleas cant live without a host and do not live on people. the fleas that you encounter 10days ago will be dead and what is there now will be the eggs that have hatched.. they too will be dead soon and you should have no more problems unless you have animals yourself.

Sorry, but you could not be more wrong than this.

If this was the case, nobody would ever have a flea infestation problem.

rodman

Had same problem, we asked compesation around £1000, Lenlord agreed. Did we ask too much?

deeda078

I moved into a priate rental over the weekend with my 2 children...2 days ago we awoke to find my 18month old son covered in flea bites...they dont seem bothered with me or my 12 year old daughter, I have spoken to the LL who advised i vac alot !! What are my rights??

BitterAndTwisted

As you obviously didn't being the fleas with you, your landlord should be dong rather more than merely telling you to vacuum!


WRITE and explain the problem and then ask him to arrange for a pest-control firm to visit, or have the local authority's PC folks come. LA's often charge less than the private companies.

Better_Days

Vacuming regularly - every day and in all the nooks and crannies will help a lot.

This spray is good stuff
http://www.animeddirect.co.uk/cats/flea-and-tick/indorex-household-flea-spray-500ml.html
although be sure to air the room well after spraying.

A few years ago we had an infestation of red mites http://keeping-chickens.me.uk/chickens-health/red-mite in the house and it was horrible. My DH had cleaned out the chicken coop and put the bedding in the brown bin. The brown bin was near the house and they marched out of the bin, up the wall, though the cracks round the window frame and into the bedroom (we are in a bungalow). The spare bed and dogs bed were black with the mites. We had to get specialists in to spray the house.

I do sympathise, this sort of problem can make you feel horrible. Do keep up with the hoovering - it really does make a difference. Hope you get it sorted soon.

axomoxia

If your using Frontline, switch to Advocat. It seems our little flea chums have become immune to Frontline. They other way to remove them is to borrow a Advocated cat....