I was shopping at Goodwill and Salvation Army, we saved a ton of money and 15 year old is very happy with this retro look for back to school. Here's the problem, I picked up fleas at Salvation Army. I don't blame them, it was probably in a sofa or something. I have put Advantage on all my pets and the fleas in the house seem to be gone. The car is another story. I get fleas on me when I get into the car. How do I get rid of them?! Ugh!
sprinkle a good amount of table salt all in the carpet, or buy salt from the bulk bins, which is cheape. The salt drys out the fleas.
Good luck.
Hi N.,
I say avoid the bombs and treat the car seats and carpets with boric acid crystals (salt works too but you have to use more, more often). The crystals are drying but not toxic. The dust can be irritating to breathe because it is so drying but that is the worst side effect that I have ever experienced or heard about. (I was a vet tech in Houston, TX so believe me I have heard about every flea product out there.) You can get carpet products, at most big pet stores or online. I liked FleaBusters the best. Just sprinkle on, sweep in and then wait at least 30 minutes before doing anything else in the car. Wait as long as you can, a day would be great, and then vacuum the car. The vacuum won't get out all the boric acid crystals on the first go around but that is not necessarily a bad thing in the summer. The boric acid drys out the fleas larvae so they can't hatch and the adults don't like it much either.
Oh, just as an FYI, the chemical in Frontline that gets the fleas is tested safe but is in high quanities more toxic than the chemical in Advantage. Advantage was tested at 400 times the recommended dose for safety. Frontline was originally only a tick product and then added a second "approved" but less well liked (for safety anyway) chemical to control fleas and made Frontline Plus. Also, with cats you need to be very sure that any product you use on your cats is labeled for cats. Dogs can take certain chemicals that cats can not, mostly because cats groom themselves and end up ingesting the chemical. I have seen too many cats seizure to death because their owners didn't read the labels and put the same product they use on their dogs on their cats. Advantage is s good choice for cats.
Good Luck. I know fleas are a pain.
S.
set off a bug bomb in your car, other wise you will bring them back into your house.
I am sorry this is a bit late, but I am in the process of moving and this was my first chance in a couple of days to check my emails...
Use 7 Dust. You can find it almost anywhere and it is considered safe. Use it on your carpet AND on your pets as if you were sprinkling carpet freshener...Put towels or blankets over the carpet after sprinkling to help keep the dust level down, and after a day or two vacuum it up and wash the blankets. The fleas should be mostly if not totally gone. Once you have gotten rid of them, 7 Dust sprinkled in a line just inside or outside of your doors and windows and a small amount along your baseboards will keep ALL insects to a minimum of not completely gone...
Good Luck... ;-)
Whoa, moms, please do NOT sprinkle borax on your carpets. It's virtually impossible to vacuum it all out, and it will get pulverized and rise as a fine dust for weeks or months after using. According to a chemical safety data sheet at http://cartwright.chem.ox.ac.uk/hsci/chemicals/borax.html as well as other sources,
*** Borax is harmful if swallowed.
*** Borax dust is very irritating if breathed in.
*** There is some evidence that prolonged or repeated exposure to borax may cause reproductive defects.
Strong smelling herbs are popular insect repellents, but please google "herb, toxicity" before you actually put these where your kids or pets can absorb, inhale or ingest even traces. Many herbs, including lavender, have been shown to have toxic effects when used in concentrations strong enough in discourage bugs.
But google "NEEM OIL, FLEAS" and you'll find suggestions for how to use this natural, nontoxic plant extract. It's been used for centuries in India for toothbrushing, skin care, and insect control. I think you can find this in most garden centers now, and there are online sources as well.
Good luck. Fleas are horribly annoying. Those bites can itch for days.
N.-
Vacuum out all of your car and then sprinkle regular table salt all over your carpets. Vacuuming will remove the adult fleas. Salt will dry out the larvae that are present in the carpet. Repeat this every day for 3 days and then once a week for three weeks. This also works wonders in your house carpets. And, it is safe for kids and pets.
Good luck! Fleas are Nasty!
Your car likely needs either a small'''bomb''' or something that a good big pet-store - or your cats' vet can suggest--- sorry, love--- you are so right- no ones' fault but what a sad, messy event.
Blessings,
J. aka--- old Mom
Try some powdered Borax. Sprinkle it into the carpet and seats of your car, let it sit for an hour (or more if you can) and then vaccuum it up. You might want to do the same for your carpet at home in case the fleas laid any eggs...
Fleas don't like lavender. Get a lavendar spray (with real lavender extract) and spray the interior of your car, and leave the windows down so that they can run away. :)
Pour salt (table salt) on the car mats, wait several days then clean it out. Also put a few drops of peppermint oil on the mats.
I have to agree to the flea bomb. I usually stay away from pesticides, but fleas are just so darn hard to get rid of.
Good luck!
WE have had a hard year with fleas too! I live on a small farm and the animals have been infested since July. I went to GNC and bought some essential oils, Lavender and tea tree oil, mixed a solution of both with two cups of water and three teaspoons of each oil. Spray vehicle when done driving at the end of the day three days of this, and no more fleas in the car. Borax soap (mule power)works on carpets and furniture, be careful if there are small children in your life and clean up of the soap takes some effort. The tea tree oil is also good to shampoo your animals with. I like Frontline better than Advantage it seems to work better. My friends told me to treat the dogs, then send them in the house for a day or two for the fleas to jump on them, bite, then die! Good luck!! :)
If you haven't all ready tried vacuuming and/or shampooing I would start w/that first. If that doesn't work get a small flea bomb and set it off w/all windows closed during a cool part of the day.Of course the car will need to air out afterwards.Back in my days (LOL) when I lived in FL there was no such thing as Advantage, Frontline, etc. I was a vet lab tech then and the flea bombs worked wonders in my home along w/flea dips for my pets.
Good Luck!
T.
If you bought a sofa from there, then you will probably have to get it bombed. If you only bought clothes, then it is unlikely that they are the source.
Either way, a good way to get rid of fleas is with a lamp and a dish of soapy water. Set a desk lamp on the floor, pointing at the floor. Place a shallow dish of soapy water under the lamp. The fleas will jump to the heat of the lamp, then will fall into the water and drown.
