Getting Rid Of Fleas

[Iggy]

I made the mistake of letting a homeless woman store her bags in my van for a few hours. Now there is a flea infestation. I've never dealt with fleas before. Is a flea bomb the way to go, for ridding the van of the critters?

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[nature lover]

Catch them and sell them at a flea market. (I know that wasn't funny to you but others might get a smile). I used a flea bomb in a nursing home patients room but ended up calling a pro to get rid of them. In a small space like a van it should go better - make sure you get the van as air tight as possible and then airi it out well after the recommended time.

 

[Iggy]

Lol, I'd be willing to give them away for free to the circus! I did some googling, and I saw that it is not recommended to sleep in the van for 48 hours after a flea bomb. That would mean some motel expense, but I might have to bite the bullet and do it. I doubt they will go away on their own. And it might be nice to watch some TV and take several hot showers.

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[maki2]

Flea bombs are pretty much the way to go. Just realize it means a lot of work cleaning up all the surfaces afterwards.

 

[highdesertranger]

the southwest is experiencing a heat wave right now go there and seal up the van for 2 days and leave it parked in the sun. that should do it. no chemicals needed. BTW this also works on bed bugs.

highdesertranger

 

[GntlStone]

You can also sprinkle Diatomaceus (sp) Earth around the van. It breaks down rhe chitin in their shels or some such. You can get it at Tractor Supply or an agricultural place, or maybe a pet store. Worked great when I fostered a friendly feral momma cat & kittens.

 

[Dingfelder]

They reproduce in less than a week, so flea bombs are not enough. They may not kill all the eggs. And an egg or two is all you need to welcome crazy time.

First, bomb and preferably over-bomb the heck out of the environment. I don't know how a van or RV/trailer dweller does that without being gone for a while. I'm talking my sticks and bricks experience.

Sprinkle borax (I use 20 Mule Team Borax, easily available at most grocery stores) liberally on a carpet. Let sit for a day or two after testing if a small patch of your carpet is okay. (I say that for caution but have never seen a carpet harmed.) Vacuum thoroughly, every inch. Then sprinkle again about three days from last sprinkling.

Every week, flea bomb with a quality excess of bombs too.

Keep BOTH these cycles going until fleas are gone.

DO NOT take your dog to the beach or to popular public parks in the process or you will get nowhere. If you DO stay away from those places, you should be fine after about 3 weeks of spinning through those cycles unless you bring in a flea on your socks. (Yeah, it could happen to YOU!)

Additionally, vacuum as much as you can stand it. A few mothballs in your vacuum cleaner bag supposedly kills eggs and/or live fleas; I haven't the science to verify. But I figure either one is better in a disposable vacuum bag than in your house, right?

This routine has worked for me through some brutal infestations. But you can't slack off for even a single day. Absolutely serious on that.

 

[Willie Dorr]

I had a terrible flea infestation that defied three bombings. So I put a layer of diatomaceous earth down, a quarter-inch of it, all over the floor. Left it for four days, which sorta closed the life cycle of the little buggers, and then vacuumed it all up. Never saw 'em again. It kind of dries up your feet and ankles short term, but it works.

 

[iamk]

Now there is a flea infestation. I've never dealt with fleas before.

I had two flea infestations, one in 2013 and one in 2018. Both times I used https://www.fleabusters.com and was happy with the result. Their product is non-toxic - it is basically a desiccant that sucks all the moisture out of the flea and its [font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]pupae, [/font][font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]eggs and larvae.[/font]

They left me with these instructions, which I followed, and which I pass along to you.

It can take up to six weeks to fully rid your home of fleas depending on the degree of infestation. Although the eggs and larvae are being killed immediately, the pupae stage can continue to release adult fleas into the environment during this time.
...
Wait 24 hours before you vacuum carpeted areas.
...
The vibration from the vacuum will draw the flea out of the pupae stage and reduce the amount of activity.
...
Hardwood/Tile/Linoleum floors can be vacuumed or damped mopped immediately following treatment.

You're a good man for having helped that homeless woman.

 

[Iggy]

Thanks for all the suggestions, everybody. I'm trying the simplest methods first. I vacuumed thoroughly. Then set off a smaller flea bomb (3 for $10 at Lowe's). The instructions said to seal tight for two hours and then air out for another two hours. When I opened the van doors to air it out, I saw many fleas flying out, getting away as quick as possible. So the flea bomb didn't kill them, at least all of them, but it made them want to leave.
That night, I still felt several bites, but nothing like before. I bought some tea tree shampoo the next day, and shampooed my hair and beard. Read that fleas don't like the smell, but luckily I love it. Then I bombed the van again for a longer period of time, before airing it out. There were a few fleas that flew out the doors when I opened, but not many. And last night I didn't get bit.
I'm going to use the last flea bomb today and then buy 3 more for later use. I'll keep vacuuming each day, too, and continue to use the tea tree shampoo every day. Hopefully this will do it. If not, I'll try some of the other ideas you guys offered.

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[maki2]

They likely got into your bedding, bag all your sheets, blanket and pillows. Take them to the laundry and wash in hot water with some Borax laundry additive. Spray your mattress with some bed bug killer. Bed bug killer spray is easy to find at drug stores such as Walgreens. It does kill fleas as well as bed bugs. Fleas will hide in tiny cracks and also under the mattress so be sure you lift up and spray under the mattress.

Borax laundry additive is good to have on hand. Sprinkled on the floor or ground in dry powder form it will kill fleas and also ants. Mixed with some water it makes a mold killing solution. Modern wood preservatives are often made from Borax. It also gets put into the loose, blown in insulation to prevent mold and to reduce insect infestation. If you get all set up in a great campsite and then discover you parked by an ant pile you can put a sprinkle a couple of tablespoons around the nest and the problem is solved. If they are crawling up your times you can sprinkle it around the tires.

In the wash it can take the musty smell out of clothes. It kills the bacteria that might have been left in any residual water inside of a washing machine. Use it in the wash water when you are getting your winter clothes and blankets ready to put into storage until cold weather returns.

If you van starts to smell a little fusty you can use it for washing the walls and upholstery and carpets.

So an all around worthwhile investment that gives good functionality.

 

[WalkaboutTed]

I second (or third or fourth) the borax method. I've been using it with good results since the 70s every time animals have brought fleas inside. Sprinkle on any carpet or cloth surfaces for a day or two around then vacuum it up.
Ted

 

[Cammalu]

I’m confused... flying fleas?

 

[Iggy]

I should've said 'jumping'. They can jump far and kinda glide.

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[B and C]

Can\t help myself: Auditioning for the circus?

 

[CC58]

One trick to try is a shallow baking pan full of soapy water on the floor and hanging a light bulb inches above it. At night the fleas will jump towards the light and fall in the soapy water. The soap insures they will sink to the bottom and drown.

 

[Dingfelder]

Thanks for all the suggestions, everybody. I'm trying the simplest methods first. I vacuumed thoroughly. Then set off a smaller flea bomb (3 for $10 at Lowe's). The instructions said to seal tight for two hours and then air out for another two hours. When I opened the van doors to air it out, I saw many fleas flying out, getting away as quick as possible. So the flea bomb didn't kill them, at least all of them, but it made them want to leave.
That night, I still felt several bites, but nothing like before. I bought some tea tree shampoo the next day, and shampooed my hair and beard. Read that fleas don't like the smell, but luckily I love it. Then I bombed the van again for a longer period of time, before airing it out. There were a few fleas that flew out the doors when I opened, but not many. And last night I didn't get bit.
I'm going to use the last flea bomb today and then buy 3 more for later use. I'll keep vacuuming each day, too, and continue to use the tea tree shampoo every day. Hopefully this will do it. If not, I'll try some of the other ideas you guys offered.

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It's natural for a seller to want to pimp their efficiency by making overblown claims.

I've found that using more of the product, for longer, works much better for me than trusting the manufacturer's claims. Try extending that number by double or triple.  It works much better.  And try more than one approach -- do BOTH the bombing and the borax.  That has worked for me well.  But let the borax hang around for a while; there is no hurry to vacuum it up. And then put it down again, and again, and again.  And then bomb again. Don't be afraid to spend some money.  You don't need many "escapees" to ruin you plans and cost you much more money in the long run than you would have spent in the first place if you had just gone hog-wild and super-determined.

 

[maki2]

You have my sympathy. It is making me itch just thinking about it.

 

[LoveCareThinkDo]

I rented an apartment that turned out to have a flea infestation. I used those flea traps you can get at Lowe's. They are essentially a plastic frames that holds a little Christmas-light bulb over a sheet of sticky paper. The fleas are attracted to the heat.  They jump towards the light and land on the sticky paper. Apparently, they cannot resist it. You leave it out till new fleas stop getting stuck on the paper.

I used three traps in a studio apartment for about a week and it really did get all of them.