flea bombing. ugh

[Honey693]

So our dog has fleas. Again. Our only option at this point is to flea bomb/fog/whatever the house now. I know we have to leave the house for the amount of time the bomb says, then open all the doors and windows and leave for another hour. I'm just really worried about the residue or whatever left. Is it going to be safe for me to go back to the house the same day? Has anyone else done this while pregnant?

[RiverSky]

Wow. I say don't do it. One time, we got a really bad flea infestation from our indoor cats (who were allowed out on our screened lanai) and I mentioned to our pest control people (we live in Florida) that we had a flea issue and did they have a child-safe remedy? THe owner of the pest control company REFUSED to do any bombing for us and said that all of the flea bombing products are very toxic, even the ones he could get, and definitely all of the grocery/pet store products. I told him that I had made sure my cats had just gotten back on Advantage and that I had been sprinkling borax on the carpets in alternating rooms, leaving them for at least 12 hours at a time and longer if possible, closing the doors to keep cats and kids out, and then vacuuming and immediately throwing out vacuum bags. He said that the way we were doing it was the best way to do it and not to even consider anything more toxic.

[forest~mama]

I'm glad to read this, because we have major issues as well. Our dd is so chewed up, we were considering bombing, as much as I hate to do it. I was also worried about doing it while pg. Now not sure what we'll do.

[xekomaya]

nak

I would never ever ever do this. It is horribly toxic and does not just "go away" when you open the windows. If your house is at the point where it is so infested it is unlivable and internal flea meds like capstar + 2x daily vacuuming/washing all fabrics isn't working, look into the chemical free options like the whole house heating

[*Jade*]

I bombed while pregnant. Yeah, it's not great to introduce the toxins, but I can't have a house full of fleas and a family scratching constantly.

[womenswisdom]

The fleas need to feed on your pets in order to live, so they need to be treated with Advantage, Frontline or Vectra (don't bother using the other brands) for 3-4 months minimum. The flea eggs, larvae and pupae that are in the house take that long to develop into adult fleas, which then need to jump onto your pets for a blood meal (where they will be exposed to the topical flea control). Vacuuming frequently will help reduce the numbers of immature life stages in the home, but you still need to treat all the pets topically for at least 3-4 months, because there is no way to eliminate all the eggs, larvae and pupae (including with a flea bomb).

[mom2threenurslings]

We had a flea problem when I was pregnant with my fourth. We used Fleabusters and it worked wonderfully. http://www.fleabuster.com/

[Honey693]

Originally Posted by womenswisdom

The fleas need to feed on your pets in order to live, so they need to be treated with Advantage, Frontline or Vectra (don't bother using the other brands) for 3-4 months minimum. The flea eggs, larvae and pupae that are in the house take that long to develop into adult fleas, which then need to jump onto your pets for a blood meal (where they will be exposed to the topical flea control). Vacuuming frequently will help reduce the numbers of immature life stages in the home, but you still need to treat all the pets topically for at least 3-4 months, because there is no way to eliminate all the eggs, larvae and pupae (including with a flea bomb).

We've been using Frontline consistently for 3 years. I swear the fleas the dog has right now are bionic or something.

[expat_canuck]

Our vet recommends Comfortis (it's a 'chewable' pill) combined with Sentinel (heartworm prevention, but affects fleas too.

I wouldn't think they're particularly safe for pregnant women to handle, but this combo always works for us.

For treating the house, a few suggestions:

1)sprinkle borax and vacuum it up
2) try to find food-grade diatomaceous earth - it's totally safe for everyone (even babies), but it's like shards of glass to a flea - it's really good for dusting your animals regular sleeping spots with, and doesn't need to be vacuumed up immediately
3) one tip I tried once was to set an desk lamp with a heat producing bulb in it over a white pan or dish with an inch or so of water in it while you're gone overnight (pets too). Fleas are attracted to warmth, so the bulb will heat up the water in the pan, and fleas will jump in and drown in the pan. It actually worked pretty well, although did not totally solve our flea problem. It was pretty satisfying to see the little buggers dead in the there the next morning.

[aloneinid]

Don't use chemical pesticides in your house while pregnant or with small children! While I was in college I moved into a flea-infested condo and had to have the carpets treated multiple times by a professional. I then got a new puppy who developed neurological problems and epilepsy and I just can't see how it wasn't related to him playing on and growing up on that carpet that was soaked in pesticides. It was heartbreaking and so not worth it.

Try to look into less toxic solutions for your peace of mind!

[Earthy Mama]

Diatomaceous Earth is a good nontoxic treatment. Just make sure to get the Food Grade variety.

[RiverSky]

Originally Posted by Honey693

We've been using Frontline consistently for 3 years. I swear the fleas the dog has right now are bionic or something.

Products like Advantage and Revolution work better than Frontline, so I think you should switch.

When we had that flea infestation I talked about, I had a number of tricks for us to endure while we were fighting them. I would wear sweatpants or flannel pj bottoms around the house, with my husband's long sports socks on and with my pants tucked into them. Then I kept drops of lavender essential oil on my socks and pants (not directly on my skin) because the scent of lavender deters fleas from jumping on you. I did the same for my children.

[dovey]

I see lots of people have been using Frontline/Advantage type products on their animals. I normally do this, but I've been avoiding them while pregnant. I know that they affect only animals (such as insects) which have no myelin sheath around their nerves. Don't babies only develop myelin sheaths in the first few years after they are born? Are these products really safe for the very young or for babies in the womb?

(As a side note, I too would love to find something safe to use for flea control on our animals. The flea problem isn't huge where we live, but the fleas which do live here can have the plague. So keep the ideas coming!!!)

[mangosink0]

Originally Posted by dovey

I see lots of people have been using Frontline/Advantage type products on their animals. I normally do this, but I've been avoiding them while pregnant. I know that they affect only animals (such as insects) which have no myelin sheath around their nerves. Don't babies only develop myelin sheaths in the first few years after they are born? Are these products really safe for the very young or for babies in the womb?

Look forward to hearing feedback on this. I've been avoiding using it on my dog while pg. We did use it one month, and DH applied it and I basically just wouldn't touch the dog or let kids touch her until she had a bath. I need to do the frontline again, but will wait to hear others thoughts. Our problem was ticks though and not fleas.