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Kimnsc's avatar

Bombing house for Fleas?

Asked by Kimnsc (9 points ) October 18th, 2010

both of my dogs have fleas..this is my first experience with the pesky bugs! I have done everything except for give them the pill Comfortis and bomb my house. That is my next step and my question… Does anyone know if I can keep my dogs in a room upstairs, while I bomb the down stairs.? My dogs do not have access to my upstairs so I am pretty sure there aren’t fleas up there. I was thinking of putting them in thier cages in my bathroom with door closed and closing my bedroom they will be behind two closed doors upstairs. Thanks :)

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17 Answers

JilltheTooth's avatar

Always take all of the animals out of the house if you flea bomb. The stuff is seriously toxic. Board them for a day or two, but DO NOT leave them anywhere in the house! The stuff essentially poisons all the air in the house while it’s working. ( I have a lot of experience with this…)

Welcome to Fluther.

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jrpowell's avatar

I’m with Jill. I messed up and set off a few flea bombs in my apartment. I forgot about my fish-tank. Everything was floating when I got back. The stuff is super toxic.

Kimnsc's avatar

Wow that stuff is that strong!! Ok thank you! I plan to give them the pill today..then wait a day or two and a friend offered her house for a few house. Just want to make sure the fleas are off dogs before bringing them into a house that has dogs!!

Thanks for bring up the fish tank Johnpowell…my daughter has a single gold fish..I guess i will cover it.

GeorgeGee's avatar

You need to get all the fleas at once or they will repopulate your home within a couple days. So you will possibly need several bombs to ensure all areas are covered. And you take the dogs during that time someplace to have a flea bath. You might also want to spray in your car. The can will have instructions as to the minimum time you need to be out of your house.

Kimnsc's avatar

oops few hours..not few house!!

Kimnsc's avatar

good idea on the flea bath.Georegee!!

jrpowell's avatar

@Kimnsc :: There is a oxygen exchange going on in fish-tanks. There is a reason you can only have so many fish depending on the surface area.

Do not cover the tank. Simply take enough water out of the tank until it is easy to move. Get it out of the apartment.

Kimnsc's avatar

ok i will johnpowell..thanks!

BarnacleBill's avatar

You will need to be out of the house with the dogs and all the pets for about three hours.

diavolobella's avatar

What everyone said. You will poison your animals if you fog while they are in the house. You also need to close all your cupboards and will need to wash your countertops, and any glasses, plates or dishes or other things like that which are exposed after you fog. If you fog without treating your pets at the same time you are wasting your money, because as soon as you return them to the house, the fleas on them will repopulate the house. Take pets to the vet for a bath and dip, set off the bombs as you leave and wash all exposed surfaces when you come back.

Dog's avatar

I am not sure which pill you are giving as there are two kinds of pill for your dog. One long term like program that is great and one that is instant called Capstar. I used Capstar on my dog before taking her to a friends when our house was being bombed. I put her in the bathroom and when I went to get her 30 minutes later the floor had dozens of dying and dead fleas. It only kills the live fleas on you pet but it works incredibly well and will protect your friends home.

jca's avatar

Just FYI – what brought me to Fluther was fleas. I had them bad in my house (3 cats) and in my frustration I found Fluther. I did everything – spray carpet, flea dip cats, powder carpet, bomb (and spent night in hotel – left cats outside as it was summer) – so bomb had 24 hours to sink in. Next day after flea dip, I saw fleas. Two days after bombs, I saw fleas. Ripped up carpeting in my room, threw away couch (and i had a 12 week old baby in the house so I was bugging out, literally). After over $100 worth of products plus the night in the hotel, I called an exterminator.

The answer was the exterminator. They told me on the phone “you don’t have to rip up the rugs.” Long story short, I saw NO fleas for about a month, then I saw two. Called the exterminator back (they have a 30 day guarantee but I had paid for the one year contract, so either way I would have been covered) and he did his thing again. I never saw another flea in the house. The stuff the exterminators use cannot be purchased “over the counter” so it’s very effective.

The good thing about the exterminator, other than the effectiveness of what they use and the convenience, was that he sprays low down, so you don’t have to wash dishes or worry about the spray being all over your furniture, appliances, utensils, etc. The spray is pretty much only on the floor.

If you go with an exterminator, go with a local guy, don’t use a national chain. I called a national chain and they were a ripoff compared to the local company.

Well worth the price and I would do it again if I ever had fleas again. Now I use Frontline, and even thought that was over 3 years ago, still to this day if I see a black spot, I have to touch it and make sure it’s not a flea.

JilltheTooth's avatar

@Kimnsc ; I just remembered this; a number of years ago, when I was having flea problems in seattle that I thought only napalm could handle, I tried these guys and I never saw another flea in my house. (I was in that house for another three years). I recommend you look into them.

rooeytoo's avatar

Comfortis is the most amazing stuff I have ever seen. My dogs picked up a bunch of fleas not long after moving to our new location. I gave them one dose and haven’t had to use it again since. The fleas started dropping off them within hours. I have not seen nearly as impressive results with Capstar personally.

With regard to bombing, yes remove all living critters from the house. But might I also add that I have found bombing to be very expensive and not particularly effective. I suggest checking out the cost of having a professional exterminator come in. Often their price is not much more than a couple of bombings and they guarantee their work, whereas if the bombs don’t work, you just have to buy more.

Aster's avatar

We had them down in sofa/chair cushions and just sprayed in there and on the carpet and they went away – or died. With eleven feet ceilings I’m not so sure a bomb would have done the job.

Brian1946's avatar

Does your property have private yards?

If so, I would suggest getting your yards treated too while your pets are away and not return them until your pets are also treated for fleas.

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