Fleas!!!!! - Do you think this is safe?

Bamamom wrote: So we have fleas in our house. We have a contract with Terminix - they come and spray every three months but only on the outside - we are covered for like 60 different pests, including fleas. So they'll come spray inside for free.

It still kind of freaks me out - I have a 2 year old, a 1 year old (tomorrow - I can't believe she is going to be one!) and I'm 8 months preggos. Chemicals are not my friend ya know? Especially on my floors where the kids play all the time. But I just don't know what else to do - we are all itching to death.

What do you guys think? Anyone have any words of wisdom or know anything helpful? We have to be out of the house for four hours after the treatment and I'm thinking of just going to my parents overnight but I can't mop or vacuum for 10 days after the treatment. I can't stay gone 10 days - we have VBS next week and I'm a teacher. I just don't know what to do - but the fleas have got to go .

FYI - I tried the salt treatment - it didn't work.

coasterqueen replied: I wish I had an answer. Where are the fleas coming from? If it's from an animal then I'd make sure the animal is taken care of appropriately so you don't get them again.

punkeemunkee'smom replied:
If you have sandy soil they can come from the yard-you don't even have to have a pet!

Have you looked at the OTC flea sprays? You can vaccuum with those-as a matter of fact I think you are supposed to.

grapfruit replied:
Talk to the Terminix guy. If they're a good exterminator they will be happy to talk to you about the safety. They're there to help!

I've also heard that turning your heat up to max and stay away over night will kill them. But I don't know for sure....

lisar replied: Tell the people at terminix your questions I am sure they have stuff that isnt harmful for the inside of the house. My friend works for Orkin and she says they have that kind of stuff. They sprayed her house when she was pg.

mckayleesmom replied: I don't know about Terminex, but when we lived on post they came and sprayed and the kind they used was non toxic to kids or pets after it was dried.


Have you looked into the powders you can sprinkle on the carpet and vaccume up? It might be a temporary solution if you can find one that isn't toxic to kids. Try your local hardware store...they usually have them there. Then wait on the terminex thing till you go on vacation and are not going to be home. 10 days would be hard to not vaccume up dead bugs when your kids are running around the house.

Is your whole house carpeted? Is there an area you can block off and just keep the kids on the hardwood floor or tile areas?

coasterqueen replied:
Yies, didn't know that. That makes me happy to have clay soil - which normally doesn't make me happy.

cameragirl21 replied: where are the fleas coming from, do you have a pet? If so, you're better off treating the pet or the fleas will come back.
One safe thing you can try is boric acid, in the form of borax, which is safe, my friend's dad accidentally drank a glass one night and nothing happened, not that I'd recommend drinking it.
If you have carpet, rub it into the carpet. And mix it with water (it's a powder) and spray it into the crevices where you have tile or any other flooring and/or cabinets, like the kitchen. I would NOT use chemicals personally, not with babies and being preggo. that stuff lingers in the air.

BAC'sMom replied: Fleas pass through a complete life cycle of four stages – adult, eggs, larva, and pupae. The flea population is typically made up of 50% eggs, 30% larvae, 15% pupae and only 5% biting adults. Therefore fleas can be very hard to treat. It can take weeks to months to get completely rid of fleas as I learned first hand living on the Texas Gulf Coast (sandbox) You have to treat your house, yard and pets all at the same time. Ask the Terminex man about other nontoxic options since you have small children and are pregnant. Salt does work and so does the light remedy. I wouldn’t use Borax around small children, it is toxic when ingested. Personally I wouldn't want to risk it. Also don’t forget to empty out your vacuum cleaner bags or you will get re-infested.

Bamamom replied: We do have a dog but he has been at my pg for about a month (they kept him while we went on vacation and we haven't had a chance to get him back yet. We give him precor (is that right? It's the pill stuff you give them to get rid of fleas and ticks. You give it once a month.) and we've never had trouble with fleas. I wonder if they've always been here but that med on him has kept them down and since he's not around they are turning on us.

The terminix folks said as long as we stay out of the house for 4 hours after treatment we are good. I think the deal it that as long as it's dry it's suppose to be non-toxic to humans. I told them my situation and they said it should be no problem.

Still makes me really nervous

gr33n3y3z replied:
Exactly but they say once it dries its safe but still Its the floors

My3LilMonkeys replied: If I were you I'd check with the Terminex people, your kid's pediatrician and your OB. If all 3 of them said it was safe, then I'd probably go for it. If even one of them was hesitant or recommended you not do it, I'd be looking for another option.

redchief replied: You've probably hit the nail on the head as to why your house is now infested with them. The dog and the medicine in him that's killing them off is no longer there to keep the population under control. I remember after our dog died it seemed like it took forever to finally be rid of the darned things.

I'm pretty certain about the safety of the insecticide they use inside. It has a short life and is designed to break down when dry. Fleas!... nasty, dirty, disease carrying bugs!

Bamamom replied:
AMEN AMEN AND AMEN!!!

After talking it over with DH (and him pointing out that apartments are routinely sprayed with this stuff - look how many kids and pg women are okay there) as well as dept stores, dr offices, etc I feel much better about it's safety. But I'm still going to my parents house overnight just to be safe. DH will come home and air everything out on Friday night/Saturday morning and will wash all the sheets and comforters.

I hate this