[funkyfish]

Only 5% of fleas are on inthe animal. The rest are in the enviroment.
Flea jumps on hoast, feeds, breeds, lays eggs. Eggs roll off coat into enviroment, 2x larval stages and a pupa stage ( resistant to all known sprays/ flame throwers etc) can survive for several years in enviroment. Hatch ou and jump on host.

So you need to treat host to kill adult fleas and stop breeding. Frontline combo ( vet licenced) has an insect growth regulator so eggs don't hatch. Also kills adults.
Spray house with Acclaim/ RIP/ Flee spray- is silicone, not medicated but does not last long but very effective as stops pupa hatching! Gd standard spray with insecticide such as Acclaim and Flee spray to ki everything. Acclaim should work in enviroment for almost a year.

Worm animal with Milbermax/ Drontal as host will have tape worms.

Turn up heating and ou wet fowls on radiators to make the nasty pupa hatch out. Hover daily- don't forget to empty the bag daily or the nasties crawl out again.

It can take 3 months to sort a problem.

In the states they use frontline every 2 weeks and it still works- no resistance!

I give this advice out about 30 times as day- it works with patience !!!!!

Bob martins does bugger all!!! It has nothing that kills fleas in it!!!

[funkyfish]

Oh dear hate autocorrect! Wet fowel won't help, wet towels will!!!

[LouiseG]

Well told funkyfish, I am a veterinary receptionist and was about to type your whole essay out myself 
We suggest that warmth, vibration and CO2 all stimulate the pupae to hatch in the enviroment so tongue in cheek we suggest a party. Also once your animals are treated don't exclude them from parts of the house as you want them to stimulate the pupae to hatch as well. We use Frontline combo or stronghold or advocate, all will work but you need to use them as regularly as the instructions say as although they will continue to work after the said number of days the fleas may take an hour or two longer to die which will give some of them time to lay eggs and keep the life cycle going.
Frontline combo says it covers dogs for fleas for 2 months but cats only for 1 month. Most of the insecticide sprays won't touch the pupae stage so you just have to wait for them to hatch.
Good luck but as we tell all our clients (and there have been hundreds this winter complaining about fleas) it will take at least 3 months before you start to see any improvment.

[SallyintNorth]

Hi Buffy

I just typed 'acclaim flea spray' into Google and a load of hits came up.  Here's one:
http://www.petremedies.co.uk/Flea-Control/Home-Environment/Acclaim-Household-Flea-Spray/p-123-124-293/?gclid=CJzUnceTiK4CFUoifAodSg_x3Q

If you didn't find any fleas or flea dirt on the cats, and you've vacced thoroughly, sounds like you just need the soft furnishings treatment - with a party before and after, by the sound of it! 

[Buffy the eggs layer]

So.....

Treat the cats, spray the house, encourage the lava to hatch and then spray again?

or

Treat the cats encourage the lava to hatch then spray the house?

or

encourage the lava to hatch, treat the cats and then spray the house?

Buffy

[SallyintNorth]

This thing about encouraging the pupae to hatch is new to me, so I can't advise on that bit - hopefully one of those who talked about it earlier will come along and spell it out for both of us!

If it were me, I'd treat the cats (worm & flea treat), vacuum thoroughly, do the house with Acclaim, stop worrying and enjoy the cats.

Then if I think I might have a problem when the warmer weather comes and any pupae not hit now wake up, do it again then, and annually thereafter. 

Cats worm & flea treat as and when you think they need it - if they hunt, they will pick up tapeworms and fleas so they will need treating from time to time, or routinely if you prefer.

[Buffy the eggs layer]

Thanks everyone,

                       I took the cats to the nurse at my old vets and she gave them both Frontline combo and sent me home with the remainer of a pack of six and two kitten packs which included two frontline combo treatments. She also geve me lots of helpful reading materials, a months free insurance for each of them and two vouchers for 2 pouches of royal canin cat food.

                    She weighed them and checked them over and gave them their milbermax worming pills and sent me home with another dose for 3 months time. She also told me that I could bring them back if I wanted her to administer the wormer next time. As I hadent experienced any problems with fleas in the house and the cats hadnt been alowed in until after they had comenced their Advocate programme some months ago she thought that it was unlikely that there was an infestation in the house.
     
                 to be on the safe side I took home some spray and did half the house. I will need to get another can to complete it.
I can use the other enviromental treatments that I ordered to treat the feed room and greenhouse where they sleep as well as keeping up with their bedding.

Thanks to all of you for your advice and expertise.

Buffy

[funkyfish]

 Glad u are all sorted ! :0)