Can I use mothballs in my vacuum to kill fleas?

You can cut up a flea collar and put it in the bag or spray a kleenex with flea spray and suck that up into the bag as well. I would still put the bag into a plastic bag and tie a knot in it before throwing it away.

If at all possible, get rid of the wall to wall carpeting, drapes, pillows, stuffed animals, etc. I know that sounds extreme but it really does work.

I’d be calling that exterminator for a refund! Borax worked good for us, but it wasn’t that bad of an infestation. Did you let it sit overnight? Moth balls do work against a lot of critters, I wouldn’t be surprised if it did work. I’ve always heard to put a flea collar in the vacuum bag and that is supposed to kill them. If you have animals, are you using a treatment on them like Advantage or Frontline? Good luck hope something works!

Fleas can be a terrible problem. To help you get rid of the fleas, it is a good idea to try to find out where they came from and try to treat the source or prevent access to the source. If your cats go outside, they can bring fleas in by merely walking through the grass where a cat or dog with fleas has walked.

You might be able to find a website that could give you some specific instructions about fleas, but this is what worked for me. I bathed all the cats in a good flea shampoo I got from the vet. I vacuumed the whole house — all stuffed furniture and pillows, stuffed animals — everything. Anything that could be washed, I washed. I threw away the vacuum cleaner bag (mine has replaceable bags). If yours does not have replaceable bags, maybe you can rent one. I can’t imagine fleas in the freezer! Then I used a flea spray recommended by the vet and sprayed it everywhere. The entire process needs to be repeated in 3 to 4 weeks.

When the flea infestation is not severe, it may be enough to use Frontline on each cat, but you need to repeat it once a month for three months and I think it is more than $10 per cat per dose.

The problem is always worse in the summer. You can get a fine-toothed flea comb and comb the little black specks out of their fur, which will help their appearance. This is "flea dirt" and should be removed.

Good luck. (Once you get fleas, it seems to be a good argument for not letting your cats have the run of the house).

My mother passed on leaving me with a house full of fleas to deal with… I liberally spread 20 Mule Team Borax and Morton Salt all through the carpet and left it there. I put the remaining cats OUTSIDE. It worked for me. The salt will irritate your feet if you go barefoot so wear slippers at least. After you vacuum repeat the process. I kept both on my rugs for 3 mos. before I quit treating them. Remember its not just the fleas but the hatching eggs you’re dealing with and THAT takes time.

The moth balls probably won’t do much. They really only work if you can confine the bug you’re trying to kill in an air tight container with the gas emitted by the mothballs. So if you had bugs (moths or carpet beetles) eating a wool suit, you would put the garment in giant rubbermaid container with a bag of the moth balls.

The freezing trick works on most bug problems but is most effective if the temperature change is sudden and drastic. Many insects can survive the winter because the temperature drops slowly from summer to autumn to winter. But the instant shock of going from 70 to below freezing kills most anything. Problem is, how do you put your whole house in the freezer? Even if you had a vacuum that could suck up every last flea and egg, would your cats allow you to vacuum them? Eggs can fall off and hatch anywhere including the litter box! Yikes, these bugs don’t give up easily.

You can try the above, but the thing that will probably do the trick is to
1) have the exterminator back, they should have a guarantee.
2) starve the fleas. You need to use Frontline on your cats. And you yourself, you should wear flea collars like jewelry. Braceletts and anklettes.
3) wash your bed sheets and pajamas in hot water. wash anything your pets sleep on if you can.

Good luck. You’ll survive this. Everybody does.

I dont think that moth balls would work, however i find a eucalyptus oil dialuted with a bit of water doeas the job you can buy it at your local supermarket just make sure it is for fleas mites. I put it in a spray bottle and spray the carpet and furniture its natural and smells fresh and we dont get fleas anymore!

THis is not a short answer, but first you have to treat the pets with an effective flea medicine. I have four kitties and live in the country where they go inside and out at will. Never see a flea, I use revolution every month on my pets and treat my yard, just the acre right around the house, not the whole thing. I have never had much success with home remedies for consistent flea prevention. Shampoos and powders kill the fleas on them at the time but don’t repel more from jumping on. You should try frontline (over counter), or revolution (which usually requires a prescription and a neg heartworm test for dogs), and be consistent, use it once a month.
First of all, if the exterminator came and the fleas are still there you should call them and ask about this! The eggs fall off and then hatch in your carpets, rugs, bedding, and furniture. You could go to your local pet store and ask for a spray that is safe for use around your cat and spray the entire house, especially where the cats hang out. Also, putting moth balls in your vacuum cleaner bag or canister will help to kill any eggs, fleas, or larva that are sucked up.( IT worked for me, I vacuumed four times a day for a week during an extensive treatment) Otherwise, they will hatch in the vacuum and crawl out later. If the pet goes outside you should also treat your yard. I use sevin dust. Apply just before a rain shower, or use a hose or sprinkler to wet the lawn immediately after application. I am sure freezing the fleas would kill them, but like the one fellow said, you can’t put your whole house in a freezer.
If the infestation of the home is too bad you may see persistent fleas and need to treat more than once. I know it’s a lot of work, but once you’ve got them bad it can be expensive to fix. Also, once your pet is flea free, if your pet scratches a lot, then she may need to see the vet. They can develop a topical, or skin infection from digging themselves.

Edit: Flea collars should not be used with any other type of topical treatment such as frontline or revolution. Plus, they just don’t work well, and pose more health risks to the pet than to the fleas

Or you could just throw the hoover bag out afterwards. Mothballs repel moths, they’re not designed to kill fleas, which are quite different insects.

Listen up – flea bombs and borax don’t work, they’re old hat, used in a time before proper treatments were available. Yes I would complain to the Exterminator – I always wondered what chemicals they use, but did suspect they wouldn’t have access to anything you couldn’t buy at a vets. Perhaps they don’t even use chemicals that good, maybe they just use the random pesticides you buy in shops! Fleas are a little more hardy than your regular bug, they don’t get defeated by just anything.

Do you actually have pets? If so, treating them correctly is the key to keeping fleas out your house. By this, I mean getting a proper treatment from a vets, like Frontline, and not wasting money on any store-bought stuff. Using Frontline Plus should also negate you having to treat you house any more.

Chalice

Hi,I have read on sites that moth ball are poisonous to cats so be careful,try cutting a flea collar up then put it in your vacume cleaner.I used Bob Martins flea bombs a few months ago and they got rid of the fleas in my home,You need to use one bomb for each room for them to be fully effective. One of the best flea treatments to put on your cat is Fronline,it’s recommended by vets.I have used this on my kitten now for 4 months and since then he has not had a single flea on him. You can buy it over the counter from any vets.