Pat from Douglasville, Ga (house Is In Forest Park, Ga) writes
I sprayed my rental property with Talstar P for fleas, and it did nothing to get rid of them. I sprayed inside and outside the house. I purchased this product because it was rated as very good for fleas, roaches, and other types of pests. Any suggestions? At this time, the house is empty. My tenant moved out 1st of September, and before I can offer it for rent again, I have to get rid of the fleas.
You should first note that Talstar P should not be used indoors for flea control because it is not labeled for broadcast applications indoors. For indoor use we usually recommend a product such as Ultracide. Ultracide contains an insecticide to knockdown the jumping, biting adults and an insect growth regulator to stop the growth pattern and sexual development of the immature flea larva. It is our recommendation and industry standard that you vacuum immediately before the application of Ultracide and every day or every other day after the application for the next two weeks. Vacuums can physically remove a decent percentage of flea eggs that are in the carpet, along with much of the organic crud that the flea larvae feed on. A critical part of the diet of the larva is dried blood, present there as fecal material from the fleas that are on the pets. Wherever the pets spend time they will shed the fecal matter and the eggs, so it is extremely important that you focus on these potential hot spots where the pets sleep. A vacuum also will remove a small percentage of larvae, but the larva is pretty tenacious, and will wrap around the carpet fibers down there at the base of the pile, and hold on for dear life as the vacuum passes by. The pupa is even tougher to physically remove, for it uses fibers as part of its "cocoon". But, the vacuum will stimulate the flea adults still in their pupa form to quickly emerge as the adult, and at this point perhaps be sucked up in the vacuum. Even if they are not removed by the vacuum, at least they now are exposed and susceptible to your treatment. After two weeks most infestations require that you do a second application of the Ultracide and continue with the vacuuming.
Answer last updated on: 09/16/2013
