I am really annoyed with myself!

[Maisie]

Date: 4/15/2007 11:59:35 AM
Author: Lorelei
Sorry Maisie, my brain isn''t functioning as it should, definitely see a doctor, your leg looks badly swollen. Fleas don''t really crawl, they are more like tiny hopping specks, I wonder if they aren''t cat fleas, they might be another species of parasite...

The first one I caught hopped on to my foot but the other two seemed like they were dying or something. They were kind of aimlessly wandering along the sofa. Don''t say parasite lol - it really panics me!!

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 4/15/2007 12:15:32 PM
Author: Maisie

Date: 4/15/2007 11:59:35 AM
Author: Lorelei
Sorry Maisie, my brain isn''t functioning as it should, definitely see a doctor, your leg looks badly swollen. Fleas don''t really crawl, they are more like tiny hopping specks, I wonder if they aren''t cat fleas, they might be another species of parasite...

The first one I caught hopped on to my foot but the other two seemed like they were dying or something. They were kind of aimlessly wandering along the sofa. Don''t say parasite lol - it really panics me!!

Sorry Maisie, that is the vet tech terms coming out in me, no need to panic!

 

[Maisie]

Date: 4/15/2007 12:03:41 PM
Author: Kaleigh
Yes please see your doctor, that looks pretty swollen to me. You poor thing.

Nobody could feel as sorry for me as I do right now

Gary is already sick of me complaining! I will have to go in the morning before work as I don''t want to ask for any time off as I only just started there two weeks ago.

 

[pyramid]

Maise

If it had been the bites that''s bad enough but the swelling with it. As this is Sunday, could you not go up to your local Accident and Emergency at the hospital. I would be worried about the swelling if I was you.

 

[ladykemma]

where did you get the sofa from?

 

[Maisie]

I got the sofa from DFS - its an english company.

I would go to A&E but you wait for ages there. I feel fine and don''t feel any symptoms of a huge allergy so I will hold out to see my doctor tomorrow. Thank you for your concern though

And Lorelei.... keep your tech terms to yourself lol.... I read parasite and my heart went funny!!!!!

 

[Mara]

get some diatomaceous earth from your local pet or hardware store and a sprayer and treat the house with it. it actually is harmless to pets, kids, adults etc but it acts like 'shards of glass' to things like fleas, spiders, etc. they crawl over it and it pierces their exoskeleton and they dehydrate and die within a day or so. i wanted to treat the house when we found a few fleas last year but not with anything toxic. i don't know if this worked or not since we only found like 4-5 fleas total, but i read a lot of recommendations for it online with people who had infestations. it would probably even work for things like bedbugs or other types of small insects, supposedly it works for all types of house kind of insects. when we sprayed it out we didn't even see a spider for like 3 months!

bedbugs are totally on the rise as well, they can come through the walls if your house is connected to another house (aka condo or townhouse etc), or if you have traveled anywhere you may have brought them home with you. you can find pictures of bedbugs and fleas online too.

things love to bite me...i always get bitten if there is anything in the room it will bite ME and no one else. and sometimes they get swollen as well, but your foot looks really swollen. i would definitely at least call the doctor.

another random comment, last year i had something similar happen to me...something was biting me at night and it was driving me nuts. i stripped the bed, stripped the room, we searched high and low for anything that might be crawling (this was months before the flea thing) and found absolutely a load of NOTHING. i was totally paranoid we had bedbugs (i had traveled like a week before), and i searched our furniture too (bedbugs do not just hang out in the beds), but never found anything. it was really baffling (and relieving at the same time). after about 4-5 nights of being bitten continuously around legs and ankles, it just STOPPED. i actually had started treating my legs and ankles with rubbing alcohol for the itching and i was wondering if maybe it was repelling whatever was biting me. but greg never got one bite and we sleep in the same bed. after it stopped, it never started again (knock on wood). so sometimes it seems so random, but i actually did have that happen to me once before, a few years ago...i swear insects LOVE me.

good luck!

 

[Maisie]

Thank you Mara. I will definitely look for some of the stuff you recommended. I just want them gone but I was worried about the kids especially if we have to get pest control in.

Its funny you saying that about it only being you who gets bitten. Its usually only just me but in this case my husband and three of the kids have bites too. We were going to have a trip to Jamaica but after this I think Vegas will be better lol!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Did you actually see the fleas? If so you need to buy a flea bomb or have a company come to spray your house. That is the only way to get rid of them. Sorry!

 

[Ellen]

Maise, I''d check your beds carefully.

And if you find any other "thing", be it alive or dead, put it in a jar and let someone look at it to determine exactly what "it" is.

And watch that swelling girl, it is substantial.

 

[Maisie]

I did see the fleas - I managed to catch two and put them in a glass of water, a rep from the sofa company is coming tomorrow but they insisted the fleas wouldnt have come from the sofa warehouse.

Ellen I will get checked - don''t worry ...... I know you worry because you lurve me sooo much

 

[Ellen]

Date: 4/15/2007 4:11:00 PM
Author: Maisie

Ellen I will get checked - don''t worry ...... I know you worry because you lurve me sooo much

No, I just feel sorry for your ankles.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Date: 4/15/2007 4:11:00 PM
Author: Maisie
I did see the fleas - I managed to catch two and put them in a glass of water, a rep from the sofa company is coming tomorrow but they insisted the fleas wouldnt have come from the sofa warehouse.


Ellen I will get checked - don''t worry ...... I know you worry because you lurve me sooo much

The scotch tape trick works great. Also be sure to wash all bed linens and clothes in hot water (if you think they had contact with them). Even if it is your sofa you need some sort of bomb to get them out of carpets/drapes/fabric. You need to KILL them ALL. Like I said before they reproduce at a crazy rate. One we had the bomb done and clean-up our flea problem was solved. And DH learned a *VERY* important lesson! Do not let stray cats into the house no matter how cute you think they are!!!

 

[rainbowtrout]

UGH! Terrible itchy memories! I was pretty flea infested as a child, the only things that worked were the flea bombing (4 times!) , keeping windows closed, and putting flea meds on the cats/getting them dipped.

They don't look excessivly swollen to me BTW, that was about how I looked for a year or so...like I said, eugh. Some summers they are just worse than others, so if you live on the ground floor try just keeping all windows shut.

ETA: it's also hard for me to say in the picture since I don't know what your ankle normally looks like....if in doubt of course see your doc

 

[Maisie]

Well I just finished work and I am fed up because I have four more bites. I have called up and arranged for pest control to come and deal with this tomorrow. I can''t live with it - I hate stuff like this!!!

On a lighter note - my ankle has gone down so no more swelling!

 

[VegasAngel]

Yuck. If it is fleas it''s good that you have a professional coming out to spray. You will probably need to have them come out regularly. Hope you feel better/heal up soon.

 

[Maisie]

Date: 4/16/2007 1:50:47 PM
Author: VegasAngel
Yuck. If it is fleas it''s good that you have a professional coming out to spray. You will probably need to have them come out regularly. Hope you feel better/heal up soon.

Thank you

And you are absolutely right - I think its best to have it dealt with properly now.

 

[FireGoddess]

Mara, tell me more about this diatomaceous earth remedy?! I''m curious to hear about this!

Maisie - I''m sorry she reacted to you so angrily - a simple ''I treat the animals with Frontline and there are none in the house'' or whatever would do!

 

[Maisie]

Date: 4/16/2007 3:15:12 PM
Author: FireGoddess
Mara, tell me more about this diatomaceous earth remedy?! I''m curious to hear about this!

Maisie - I''m sorry she reacted to you so angrily - a simple ''I treat the animals with Frontline and there are none in the house'' or whatever would do!

I totally agree FG. I was so nice when I was speaking to her too. I got a bit nervous when she blew up. I dunno - some people are just odd.

 

[Ellen]

Maise, I''m glad to hear you called them. Hopefully they''ll get it under control quickly.


And I hope you know I was teasing you. I do loves ya honey chile.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

We only had to have our house sprayed once and since you have no animals I am sure you will be fine! Make sure you sweep them up everyday (and empty the bag/container OUTSIDE as soon as you are done) sometimes the eggs don''t get the poison but you can suck they out

Also like I mentioned before wash all linens/towels/clothes that could have gotten infected.

 

[Maisie]

Date: 4/16/2007 3:15:12 PM
Author: FireGoddess
Mara, tell me more about this diatomaceous earth remedy?! I''m curious to hear about this!

Maisie - I''m sorry she reacted to you so angrily - a simple ''I treat the animals with Frontline and there are none in the house'' or whatever would do!

I found this article about diatomaceous earth

http://www.hydromall.com/happy_grower16.html

It looks like really clever stuff!

 

[Maisie]

Date: 4/16/2007 6:12:30 PM
Author: Ellen
Maise, I''m glad to hear you called them. Hopefully they''ll get it under control quickly.


And I hope you know I was teasing you. I do loves ya honey chile.

Of course I know you were teasing - how could you not love me?

 

[Maisie]

Date: 4/16/2007 9:04:41 PM
Author: Tacori E-ring
We only had to have our house sprayed once and since you have no animals I am sure you will be fine! Make sure you sweep them up everyday (and empty the bag/container OUTSIDE as soon as you are done) sometimes the eggs don''t get the poison but you can suck they out

Also like I mentioned before wash all linens/towels/clothes that could have gotten infected.

My husband has been washing anything not fastened down! Not kidding he is more freaked out than me. Bless him. I hope the one spray works, I want the little buggers gone!!

 

[Maisie]

Ok, the man came and sprayed this morning. Then we went out for a few hours till the stuff dried. I am wondering, will I see lots of dead fleas lying round? I looked at one of the ones I caught thru my loupe (very useful things lol)....... It was dead and it still scared me!!!!

 

[lumpkin]

What a relief your swelling went down. Hopefully, the exterminator will have done the job.

 

[Maisie]

Thank you Lumpkin. I hope so too. Its been two days since we were sprayed. I am sitting here with my jog pants tucked into my socks lol! Very glamorous! I think they may have been sorted but I ain''t taking any chances!!

 

[FireGoddess]

Date: 4/17/2007 4:45:40 AM
Author: Maisie

Date: 4/16/2007 3:15:12 PM
Author: FireGoddess
Mara, tell me more about this diatomaceous earth remedy?! I''m curious to hear about this!

Maisie - I''m sorry she reacted to you so angrily - a simple ''I treat the animals with Frontline and there are none in the house'' or whatever would do!

I found this article about diatomaceous earth

http://www.hydromall.com/happy_grower16.html

It looks like really clever stuff!

That is SO cool!!!

 

[Ellen]

Date: 4/19/2007 2:37:21 PM
Author: Maisie
Thank you Lumpkin. I hope so too. Its been two days since we were sprayed. I am sitting here with my jog pants tucked into my socks lol! Very glamorous! I think they may have been sorted but I ain''t taking any chances!!

I have been meaning to ask if the lil buggers were gone.

 

[door knob solitaire]

Maisie...

I am so sorry to learn about your non welcomed guests. It sounds as though you are getting a handle on the issue!

Mara...You are a genius!! Where ever did you learn about this? I had never heard of using DE on anything...other than my pool! I have a DE filter. So, instead of sand filtering my water, DE powder does it. It is so microscopic fine that it actually polishes the water. My pool water is spectacular-glossy like liquid mercury. The reason I chimmed in here was to tell everyone that you can obtain this stuff at you local pool supply store. It is milled fine and resembles talc. I believe it is best ADDED to water and the agitated or stirred...(not shaken...sorry 007!). I am thrilled peaches. It is an ancient substance that can be used to fight critters we dont'' like. Organic...and safe. I can''t wait to put it in to action. Scarleta...needs to know about this. I will let her know it was you that came up with the idea!!

Maisie...I do apologize, here I sound all excited and yet I learned about it from your experience and pain.

My profit came with a price...at your expense. I hope you get relief very soon.

DKS