Flea and black mold bombs for an empty house?


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Old 01-09-20, 02:26 PM
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Question Flea and black mold bombs for an empty house?

Hi,

I'm hoping to buy a house that I know had a flea problem before the weather got cold and have been told it has been bombed a couple of times but there were still active fleas. Now the weather is cold and they aren't hoping around and may be dead but the eggs are probably still around and ready to go when the weather warms up. Years ago I was told some bombs kill the eggs and they work, but other bombs don't kill the eggs so a few weeks later you've got fleas again. If that was and still is true I'd like something that kills the eggs so no more fleas to show up later. The house is empty and all carpet ripped out and no furniture so now's the time to hit it hard I hope. Can you knowledgeable people suggest what's best to put an end to the sorry suckers?

Also there was considerable flooding in the basement and there may be black mold down there and maybe on the upper levels also. I've seen that there are black mold bombs available as well as flea bombs. Can anyone suggest the best type to use? I haven't actually seen black mold but suspect it is in the basement. It has dirt and stone walls and a dirt floor, more like a really big crawl space, so it would be hard to see if it is there but it probably is.

Thank you for any help or suggestions!

David
ME, USA
 
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Old 01-09-20, 06:09 PM
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Welcome to the forums.

I moved your thread here from the furnace forum.
You have two specific topics here that should be addressed in two different forums.
The bug man will handle the flea issue but I'm not aware of any "bombs" for removing or reducing mold. That would be a bleach cleaning process or hired out to an abatement company.
 
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Old 01-09-20, 06:27 PM
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Wild guess- foreclosure home, with a flea infestation and water damage.

Walk away.

Let somebody ELSE buy the house. Once somebody ELSE buys the house, contact them and tell them you were interested in flipping this house, and you'll willing to work for free to gain experience and sweat equity.
 
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Old 01-10-20, 05:28 AM
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Do some reading on fleas. You'll find that the eggs can lay dormant for long periods and cold does not kill them. To kill them they need to be awakened with heat and/or motion/vibration. Once they are out and alive... you can kill them. One thing you can do is turn on the heat and get the house up to a comfortable 68f and thoroughly vacuum. Use a shop vac or other powerful vacuum to suck up the eggs from cracks in the floor and joints in molding. The warm climate and activity will activate the eggs so pesticides can kill them.

I know of no spray "bomb" for mildew. Even if there was you must first address the underlying cause for the mildew. Even if you kill it if conditions are favorable it will return.
 
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Old 01-10-20, 07:55 AM
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Mold: Before doing anything about mold/mildew, make sure that you've properly identified every type of mold that is present, if any. As in insect control, identification is paramount to solving the problem. From my limited experience with mold, removal of the mold and contaminated materials comes before cleaning. Learn as much as you can. Since moisture was/is an issue, wood destroying fungi are likely present and there are various species of it. This link is an example of good things to read and learn. Forget about any as convenient as a spray bomb or aerosol for mold/fungi. It will be very physically demanding work.

Wood Preservation (Wood-Destroying Organisms) - Kentucky Pesticide Safety Education

Fleas:Pre-adult fleas can lay in their pupal cases for up to 9 months without emerging if no host is present. Nothing really kills the eggs. What is being referred to are the "insect growth regulators" that stop the larva from pupating. Eggs will still hatch and pupae will still hatch but the IGR's stop the life cycle at the larval stage, at least the larvae that are exposed to the spray. Again, it's not that easy. Flea work is one of the more physically demanding aspects of pest control, though in your case I'm assuming no furniture is present which is a good thing. Keep it that way until flea problem is solved. Meanwhile, vacuum like crazy, especially cracks in flooring, baseboard, return/supply vents. Remove pet hair, dander thoroughly. Vacuum thoroughly taking a lot of time.

Do you know if the dirt floor basement had fleas? Were the pets down there?

This is an example of a popular flea aerosol in the industry. Not a total release but is a directed spray. There are also flea insecticide concentrates that can be mixed with water. Sometimes this is preferred on concrete/dirt floor basements.

https://www.domyown.com/pt-alpine-fl...ol-p-1886.html
 
 

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