[cheryl212]

My cat had kittens, we have one left. Kitten has been bathed in dawn soap, which worked well with the adults but obviously when they came out of cocoons they multiplied fast again. I bombed my room, next morning went in got attacked. Dusted all over with diatomaceous earth, after about a day went in still getting attacked. Put out two separate pans with soap and water with a candle in the middle from what I understand heat simulates a small animal which attracts the fleas and then they fall into the water and because of the soap some reaction takes place that makes fleas sink to bottom and they drown. There were lots of dead fleas in there, but just SOME of the adults. I've also vacuumed plenty. I read about increased heat and dehumidifiers. I was wondering if the opposite might work:
Vacuum, put down DE, open the windows (its fall and quite chilly) let it get cold which should make them go dormant... wait a bit, go in and vacuum then repeat. Vacuuming that sucks up all stages, also causes the vibrations that attract them and should cause the ones in the cocoons to come out. Then immediately putting down the DE and freezing them out should stop them from having enough time to lay eggs while also drying out the adults damaging the ones who survive so they're unable to lay eggs. Each time you "wake them up" there should be less cocoons opening, less females able to lay eggs, and less eggs hatching... what do you guys think?

Also pleaseeee some more suggestions so I can enjoy, and sleep in my room, and not only go in there to grab what I need and run out... they are in other places but my room is the where the cat decided to "hide" the kittens. Specifically in my closet. Anyone know a way to get rid of them in there without washing every piece of clothing and I wouldn't even know what to do with the shoes and suitcases/bags/purses in there... HELP!

[odinn7]

You really need to remove them from the cats first, not just the floor. Dawn soap is not the answer. See a vet, get a flea shampoo that is safe for kittens. It will need to be done more than once.

If you keep worrying about the floor only, and not the cats themselves at the same time, you will never clear this up.

[LadySam]

DE does not kill flea eggs, you need to consult your vet about a plan to break the life cycle of the fleas.
Treating the environment and the cats is necessary to get rid of the fleas.
Vacuuming daily will help, you can put a flea collar in the canister of your vacuum to kill the adult fleas that you vacuum up.
DE should also be vacuumed up after a few hours or at least after overnight.
It is a fine powder and it is recommended that a mask be worn while using it.
I wouldn't count count on temperature, humidity , etc to kill and rid your home of fleas, they are very hardy.
Not really much you can do about them being in your clothes either without washing everything.
Honestly, I would send the cats for a visit and overnight stay at the vets to be bathed and treated for fleas while I met the bug guy at the house and did all the laundry and bedding etc, etc.
Look around for a company that offers a guarantee though, just in case.

[Catsmine]

The cooling is actually prolonging your problem. You need to accelerate the life cycle, not slow it down. Flea pupae stop maturing when the temperature gets below 40 Fahrenheit. They will not hatch out of the cocoon until mature.

A carpet powder for fleas will be much more effective than Diatom dust. Diatomaceous earth is a purely mechanical insecticide in that the silica crystals cut through the coating of the exoskeleton causing the insect to dry out. This dessication can take hours if not days. The flea powders for carpets use a pyrethroid to kill more quickly, their only drawback is sprinkling powder on a floor does not thoroughly cover the area.

It takes much longer to solve a problem like this than it does to develop it. The key is constant attention.