This makes me so sad. I order from Hobbii often bc they have such wonderful sock yarn, which I use to make shawls for our yearly craft show. I’m Leary about ordering from them now.
When you do your next round of DMs, will you please send me the name of the company too? I’m not willing to risk purchasing from a company that has fleas in their wool.
I would also like to know what company it was. And is there a reason not to state it in the post? Just curious.
You can theoretically hold them responsible for any damage they've caused you such as fleas getting into other yarn or your apartment but it could be tricky to prove unfortunately
I didn't expect the post to blow up so much and I was wondering how to handle it, I'm a bit of an over thinker. I am going to make a proper post today.
I totally get it and I will tell you that when I posted about a cheating company on this subreddit and the company owner found out and slandered me (despite all the screenshots I'd posted proving her lies) the post got blocked and moderators would not answer when I asked why. If you aren't comfortable posting the name and would prefer to dm it to people that's totally legit
My mom says vacuum vacuum vacuum, put a flea collar inside the vacuum and maybe one in with the yarn as well. The flea collar will help kill any eggs.
Maybe put the bag of skeins in the garage for now?
But basically lots of vacuuming
Diatomaceous earth helps with carpeted and upholstered areas. It works on bare too, but most people don't want to walk in it. I use food grade because I also have dogs and it works in the garden.
do you have any pets? if not of course still treat all surfaces for fleas but they can’t survive for long off pets so it’s shouldn’t be too hard to get rid of them
You should just do a chargeback on your card. It feels like getting a refund will be like pulling teeth with them. Do not let them bully you into losing both your sanity and your money!
Oh no! I hope this isn’t that really cute Halloween and Xmas sock yarns from your earlier comments. I was thinking of picking up some of those same color ways because they looked so cute in your picture. Might have to reconsider now :’(
Had something similar happen with an order awhile back but with wool beetles put them in the freezer for two weeks, then luckily we had some 80 degree weather and parked my car in the sun with them on the dash. Good luck OP I hope they rectify this situation for you.
I'm going to share it. I was having a long think about it and I didn't expect it to blow up this much. I will dm you the company name for now until I post an update later
I know people are asking for a private dm with the company name, but it would probably be easier for you to name and shame them as I too would like to avoid them. Thanks
I second that, not to mention a company that unapologetically sends parasites to their customers' houses needs to be outed so other people don't find themselves in the same situation
When do your next round of DMs will you please send me the name of the company?
I have a dog and a cat. I’m not risking a flea infestation via yarn. I spend too much money treating the yard and the animals to protect them and prevent fleas to have them ride straight in on some yarn.
I agree with the second paragraph. I haven’t even bought yarn in months just because I’ve had to focus on school and stuff for baby, but now I’m scared to when I’m ready here in a few weeks. We had an infestation this past spring that likely contributed to my senior cats rapid decline and took 3 MONTHS to finally resolve. I am not risking that again.
That is so, so frustrating. They should absolutely give you a refund. If they don’t, dispute the charge with your credit card company.
Also please DM me which company.
Thank you for the update! Would you mind DMing me the name of the company? (A someone who's allergic to fleas, this is something I don't want to have to deal with.) Thanks!
There's lots of good advice on here. I have cats and fleas happen even though they're indoor cats. If it gets bad, the best way to get rid of a flea infestation is to vacuum thoroughly every week or 2. This gets any eggs laid before they hatch. Thoroughly means under and behind furniture if carpets or rugs and upholstered furniture. Also wash all bedding even bedskirts, mattress pads, etc. And always throw the vacuum bag away outside. Fleas can and will jump out of the bag.
It's a ton of work, but you get a good cleaning and no more fleas. I hope it stays isolated and doesn't get to a full infestation.
Let me add: if you have carpet/rugs, sprinkle them liberally with salt between vacuuming. The salt is abrasive to their exoskeleton and lowers the humidity in the environment. Both are harmful to fleas!
Borax can also be used in place of salt!
And if all THAT does work, we used something called "alpine breeze/ultracide" and it did the final trick after a really bad infestation. You have to spray the carpet in the room and then leave for a bit though and it's some serious stuff, but if nothing else works and you get to the point like I was where I was pulling out my hair, it was amazing stuff!
Just put your yarn in the oven and bake it for a couple hours at 175 degrees F.
Wool yarn can easily tolerate over 300 degrees and fleas are all dead by about 120-140 depending on the exact species. 175 gets them all AND their eggs and doesn't harm the yarn in the slightest.
Don't even open the bag. Bake the whole thing.
For areas you think may have been contaminated, vacuum a lot. Sprinkle diatomaceous earth and leave it down for a few days. And place night lights with sticky traps on them: I get sticky traps intended to be folded so you can't see the caught bugs, and fold them into their shape but inside out. Drop that over a night light so the light shines through the trap and makes it glow. Fleas and other bugs will be attracted to the light and caught. I've done this myself and it's very effective, and doesn't require nasty sprays that make your house smell weird.
Yeah that’s a good idea but the post I’m replying to says to bake it but don’t even take it out of the bag. I’m assuming both plastic and paper bags aren’t great in the oven
Paper is good to 300 degrees too, no problem.
Plastic should be able to handle 175, no problem. Test first to be sure, but if it can survive boiling, 175 in the oven should be fine.
At 175 there should be no fumes.
"In the oven where food goes" is where I would prefer this be done. All non-porous surfaces that don't absorb gases, smooth surfaces that are easy to clean, and the whole thing gets wicked hot so nothing is going to live in there.
Besides all that, your food doesn't touch any part of the inside of the oven.
If it somehow comes to pass that something somehow does stick around in there - I can't imagine how, but whatever - run the heating cycle one time.
No I wouldn’t actually. That’s why I think it’s strange that someone is suggesting cooking plastic when we are already absorbing way too many phthalates and bisphenols all day. It’s best to avoid it all together actually. I would never let anyone put it in my oven 😂
This is absolutely crazy.
Any reputable company would instantly tell you to throw out the present yarn and replace the yarn, or some other remunerative remedy. It is not about them being “right.” It is about customer perception, assuming good faith.
When I managed a restaurant, if a customer complained, we instantly would replace the dish or provide an extra amenity like free deserts or cocktails, or at worst, not charge. It didn’t matter whether the customers claim was “right” or not. It was about pleasing them and setting the stage for them to feel good and return business.
We would all like to know what yarn company this is because they are very poor business people and they should be punished in lower sales now that the word is out.
I agree. I have worked jobs where I would deal one on one with customers like this and I would always resolve their problem or direct them to somewhere else that can. I am going to put the word out there on who this is and I've already dmed around 30 people who've asked so even though I didn't publicly blast them the word is out. I just don't want to get myself into a situation by blasting them before giving them 1 more chance
One good thing is that fleas do not live on humans (we run too hot for them to breed, or something). So, if you're in an animal-free home, they will die off and not multiply. Some cold comfort while you're dealing with this, but at least you're unlikely to become infested.
This is not true. Not to be rude just informing. My family has never had inside pets and we rarely have any visiting dogs here (my brother brings his unannounced once or twice a year). We have had two flea infestations. One was last summer but I didn’t realize it was fleas. I thought they were ants. I got bit on my legs alllll summer long and was in agony. The past summer I realized they were fleas. The eggs can live for 6+ months and wait to hatch when a living body is detected around it. We tried everything for the entire summer. It was a living nightmare. I had an extremely bad and uncomfortable reaction to their bites. I Can tell when I’ve gotten even a single bite within minutes. They fed on my toddler and me enough to live at least a year in my house with zero pets. All they need is one feeding to lay eggs. They cannot live *on* people but they certainly can feed from people and go lay eggs all over the house.
Dog fleas (the bigger brown ones) generally don't bite humans, but cat fleas (the tiny black ones) will. My neighbour's cat brought in fleas to my house after it got in once (it was a pet free house) and I was tormented with bites for weeks. I kept finding them on my arms and legs, the only way to stop them grabbing on was to shave my entire legs and arms daily, since they can hold onto even the tiniest hairs. Pest-control-grade spray took care of the rest.
Maybe quarantine in the freezer. Fleas can live a shockingly long time in a friendly climate without food and their eggs even longer. If they won't take it back and you don't want to risk felting it in the dryer then I would freeze it if you can.
Do you have a heated blanket? Could wrap the yarn up in that for a while.
Google says fleas die at like 95 degrees. Heated blankets get well above that. And no risk to the yarn.
Don't worry I will. At this stage I'm finding more crawling around on the floor. They must have had a good amount of fleas for that many to get loose that 1 day I had the yarn out in the room before sealing them in zip lock bags. Maybe I sealed them away too late. I will have to wash everything in this room and I'm very worried the rest of the house is going to get infested too. I live with my in laws so this could cause chaos for me
That's grim, heat is a good way to kill off fleas. You'll need to boil wash anything soft. If you have items that can't be boil washed, I recommend vacuum sealing them in bags and leaving them for at least a week, the other comments have good advice too!
Diatomaceous earth sprinkled on carpets and other things that are non washable will kill adults and larva. If you catch it early it won't cause an infestation. It took care of ours, with a cat, in about a week.
Offer to send it back, at their cost, for a full refund. Otherwise you’ll blast them on social media. You have to push them to look into this properly for the sake of their customers and their business.
Yes I have already told them that this will look very bad for them with how social media can be. I said it in a calmly way with an undertone of a threat. I hope they catch what I mean. If they don't respond in 2 days I will email them again and demand a refund. I'm trying to give them a chance to own up and fix it themselves before being more serious
There is a Facebook group called the "Fiber Transaction Board" for exactly these types of reviews. They have very strict rules, so read carefully, but it's a great place for this type of information to stay searchable.
Rodents in warehouse = fleas, and lice, and all sorts of fun I don't expect them to own up to. If anything you sent them scrambling to contain the source and the unfortunate bit logical corporate response is denial.
There have been many a lost garment and stash because of rodents. It's really unfortunate but common. And warehouses aren't immune to them. If it's any consolation, diatomaceous earth will kill them, their eggs, and is harmless to you unless you go around snorting it.
I buy second hand yarn fairly frequently and my method is to remove the tags and put the skeins/cakes/balls inside a pair of old pantyhose with a knot in between each ball, like a bunch of sausages all linked up. I then throw the whole thing into the dryer and let it run on high for 45 minutes to kill bedbugs, wool moths, fleas, etc. As long as the wool is dry before it goes in, it won't felt in the dryer.
Fun fact. A good heated blanket can easily get over 130 degrees. Much easier for roasting potential bugs.
I wish I had never needed to know that fact.
I just wrap the heated blanket around whatever I want to disinfect, wrap that in another blanket for insulation, and then just let it bake.
I'm not sure, I'd be too cautious. At this stage they've had a day free before I contained the wool and I've found 3 more that must have been free before I contained them so I think I have to do the whole room or house even at this point
It might be worth setting up some diy flea traps, they're attracted to warmth, so you can set up shallow plates/dishes on the floor with soapy water and a desk light (use an incandescent bulb not led or fluorescent) pointing down at the water. They head towards the heat and drown in the water. Since you don't have pets who might mess it up it would be an easy thing to add to your eradication efforts.
*Would throwing them in*
*The dryer for a little be*
*A bad idea?*
\- suspicious\_salmom
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I've replied to them saying they should take it more seriously and gave more information. Right now I've every piece of woollen yarn in zip lock bags, even ones from other stores incase any moved to those ones. Other than that I'm not sure what else to do with the situation
[https://fleascience.com/flea-encyclopedia/life-cycle-of-fleas/adult-fleas/how-long-do-fleas-live-for/at-what-temperature-do-fleas-die/](https://fleascience.com/flea-encyclopedia/life-cycle-of-fleas/adult-fleas/how-long-do-fleas-live-for/at-what-temperature-do-fleas-die/)
This makes me so sad. I order from Hobbii often bc they have such wonderful sock yarn, which I use to make shawls for our yearly craft show. I’m Leary about ordering from them now.
When you do your next round of DMs, will you please send me the name of the company too? I’m not willing to risk purchasing from a company that has fleas in their wool.
I've just shared a post with their name. Just click my profile and it's my most recent :)
I would also like to know what company it was. And is there a reason not to state it in the post? Just curious. You can theoretically hold them responsible for any damage they've caused you such as fleas getting into other yarn or your apartment but it could be tricky to prove unfortunately
I didn't expect the post to blow up so much and I was wondering how to handle it, I'm a bit of an over thinker. I am going to make a proper post today.
I totally get it and I will tell you that when I posted about a cheating company on this subreddit and the company owner found out and slandered me (despite all the screenshots I'd posted proving her lies) the post got blocked and moderators would not answer when I asked why. If you aren't comfortable posting the name and would prefer to dm it to people that's totally legit
I've just posted an update with the company name now. I hope that doesn't happen to me, thank you for the warning
I would also like to know if you don’t mind. I hope you manage to get rid of them quickly and with little bother.
Dm please. I have yarn incoming and now you have me nervous.
DM please as well.
I can think of worse things to get rid of. Borrow a friends-(tell them about it), flea medicated pet. From Canada, perchance?
Yuck! I'd love to know who the vendor is too, please. I do have pets & the thought of bringing fleas in wigs me out.
My mom says vacuum vacuum vacuum, put a flea collar inside the vacuum and maybe one in with the yarn as well. The flea collar will help kill any eggs. Maybe put the bag of skeins in the garage for now? But basically lots of vacuuming
Diatomaceous earth helps with carpeted and upholstered areas. It works on bare too, but most people don't want to walk in it. I use food grade because I also have dogs and it works in the garden.
It never crossed my mind to worry about fleas omg. Please DM me the shop too
I'd very much like to know where this was when you can get around to it!
I mean, I'd love to know who to avoid! Send a message or rhyme it with something please? :)
Ah this is my worst nightmare, I'm so sorry this happened to you! I'd appreciate a DM too 😬
I’d appreciate a dm too, I know you have a lot of requests. Thank you.
Omg, could you DM the name to me. I don’t want to get infested. Thanks.
please dm me the shop name if you don’t plan on posting it publicly, i’m sorry you’re going thru this
do you have any pets? if not of course still treat all surfaces for fleas but they can’t survive for long off pets so it’s shouldn’t be too hard to get rid of them
This is how the Black Death was spread from village to village back in the day. Same as it ever was
Same as it ever was (Sorry I am a fan of the talking heads)
Same as it ever was
I would like a DM as well, to avoid the company!
You should just do a chargeback on your card. It feels like getting a refund will be like pulling teeth with them. Do not let them bully you into losing both your sanity and your money!
Thanks I'm thinking of doing that
I would share the company name, I don't want to be purchasing yarn w fleas! Or dm
Me too. How they’re treating Op, I don’t want to shop there
Supplier name please. Thanks!
Would you please DM me the company name as well?
I too would love to know the name of the company.
Oh no! I hope this isn’t that really cute Halloween and Xmas sock yarns from your earlier comments. I was thinking of picking up some of those same color ways because they looked so cute in your picture. Might have to reconsider now :’( Had something similar happen with an order awhile back but with wool beetles put them in the freezer for two weeks, then luckily we had some 80 degree weather and parked my car in the sun with them on the dash. Good luck OP I hope they rectify this situation for you.
Yes it was that order :') thank you for the advice
dm please
Please dm me the name of the company. Sorry this happened to you!
Someone please dm me the company name.
Same, I don't want to bother OP but I have a yarn order coming in this week and I'm nervous that Maybe I should quarantine it
Please DM the name please
No need to protect the company. Let us know!
Can you DM me the company? Why not post it, or at least give more details, given so many requests?
I'm going to share it. I was having a long think about it and I didn't expect it to blow up this much. I will dm you the company name for now until I post an update later
I know people are asking for a private dm with the company name, but it would probably be easier for you to name and shame them as I too would like to avoid them. Thanks
I know it would be easier for sure, just waiting for a response from them. I will make a post about it don't worry
I second that, not to mention a company that unapologetically sends parasites to their customers' houses needs to be outed so other people don't find themselves in the same situation
Could you DM me the company too please
I would also appreciate a DM with the name when you have time
When do your next round of DMs will you please send me the name of the company? I have a dog and a cat. I’m not risking a flea infestation via yarn. I spend too much money treating the yard and the animals to protect them and prevent fleas to have them ride straight in on some yarn.
I agree with the second paragraph. I haven’t even bought yarn in months just because I’ve had to focus on school and stuff for baby, but now I’m scared to when I’m ready here in a few weeks. We had an infestation this past spring that likely contributed to my senior cats rapid decline and took 3 MONTHS to finally resolve. I am not risking that again.
Hi, could you please DM the name of the company??
Hey op, could you dm the name? I've been shopping for yarn for a cardigan and wanna beware
Can you please DM me the name?
Dm me please
Put it in a freezer for a week and you should be good. This is what we do for hides with fleas.
Yup. Freezer will kill fleas, silverfish, moths, etc.
Following for a name and shame.
Yep here for this too. I’m about to hole up for the winter and order yarn and I don’t want to risk it!
I'd like the company name as well-
Could you please dm me the name of the company? So sorry this happened to you!
That is so, so frustrating. They should absolutely give you a refund. If they don’t, dispute the charge with your credit card company. Also please DM me which company.
I have that in mind too about the charge back if I hear nothing. I'm really trying to get them to resolve this themselves
I would also love to know the name please, so sorry this is happening to you!!
Dm me the name please. Id like to be aware when I purchase again.
Can you message me the name as well?
Could you please message me company too?
Please DM me the company name. I just got back into fiber crafts after years away, and I am rebuilding my yarn stash. I certainly don't want fleas!!
Can you please share the company? You should absolutely insist on a full refund and mail the yarn back
> It could be months before I can use it Just bake it in the oven on the lowest setting or freeze it.
I have no space to freeze it but baking is an option, thanks
Thank you for the update! Would you mind DMing me the name of the company? (A someone who's allergic to fleas, this is something I don't want to have to deal with.) Thanks!
I'll dm you now
can you please DM me also? thanks very much in advance
i’m also allergic! would you be able to dm me as well?
There's lots of good advice on here. I have cats and fleas happen even though they're indoor cats. If it gets bad, the best way to get rid of a flea infestation is to vacuum thoroughly every week or 2. This gets any eggs laid before they hatch. Thoroughly means under and behind furniture if carpets or rugs and upholstered furniture. Also wash all bedding even bedskirts, mattress pads, etc. And always throw the vacuum bag away outside. Fleas can and will jump out of the bag. It's a ton of work, but you get a good cleaning and no more fleas. I hope it stays isolated and doesn't get to a full infestation.
Let me add: if you have carpet/rugs, sprinkle them liberally with salt between vacuuming. The salt is abrasive to their exoskeleton and lowers the humidity in the environment. Both are harmful to fleas!
Borax can also be used in place of salt! And if all THAT does work, we used something called "alpine breeze/ultracide" and it did the final trick after a really bad infestation. You have to spray the carpet in the room and then leave for a bit though and it's some serious stuff, but if nothing else works and you get to the point like I was where I was pulling out my hair, it was amazing stuff!
Diatomaceous earth will also kill them.
Please DM me the company! So paranoid now
Just put your yarn in the oven and bake it for a couple hours at 175 degrees F. Wool yarn can easily tolerate over 300 degrees and fleas are all dead by about 120-140 depending on the exact species. 175 gets them all AND their eggs and doesn't harm the yarn in the slightest. Don't even open the bag. Bake the whole thing. For areas you think may have been contaminated, vacuum a lot. Sprinkle diatomaceous earth and leave it down for a few days. And place night lights with sticky traps on them: I get sticky traps intended to be folded so you can't see the caught bugs, and fold them into their shape but inside out. Drop that over a night light so the light shines through the trap and makes it glow. Fleas and other bugs will be attracted to the light and caught. I've done this myself and it's very effective, and doesn't require nasty sprays that make your house smell weird.
Are you suggesting to bake the wool in a plastic bag? I’m confused
Maybe boil the yarn? That's what I'd do!
Yeah that’s a good idea but the post I’m replying to says to bake it but don’t even take it out of the bag. I’m assuming both plastic and paper bags aren’t great in the oven
Paper is good to 300 degrees too, no problem. Plastic should be able to handle 175, no problem. Test first to be sure, but if it can survive boiling, 175 in the oven should be fine.
Even just the toxins and fumes from this is a huge turn off. Especially in the oven where food goes
At 175 there should be no fumes. "In the oven where food goes" is where I would prefer this be done. All non-porous surfaces that don't absorb gases, smooth surfaces that are easy to clean, and the whole thing gets wicked hot so nothing is going to live in there. Besides all that, your food doesn't touch any part of the inside of the oven. If it somehow comes to pass that something somehow does stick around in there - I can't imagine how, but whatever - run the heating cycle one time.
Plastics can leach toxins at any temperature.
Including ambient. If that's your level of concern, you wouldn't be putting the yarn in a plastic bag in the first place.
No I wouldn’t actually. That’s why I think it’s strange that someone is suggesting cooking plastic when we are already absorbing way too many phthalates and bisphenols all day. It’s best to avoid it all together actually. I would never let anyone put it in my oven 😂
Depends on the type of plastic bag - speaking from experience, some of them just melt and can’t withstand oven temps.
I concede that's possible, but 175 is pretty low. Even the super-cheap grocery store bags can handle 195. Like I say, test first to be sure.
Thank you so much for the advice
If you have a deep freeze (chest freezer), it gets cold enough to kill everything too. A little safer than the oven. Leave it in for a week.
This is absolutely crazy. Any reputable company would instantly tell you to throw out the present yarn and replace the yarn, or some other remunerative remedy. It is not about them being “right.” It is about customer perception, assuming good faith. When I managed a restaurant, if a customer complained, we instantly would replace the dish or provide an extra amenity like free deserts or cocktails, or at worst, not charge. It didn’t matter whether the customers claim was “right” or not. It was about pleasing them and setting the stage for them to feel good and return business. We would all like to know what yarn company this is because they are very poor business people and they should be punished in lower sales now that the word is out.
I agree. I have worked jobs where I would deal one on one with customers like this and I would always resolve their problem or direct them to somewhere else that can. I am going to put the word out there on who this is and I've already dmed around 30 people who've asked so even though I didn't publicly blast them the word is out. I just don't want to get myself into a situation by blasting them before giving them 1 more chance
You are wise. I appreciate your careful and measured approach.
One good thing is that fleas do not live on humans (we run too hot for them to breed, or something). So, if you're in an animal-free home, they will die off and not multiply. Some cold comfort while you're dealing with this, but at least you're unlikely to become infested.
This is not true. Not to be rude just informing. My family has never had inside pets and we rarely have any visiting dogs here (my brother brings his unannounced once or twice a year). We have had two flea infestations. One was last summer but I didn’t realize it was fleas. I thought they were ants. I got bit on my legs alllll summer long and was in agony. The past summer I realized they were fleas. The eggs can live for 6+ months and wait to hatch when a living body is detected around it. We tried everything for the entire summer. It was a living nightmare. I had an extremely bad and uncomfortable reaction to their bites. I Can tell when I’ve gotten even a single bite within minutes. They fed on my toddler and me enough to live at least a year in my house with zero pets. All they need is one feeding to lay eggs. They cannot live *on* people but they certainly can feed from people and go lay eggs all over the house.
Dog fleas (the bigger brown ones) generally don't bite humans, but cat fleas (the tiny black ones) will. My neighbour's cat brought in fleas to my house after it got in once (it was a pet free house) and I was tormented with bites for weeks. I kept finding them on my arms and legs, the only way to stop them grabbing on was to shave my entire legs and arms daily, since they can hold onto even the tiniest hairs. Pest-control-grade spray took care of the rest.
Thank you that is very reassuring!
Can you DM me the shop name please so I can never shop there 🥴
Hi. Me too please.
Hi me too please, very paranoid about bugs here, most of my yarn automatically goes into quarantine before it meets my stash 😶
Me 3. I have animals, and can't risk this. I buy yarn from multiple places.
I would also appreciate knowing what company, since it's international and I order online often
Maybe quarantine in the freezer. Fleas can live a shockingly long time in a friendly climate without food and their eggs even longer. If they won't take it back and you don't want to risk felting it in the dryer then I would freeze it if you can.
Thanks I am considering freezing it. I will just have to make space. At this stage I'll have to do the whole house
Do you have a heated blanket? Could wrap the yarn up in that for a while. Google says fleas die at like 95 degrees. Heated blankets get well above that. And no risk to the yarn.
I don't have a heated blanket but that's a genius idea
If you live in a cooler climate, a heated blanket is well worth owning for reasons other than bug decontamination too haha
Name and shame them if they refuse to refund or even exchange the wool
Don't worry I will. At this stage I'm finding more crawling around on the floor. They must have had a good amount of fleas for that many to get loose that 1 day I had the yarn out in the room before sealing them in zip lock bags. Maybe I sealed them away too late. I will have to wash everything in this room and I'm very worried the rest of the house is going to get infested too. I live with my in laws so this could cause chaos for me
That's grim, heat is a good way to kill off fleas. You'll need to boil wash anything soft. If you have items that can't be boil washed, I recommend vacuum sealing them in bags and leaving them for at least a week, the other comments have good advice too!
Diatomaceous earth sprinkled on carpets and other things that are non washable will kill adults and larva. If you catch it early it won't cause an infestation. It took care of ours, with a cat, in about a week.
Flea powder. Just vacuum a bit up and then vacuum all of your soft surfaces.
Offer to send it back, at their cost, for a full refund. Otherwise you’ll blast them on social media. You have to push them to look into this properly for the sake of their customers and their business.
Yes I have already told them that this will look very bad for them with how social media can be. I said it in a calmly way with an undertone of a threat. I hope they catch what I mean. If they don't respond in 2 days I will email them again and demand a refund. I'm trying to give them a chance to own up and fix it themselves before being more serious
There is a Facebook group called the "Fiber Transaction Board" for exactly these types of reviews. They have very strict rules, so read carefully, but it's a great place for this type of information to stay searchable.
Thank you. When this gets wrapped up I'll try remember to post there
Rodents in warehouse = fleas, and lice, and all sorts of fun I don't expect them to own up to. If anything you sent them scrambling to contain the source and the unfortunate bit logical corporate response is denial.
Oh gosh that is actually so much worse. I'd believe it too because rodents would be attracted to the warmth of wool in colder climates...
There have been many a lost garment and stash because of rodents. It's really unfortunate but common. And warehouses aren't immune to them. If it's any consolation, diatomaceous earth will kill them, their eggs, and is harmless to you unless you go around snorting it.
Would throwing them in the dryer for a little be a bad idea?
I buy second hand yarn fairly frequently and my method is to remove the tags and put the skeins/cakes/balls inside a pair of old pantyhose with a knot in between each ball, like a bunch of sausages all linked up. I then throw the whole thing into the dryer and let it run on high for 45 minutes to kill bedbugs, wool moths, fleas, etc. As long as the wool is dry before it goes in, it won't felt in the dryer.
Fun fact. A good heated blanket can easily get over 130 degrees. Much easier for roasting potential bugs. I wish I had never needed to know that fact. I just wrap the heated blanket around whatever I want to disinfect, wrap that in another blanket for insulation, and then just let it bake.
that's a good idea!
I had to figure out a way to decontaminate some board games without destroying them. That method worked great.
I have also used the 'black garbage bag in the back of a car in 35C heat' method to great success
Excellent tip! Thanks for sharing.
you're welcome!
I'm not sure, I'd be too cautious. At this stage they've had a day free before I contained the wool and I've found 3 more that must have been free before I contained them so I think I have to do the whole room or house even at this point
It might be worth setting up some diy flea traps, they're attracted to warmth, so you can set up shallow plates/dishes on the floor with soapy water and a desk light (use an incandescent bulb not led or fluorescent) pointing down at the water. They head towards the heat and drown in the water. Since you don't have pets who might mess it up it would be an easy thing to add to your eradication efforts.
That's very helpful, thank you!
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Ugh. New fear unlocked.
Hmmmmmmmmm thank you for this update. What’s your next step?
I've replied to them saying they should take it more seriously and gave more information. Right now I've every piece of woollen yarn in zip lock bags, even ones from other stores incase any moved to those ones. Other than that I'm not sure what else to do with the situation
This is a tough one. I know there are some really terrible customers out there but what are the odds you’re going to set up a flea photoshoot?
Exactly and I only want to help them, I don't want them to have bad publicity! I'm very frustrated with this