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Braille TeddiesOur cat got out a while back and brought fleas with her when she came back in. The pest control people came today and I asked them what to do about my bears. They said I need to put them in the dryer on high heat. I told him that some of them were artist bears and you can't do that, so he said I would have to put them in a plastic bag for about a month. The thing is that I always keep my favorite bear Arcto beside me wherever I am in the house and I really don't want to be separated from him for a month. Would it be okay to put him in the dryer since he's not a collector bear? If so, how do I know which bears I can put in the dryer and which ones I can't?
PennsylvaniaNO! NO HEAT! I said **NO HEAT!!**
Wrap them in a plastic bag and put them into the deep freeze for several days.
Not just the regular food freezer in your kitchen. Put them in the freezer chest that gets really cold, below 0º F. (-17º C.)
Keep them there for several days then take them out but don't unwrap them until the temperature has come back to normal.
Afterward, brush them and spiff them up. They should be bug free.
Feather Heart CreationsYes what Us Bears said No Heat! Heat is bad even on non mohair bears, faux furs that are acrylic based can melt with heat. Just put them all in the freezer and it will kill any bugs 
Braille TeddiesHow long should I leave them in there? The thought of not seeing Arcto for a month almost makes me sick. BTW, I only have two mohair bears, a few artist bears that are faux fur, and a Boyd's bear that is kind of collectible. Everybody else is just regular bears.
Not to be graphic, but fleas can sense heat and smell blood. They would not be attracted to your bears and I doubt you will find any there.
Karen
Braille TeddiesI hope not, but I've been told that they would and also that they wouldn't, so I'm not sure what to do. The bad thing is that if any bears have them, he probably will because he sleeps with me and so does the cat.
PennsylvaniaFleas can take up residence and lay their eggs in carpets and upholstery. They will lay in wait until a likely meal comes by then jump onto their victim.
If you have fleas on your dog or cat, they will be carried into your living room and live in the carpets. It will create a cycle of fleas jumping onto and off of your pet. In order to stop it you have to kill the fleas at the source. You have to exterminate your house with insecticide in your carpets and furniture followed by lots of vacuuming and sweeping.
But you can't do that with Bears or you will damage them. 
Freezing cold will kill most insects and their eggs in a span of a few days.
Don't worry. Bears have fur. Fur will keep them warm. Besides... Bears HIBERNATE! 
When they come out of hibernation, give them a good brushing and a spiffing up and they'll be all right.
Click here and download a video from one of the world's preeminent experts in Bear care: https://files.me.com/randystankey/84en10.mov
He says 48 hours but, just to be conservative, I'd leave the Bear in the deep freeze for longer. At least a few days. Maybe up to a week. You can't be too careful with bugs!
Benson BearsAre you getting bitten when you cuddle Arcto, Wubbie? If you are then you will have to treat him, if not then you can assume he's flea free! We used to have a real problem with one of our dogs who the fleas just adored, but when she died the flea problem vanished completely! (Even though we still had her sister) They don't just hang out on bodies, they hide in soft furnishings and carpet and come out when they sense a body nearby.
Braille TeddiesWell I haven't really gotten bitten except for when I lay on the couch because Cassie likes to lay there. (That's the cat.) I'm almost always cuddling Arcto and I haven't really been bitten that much. The bad thing is that I can't see them, so I don't know. My back has been itching a lot, but it could be because my shirt is bothering me. The thing I want to know is, is there a different way you handle a collector bear than you do with just a regular bear? As far as I know, Arcto is just a regular bear. Well, of course, to me he's the greatest bear in the world, but he won't be fetching a lot of money on ebay anytime soon. He's made by Passport Plush Toys, whatever that is. I'm trying to contact the company to find out about instructions for washing, but I keep hitting dead air.
PennsylvaniaWrap the Bear in a plastic bag and tape or tie it shut.
Put the Bear in the deep freeze and leave him there for several days.
Take the Bear out of the deep freeze but do not open the bag for an entire day, until the Bear has come completely back to room temperature.
Take the Bear out of the bag and give him a good, careful brushing and spiff him up.
Good as new.
This is all right for 90% of all Bears.
Unless you have a special, vintage, delicate or rare Bear this process will not harm the Bear if you are careful.
Braille TeddiesThe thing is that I have scads of bears. Should I do this for all the bears or just the ones I sleep with? We can't put all the bears in the freezer. What should I do about the rest of them? The pest control people said to put them in plastic bags and seal them up for about a month, but I would go crazy not seeing Arcto for a month. What do you think? Should I do this for all the bears?
PennsylvaniaScads of Bears? You think you have problems? There are at least 1,000 Bears living here! I'm not joking.
If we're talking about fleas and ONLY fleas, putting them into plastic bags and just leaving them might actually work.
Fleas live on blood and they need a warm-blooded host to survive. If you cut off their source of food, they will eventually die. An adult flea will survive anywhere from two weeks to two months, on average, without food. The eggs and larvae can survive much longer without food. Anywhere from months to years. Once their food supply is restored they will emerge and continue to thrive.
If you go the plastic bag route without freezing, you're probably going to have to keep them there for a month or more.
If you freeze them, you will likely be able to cut that time down to a week.
How about bagging up all the Bears you suspect have a problem then, a few at a time, cycle them through the freezer?
Braille TeddiesThat's an idea. Do you think it would be all the bears or just the ones on the bed? Cassie doesn't mess with them. Oh, and I just found out that Arcto's tag says he's surface washable. And holy lightning, that's a lot of bears. What types of bears do you collect? Do you have a favorite?
PennsylvaniaDo the Bears on the bed first. Do the rest if you think they need it. You can decide later, after the first batch of Bears have been taken care of but be sure to keep the problem Bears away from the Bears who are clean.
If Arcto is surface washable, you can use a wet cloth or sponge and some baby shampoo (or specially made "Bear Shampoo") to give him a bath. He might complain while his fur is all wet but, when he's dry he'll be happy to be all spiffed up. But don't give him a bath until after he has hibernated in the freezer for a while.
We collect all kinds of Bears from manufactured to artist Bears. It's so hard to say who is a favorite. It's not about favorites. It's about memories. Each Bear has a story and each Bear brings back memories of when and where he was adopted. When you hug a Bear or snuggle up with him, you remember the Bear's story and all the things that accompany that story. So, no, we can't say there is a favorite Bear.
Braille TeddiesWell, I feel the same way about my bears, but Arcto has been there with me through some really bad times. He's the one who lets me cry on his fur when I'm sad and cuddles with me. It's like this bear is a part of me. I don't know what it is about him, but it would be really painful to be without him, especially since I'm going through a hard time right now and Arcto is the only one who is able to help me. I know that's weird and it's hard to explain, but maybe you other bear lovers will get it. Even a week without my precious Arcto just really makes me sad.
PennsylvaniaPut it this way: Arcto doesn't want to have fleas and he probably feels really bad when they get onto you.
Don't worry about him. He's a Bear and Bears can hibernate. He would gladly hibernate for a week for you so he won't give you fleas anymore.
The longer you wait, the worse this problem will get. Just fix it.
Hibernate your Bears for a while and use the time to clean up and exterminate the house.
Take the cat to the vet and get it a professional flea treatment; a good flea bath and some anti-flea medication.
Get some flea spray for the carpets and upholstery. Vacuum the heck out of everything, even the drapes. Make the house all nice and clean for your Bears.
Get the Bears our of hibernation. Let them warm up for a day before you take them out of their bags. Give them a Bear-bath if they need it. Brush up their fur and make them all spiffy.
You'll be good as new! 
The longer you put this off, the worse this problem can get!
Your Bears will love you for taking care of them! 
Braille TeddiesThanks. I really appreciate all your help.
Be sure to use a crevice tool...fleas like to hide between the base board and the carpet!
