Getting rid of fleas in your home is no easy feat, and it definitely becomes frustrating when you and your pets are itching away. If it gets awful, you can see them jumping on your carpet. EEK! No one wants to deal with a flea infestation, but unfortunately, many pet owners do at some point because once they are in the home, they run rampant and multiply quickly. Here are the top ways to get rid of fleas in your home quickly and effectively.
How to know if there are fleas in your house
The first thing you’ll notice when you have fleas lurking around your house is your pet’s itching. Flea bites cause severe itching because when they bite you, their flea saliva gets into your bloodstream, and when your body registers it as an allergen, your immune system sends histamine to remove it from your body.
Histamine is a chemical that causes the bite to itch extremely badly and potentially even swell up. Still, it’s your body’s way of eradicating what they have examined as a potential allergen. The second way to tell if you have an actual infestation is when you see fleas hopping around your carpet, furniture, drapes, etc. They will just appear to be dot-like insects, and you may even see them on your dog.
The easiest way to check your dog for fleas is to look at their belly because there is no hair down there, and you can see them crawling. also, pay special attention to pet beds too.
Steps to get rid of fleas in your home FAST
Treat your pet
Though you may see many fleas in your home, the most important thing to do is treat the host (your pet). Fleas stick around because they have something to prey on, and if your pet(s) is no longer a viable option, they will leave or starve because they have nothing to eat. Timing is critical with this as well. You will want to treat your pet the same day that you de-flea the house and immediately take out the bedding your dog has been using and treat that at the time too.
Vacuum and clean bedding
You will want to completely take out, seal up, and/or treat your pet’s bedding or blankets your dog has been on. You can treat bedding by simply washing it in boiling hot water. This soapy water in the washing machine will kill fleas at all life stages, so you won’t need to rewash it but definitely don’t put it back in the home until it’s flea-free.
When vacuuming for fleas, you’ll want to get all the corners. Based on extensive studies by Ohio State University, vacuuming killed 96% of adult fleas and 100% of flea larvae and flea pupae. This means that vacuuming is a highly effective way to get rid of fleas in your home, just make sure not to miss those pesky corners that the remaining fleas could be hiding in!
When emptying the vacuum bag, be sure to do so outside and ensure it’s sealed until it leaves the house. This will ensure those pesky things don’t do some escaping!
Insecticide
You will want to use an insecticide because it will prevent fleas from reproducing. If you are opposed to using chemicals in your home, you can try the natural remedies below. Insecticide uses a chemical that has an insect growth regulator, which is essential for eradicating fleas because they have so many stages of life. You will want to let it sit on the areas it needs to treat without anyone in the house, then open all doors and windows to air it out.
Flea traps and dish soap
Unfortunately, some of the fleas may have survived the insecticide. You can grab flea traps from the store or put dish soap bowls around, attracting and killing fleas.
Treating your pet’s fleas will be the most critical step to eradicating the fleas in your home. The best way to treat it, is from the source and following the steps here will make you live in a flea-free home in no time.
Ways to get rid of fleas naturally
Creating your own at-home flea spray can be as simple as mixing apple cider vinegar and water. The solution should be 1/2 water and 1/2 vinegar, and it is safe to use on your pet and in your home. This is a great option for people who want a natural way and don’t want chemicals in their homes, but it can be less effective than commercial insecticides.
Lucky for us, water and vinegar are chemical and fragrance-free ways to keep your dog and home flea-free. Put it in a spray bottle to spot treat areas. It’s also environmentally friendly, so you can feel good about using the more earth-conscious option.
How long does it take to get rid of the fleas in your house?
You probably won’t be jumping for joy about this answer, but it can take anywhere from a couple hours to an entire day to get your entire house cleaned out from a flea infestation, and it takes a couple weeks to a month to make sure it’s gonna stay that way.
You will need to upkeep the routine because fleas take a while to go through all life stages, and some may have survived the first couple of rounds.
Is it hard to get rid of fleas in a home?
Getting rid of fleas can be a long and grueling task. Unfortunately, these pests can flatten their bodies so they can easily weasel around and hide from danger. They also have exoskeletons which means they have a super rigid external covering and can be seemingly impossible to crush.
They are super tiny, sometimes even microscopic to the human eye, so the little pests take a grand maneuver to actually eradicate.
How do you get rid of adult fleas in 24 hours?
The fastest way to get rid of fleas in your home is to hire pest control experts that perform a same-day service for flea extermination. Keep in mind that when you hire a service like this, they will probably get you on a flea treatment plan that will kill as many fleas as they can the same day. Then they will come back and re-treat the home.
Their first same-day treatment should exterminate all fleas currently in the home, but eggs are much harder to kill, so they will need to return. Professional help like this averages $75 per treatment, so there are certainly more cost-effective ways to get the job done, but if you are looking for the quickest possible way, this might be the best option for you.
Once you hire an exterminator, the next step if, you will want to get your dog treated for fleas to stop the problem from the source because if your dog picks up fleas out on a walk and brings them back into the house, you will be back at square one.
The cheapest way to get rid of fleas
The cheapest way to get rid of fleas is by using salt. Pouring salt on the floor and vacuuming it up is a surefire way to get rid of a LOT of fleas, all of them if you do it right and thoroughly clean. You will want to sprinkle it on and then leave it for 12-48 hours to allow it to kill the fleas and their eggs. Finely ground salt works best because it spreads more easily.
Flea eggs can get in the cracks and carpet fibers, so you may want to brush the salt in for the best results. This will need to be paired with some sort of flea treatment for your dog, so they do not return. Remember to discard the vacuum cleaner bag immediately.
How to get rid of your pet’s fleas
To eradicate fleas in the long term, you must get rid of the fleas on your furry friend! To do this, you can use these flea remedies:
Oral medication
These can be prescribed by your vet and kills fleas when they bite the pet’s skin. Please read the label directions for safety.
Flea collars
You can get one at any pet store!
Topical treatments
You can find these topical applications at your vet, grocery, or pet store.
Flea bath
A flea bath will only kill fleas ON the dog and repel them for a few days after. Use warm water on your dog’s coat It is not a long-term solution!
Essential oils
Essential oils like Peppermint oil have been know to rid your house of the flea problem
Wrap up
As you can see, many great ways to get rid of the fleas in your home and get your life back. Whether you start with flea treatment products, natural remedies or go straight to calling an exterminator, you have options.
It is vital to eradicate fleas quickly after you find them because they can carry many diseases. Good news, you do have options, and you are not alone, so happy de-flea-ing to you! For more information, visit the AKC website.
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