The few fleas you see on your dog or cat only make up 5 percent of the total flea population in your home.
There is a whole bunch of them hiding on your pet’s bed, carpet, furniture, and even in your own bed. Here are some great methods on how to get rid of fleas fast.
Beneficial nematodes are highly effective in getting rid of fleas at home and in the yard. Unlike chemical treatments, the good news is that nematodes are completely safe for animals, pets, people, and plants.
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1. How to Get Rid of Fleas in Bed – Flea Floggers/Flea Bombs
If you suspect a flea infestation in your home, a flea flogger or flea bomb is the go-to product. As the name suggests, flea bombs basically bomb the fleas- killing the bugs and their eggs wherever they are hiding.
Flea bombs contain aerosol insecticides like Pyrethrin, Pyrethroid, or both as active ingredients. When set into a flea-infested room, the concentrated formula penetrates cracks and crevices where the bugs live and breed.
Good quality flea bombs provide continuous residual action for up to 2 months or more. Unlike other home flea treatments, flea bombs do not leave a wet and messy residue behind – No stains whatsoever.
How to Use Flea Bombs
1. Prepare the room/rooms to be treated. This includes opening the doors, cabinets, drawers, covering furniture, and removing food items and utensils to avoid contamination. Next, vacuum the room.
2. Cover your face with a face mask, shake the fogger vigorously, and push the release valve. Place the pesticide at the center of the room and leave the room immediately. NB: Only execute the treatment when no people or pets are in the house.
Related: Reliable drain cleaner.
2. How to Get Rid Of Fleas in the Yard – Flea Sprays/Aerosols
Like flea bombs, flea sprays/flea control aerosols for yard quickly eliminate adult fleas and larvae while stalling eggs and larvae’s development.
Usually, most flea sprays offer enhanced year-round flea protection, with some going for up to 12 months.
Flea sprays contain insecticide concentrate combined with Insect growth regulators (IGRs), which quickly kill and halt the flea cycle. Flea sprays can be used on carpets, pets, and pet bedding, in cracks and crevices, and on soft upholstered furniture.
You can also use flea sprays for yards, pet houses, or other areas where you suspect a flea infestation. Flea sprays residual action can last 4-6 months.
How to use Flea Control Sprays/Aerosols
1. Thoroughly vacuum the house, wash pet beddings, and spray your pets
2. Spray the house with a quality flea spray. Spray the carpets, upholstery, and any dark areas like cracks or crevices
3. Spray your yard and dog house as well
4. Vacuum the house a second time to remove fleas flushed out from their hiding places
3. How to Get Rid Of Fleas Naturally – Diatomaceous Earth
Homeowners are now opting for natural flea treatment methods over chemicals as they are safer for the environment and the people around them.
Diatomaceous earth powder is currently one of the best natural flea treatments. The powder is basically composed of tiny organisms known as diatoms. The diatoms work by lacerating the exoskeletons of fleas and other insects and kill them through dehydration.
The biggest advantage is that the treatment is quite fast, with a high success rate. It’s also an effective treatment for bed bugs, mites, lice, ants, roaches, aphids, slugs, and other household and garden pests.
Read Also: Flea powder for carpets
How to Eliminate Fleas with Diatomaceous Earth
1. Vacuum the house or affected rooms
2. Sprinkle a generous amount of diatomaceous earth powder onto the carpet, furniture and upholstery, pet house, pet beddings, and other affected areas
3. Let the powder remain for about 3 days and vacuum to remove any residue.
4. For complete flea eradication, reapply the treatment every 30 days. NB: Diatomaceous earth (for dogs) loses its effectiveness when exposed to water. Sprinkle in dry areas only.
4. How to Get Rid of Fleas in Carpet – Vacuuming (Salt or Borax)
If using a flea bomb or spray is not an option, consider a more natural flea treatment like salt or borax. Borax or salt are some of the best natural and cost-effective home treatments for fleas.
Also known as sodium borate, Borax is highly toxic to fleas and other bugs when inhaled or ingested. It works by dehydrating the bugs, larvae, and eggs, resulting in their ultimate death.
Salt, on the other hand, drains moisture from the bugs and their larvae, dehydrating and killing them in the process. When used together, a mixture of borax and salt will wipe out a full-blown flea infestation in a matter of days on your carpets.
How to Use Borax/Salt to Eliminate Fleas
1. Vacuum the house and any other area suspected to have a flea infestation
2. Sprinkle a borax/salt mixture in targeted areas like the carpet, pet beddings, dog mat, under furniture, near doorways, in the garden, and dog house
3. Let the powder sit overnight before vacuuming again. NB: Keep pets and small children off the treated areas
Read Also: Flea sprays contain an insecticide
5. How to Get Rid of Fleas on Dogs – Flea Shampoo
Bathing your dog or cat with flea shampoo regularly (flea control regiment for dogs) using a flea shampoo is one way to keep these blood-sucking creatures off your pets.
Flea shampoos contain powerful ingredients like Pyrethrin, Methoprene, and Piperonyl Butoxide, which kill adult fleas, larvae, and eggs.
Flea shampooing your dog will kill fleas on contact and can be used as preventative flea treatment. If your pet has a large number of visible fleas on its coat, repeat the treatment regularly.
Besides eliminating fleas, fresh-scented shampoos will leave your pet smelling clean and fresh. If your dog or cat (check the cat flea shampoos) has sensitive skin, choose a flea shampoo containing soothing ingredients (which is just like puppy flea shampoo) like aloe vera, lanolin, and coconut oil.
How to Use Flea Shampoos
1. Wet the dog/cat’s coat with warm water and rub shampoo through into the coat.
2. Massage the shampoo from head to toe until your pet is fully covered with a foamy lather.
3. Brush the coat and let it stand for about five minutes.
4. Rinse and dry with a towel
6. How to Get Rid of Fleas on Cats – Flea Collars and Drops
Flea collars drop, and serums are low maintenance flea treatments for dogs and cats suffering from flea infestation. With flea collars, attach the collar on your dog or cat’s neck. That’s it. The collar will continuously release active ingredients over your pet’s body, killing fleas on contact – check the flea collar for dogs.
Flea drops and serums, on the other hand, are typically applied to the pet’s skin. For best results, apply the serum/drops directly on the pet’s skin. Check the flea collars for your cats.
Some of the best flea collars can offer up to 8 months of protection. Flea drops and serums need to be applied every 30 days or less, depending on the infestation severity.
How to Eliminate Fleas with Flea Collars, Drops, and Serums
1. attach the flea collar to your pet’s neck and leave it at that. It will kill all fleas and contact and offer months-long protection
2. Apply flea drops and serums directly on the pet’s coat to kill adult fleas, larvae, and eggs.
7. Nematodes for Fleas Control
If your yard is infested with fleas, you might want to try beneficial nematodes to get rid of outdoor fleas quickly. Unlike other flea treatment methods, beneficial nematodes eradicate fleas while they are still in the soil as larvae and pupae. Basically, they stop the problem before it even starts.
Beneficial nematodes are microscopic organisms that feed on decaying matter and tiny garden insects like fleas. They enter the host’s body by boring a hole through its body.
While inside their hosts, nematodes release some bacteria that predigest the host, causing their death in as short as 48 hours. Once the feast is over, the nematodes exit the dead host in search of new prey.
How to use Beneficial Nematodes for Fleas
1. Spray the garden, yard, kennels, dog house, front porch, under bushes, and any other area that your pet frequents with a nematode solution. You can use a hose-end sprayer to do so.
2. Repeat the treatment if you’re dealing with a serious infestation
Conclusion
Fleas can quickly become a health hazard for you, your pets, and your family members.
And because the creatures tend to multiply fast, it’s advisable to contain them before the infestation gets out of hand.
Hopefully, these useful tips on how to get rid of fleas will help protect your home and pets against fleas.