How to Get Rid of Fleas

Knowing how to get rid of fleas is harder than you might think. An adult female flea can lay one egg an hour during her three month life. Flea eggs can hatch in one or two weeks, or lie dormant for up to 200 days before becoming pupae, and the pupae can be dormant for over a year. This can lead to a mass infestation. 

The first step is to get rid of fleas from pets and people.

Removing from Pets

When ridding your pet of fleas, make sure the product you are using is meant for your type of pet. Cats are very sensitive and can be killed with treatments made for dogs or the environment.

• First, wash your pet with soapy water. You may use flea shampoo, but it is not necessary. If the flea shampoo contains DEET, do not even think about buying it as it can cause bad reactions.
• The next step is to comb your pet with a special flea comb that will gather fleas so you can see how many there are and dispose of them in soapy water. If your pet has short hair, you can wrap some sticky tape around your hand with the sticky side out, and pat down your pet.

Removing from People

For a person to get rid of fleas:

• They need to bathe once or twice a day with soap. You may want to use an insecticidal shampoo, but that is not really necessary.
• They need to use a special flea comb to extract fleas and then deposit them in soapy water.
• Wear special flannel booties over your shoes and pants that the fleas get caught in. Then they can be counted and disposed of. These can help measure the flea population and also provide protection when traveling to an area that is infested with fleas.

Getting Rid of Fleas in the Home

To get rid of fleas, after quarantining the infected pet:

• Wash all bedding, throws, and rugs in soapy water. This will kill all stages of a flea, from egg to adult.
• When picking these things up, try not to spill eggs or larvae, which look like salt and pepper particles.
• Vacuum everything, using attachments to get in crevices, behind and under things, and in corners. When finished, remove the vacuum bag and put it in a plastic bag and seal it before discarding. Vacuuming will get rid of most of the eggs, but not the larvae.
• To get rid of the remaining larvae, have the carpets professionally steam cleaned or shampoo the carpet with insecticidal carpet shampoo. This kills every stage of flea except eggs. Another option is to bring in a professional exterminator to treat the area with infrared heat which will kill all stages of fleas. 

Controlling Fleas

The main reasons for getting rid of fleas are that they carry disease and can cause tapeworm. Getting rid of fleas is crucial to a healthy pet and home as flea eggs can accumulate in bedding, carpets, clothes, or practically anywhere around your house.

Since you have learned how to get rid of fleas, here are some tips on controlling them.  

• It may be useful to only let your pets stay in areas that are easy to clean. This would include basements, cars, and garages. This is just one idea for you to think about.
• Vacuuming daily would help the population not get out of control. The steam cleaning process can trigger eggs to hatch, so this is important. Remember to seal the bag when done. The sealed bag can be placed in the freezer to kill the fleas and be reused.
• Use bedding for your pet that is easy to clean. A towel is fine and needs to be washed weekly until all the fleas are gone. After there are no more fleas, washing every two weeks will be sufficient.  
• Comb your pet daily with the flea comb to keep track of the population. If there is an increase in the number of fleas, then it is time to bathe your pet.

If there continues to be a problem in your home with fleas, you may need to check with your vet about insect growth regulators, or call in a professional. Don’t waste your money on ultrasonic devices that are supposed to rid your house of all pests.  They may work on some pests, but they don’t work on fleas.