Unfortunately if you discover that your dog or cat has fallen victim to fleas that will mean that not only are you going to have to get rid of the fleas on them but also the fleas that are now hiding in your home as well. Doing so is not an easy process but you really do have to put in the work (and often the money) to get rid of fleas the right way as if you don’t the problem will just keep coming back.
Fleas in Your Home
Fleas live on the blood of warm blooded mammals and pet dogs and cats are one of their favorite targets. Unfortunately if your pet brings fleas into your home they get pretty fond of being there too. They spend all day jumping from pet to human, human to pet drinking all the blood they need to stay nicely fed. Then occasionally female fleas will leave their hosts for a while, find a nice spot on your carpet, your coach, your curtains or your bed linen and lay a couple of hundred eggs to ensure that after their 100 day lifespan is over their “family” lives on.
Contrary to what many people believe fleas do not fly and adult fleas do not live on fabrics. Fleas are fantastic jumpers though – if they were human they would win Olympic gold every time – as they can jump up to heights of 8 inches while they themselves are at most, ⅙ of an inch tall. When it comes to fleas in fabrics it is the eggs and the larvae that can be found there. The average living room carpet is a perfect flea nursery.
Getting Rid of Fleas on Your Pets First
The first step in the war on fleas in your home is ridding your cat or dog of them. These days there are a lot of good, safe and effective flea medications available that can help solve the problem very quickly. although you can buy these products in stores it is best to consult with your vet as not all of these medications are suitable for all pets. You should also get your pet a healthy pet check up because flea bites can cause things like tapeworms and anemia, issues that only your vet can treat.
Beginning the Attack on Fleas in Your Home
Rather than waste time looking for fleas in your home after you have discovered them on your pet the best course of action is to just assume they are there, because the chances are that they are, and lots of them. Adult fleas, larvae and eggs are all likely to be present.
When it comes to the best way of getting rid of fleas in your house the very first thing you need to do is throw out any soft pet bedding and do not buy a new bed for your cat or dog until your home is flea free. Next you need to wash everything that can be washed that sits out exposed in your home in the washing machine. That means sheets, blankets, drapes, tablecloths, even your children’s stuffed toys if they sit out on a bed or shelf.
Bring Out the Vacuum
You cannot throw your sofas or your carpets in the washing machine of course. That is where your vacuum comes in. Thoroughly vacuum everything you can and do not forget to empty the bag outside well away from your home. Put fleas in the garbage bin and they will jump right back out again and you will be right back to square one. Do not forget to vacuum off any drapes that cannot be washed as well, because do not forget that yes, they can jump that high.
Once you have vacuumed really well you may want to do a carpet shampoo as well but that will not necessarily kill any remaining fleas (although it might boil a few) so vigorous dry vacuuming is far more important.
When The Fleas Won’t Leave
Unfortunately sometimes all the washing and the vacuuming in the world does not solve a flea problem in a home and more drastic measures are called for. It is at this point that many homeowners turn to chemical flea killers.
There are lots of different chemical flea killers out there – everything from sprays to bombs. the problem is in the hands of an amateur these can be dangerous as not all of these chemicals are safe to use around pets or humans, especially children. if you feel that the flea problem in your home is severe enough to warrant chemical treatment calling in a pest control expert will be the safest and ultimately the most effective way to go.
Flea Control Home Remedies
Some people hate the thought of using any chemicals in their battle against fleas and turn to natural home remedies to get rid of fleas in their house. Growing amounts of medical research studies have linked pesticides of all kinds to an increase in a number of serious human diseases including breast cancer. More work needs to be done to establish if there really is a link between pesticides and human disease but some people would rather be safe than sorry and look for “natural alternatives” to chemical flea killers.
In order to get rid of fleas the natural way some people say that a solution of lavender oil and water sprayed onto furniture and carpets kills of remaining flea eggs and larvae as effectively as chemicals. Other say that other solutions like diluted cedar oils help as well. There are also a growing number of “all natural” flea killing products on the market that claim to be as effective as their chemical counterparts at finally getting rid of all the fleas in your home for good. How effective these are is hard to tell as people have varied results but many people give natural flea treatments a try first, both when treating their homes and their pets.
