Fleas thrive in warm temperatures. And, your bed is a great place for them to lay eggs within the mattress. Another reason why fleas lie in your bed is that you spend around one-third of your day sleeping there. While you sleep, fleas suck your blood — making your bed a great place for them.
Can Fleas Live in Your Bed? These pests infest multiple areas in homes, especially mattresses, cushions, and carpeting. Pets transfer fleas to the beds and furniture where they sleep. From here, the insects quickly spread around the house.
Signs of fleas in your bedding include tiny black specks that are sometimes called "flea dirt." These are flea excrement; if you sprinkle them with a little water, they'll turn a dark-reddish brown. Another sign that fleas have invaded your bed are flea bites on your body.
Summary. Sometimes, you can face flea infestation in your bed after you or your pets bring them inside the house. These tiny insects typically live on hosts, like humans and animals, but they can survive about six weeks in bed without food.
Wash all bed sheets, pillowcases, blankets with detergent on a hot cycle. If you have a dryer, use this right after washing. The fleas will not survive the heat. Give your mattress a thorough vacuum and pay close attention to the seams and underside of the mattress.
Vacuuming helps get rid of fleas in a variety of ways. First, the force of the suction will kill the adult fleas. The vacuuming also stimulates fleas within their cocoons, forcing them to emerge prematurely. Another benefit—vacuuming removes flea feces and dried blood, which developing fleas use as a food source.
Wash All Bedding
Wash sheets, pillow cases, rugs, and dog beds in hot water. This should effectively kill any fleas on these fabrics, but don't rush to put them back on.
Wash all bedding in hot, soapy water
For mild infestations, wash your bed sheets in hot soapy water. The soap will kill fleas, while also destroying their eggs and larvae. Consider vacuuming your mattress as well. Don't forget to do the same to your pet's bed.
I've Got Fleas – Won't They Just Go Away? Unfortunately, no, they won't. Most fleas can live for between two and three weeks on a host organism, but some flea eggs can survive unhatched for up to an entire year. So even if the fleas you have are dying off, there will be plenty of eggs left to replace them.
They are oval in shape and of a whitish colour. Under a microscope, one can see that flea eggs look like rice grains. Over time, their appearance may change, in terms of colour. From shiny and almost translucent they can become bright and solid white.
Knowing what attracts fleas is critical to knowing how to prevent them if they haven't infested your property as well as knowing how to use the attractants to find and treat for them if they have. Fleas are attracted to light, movement, heat, and CO2 because these elements help them find suitable hosts to feed on.
Fleas like hiding in crevices. Their populations are more numerous in places where they can feed (like pet bedding and living rooms) and reproduce undisturbed (like lower-traffic areas or in carpeting). They also inhabit upholstery, furniture, and other common household furnishings, especially where they can stay warm.
Spray your bare mattress with the Vet's Best spray, and then wait a few hours until the mattress is dry. When dry, slip on the mattress cover and before you seal it up, squirt DE inside.
Remember: Adult fleas can live up to two weeks without attaching themselves to a host. So, although females can't reproduce during that time, they still have up to two weeks to find a host and reproduce.
If your room is dirty, fleas can easily find places to hide. This means that a cluttered room might attract more fleas. Fleas can also be attracted to messy rooms if you don't wash your clothing, carpeting, or bedding often. Getting rid of fleas can be an annoying process.
Let them soak for a few hours then dry them on the highest setting of the dryer to get rid of flea eggs and larvae. Vinegar solution with water can also be stored in spray bottles and sprayed on the animal and its bedding from time to time to kill and get rid of fleas.
In order to get rid of fleas in all stages of the life cycle, two or more follow-up treatments within 5-10 days after the first application are needed. Additionally, vacuuming and sanitation practices should be ongoing throughout this period to pick up all remaining eggs and juvenile fleas.
Flea eggs on furniture will look like they do on your pet's fur: like small white dots or grains of salt.
Some Bodies React More Obviously to Slightest Bites
Another alternative theory that explains why some people are more likely to get bitten by fleas is that their bodies are genetically much more reactive than others.
Washing clothing and fabrics might not be a 100% cure for a flea infestation, but as long as you wash absolutely everything, it will take a sizable chunk out of the population.
To protect yourself from fleas: Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone.
Vacuuming does work, at least in terms of reducing the severity of the infestation. But fleas breed quickly, and in the case of severe flea infestations it's unlikely you'll be able to remove all of the fleas from the carpet. In addition, flea eggs are sticky and attach themselves to carpet fibers.
Fleas can be brought into your bed from pets or humans and through infested clothing or furniture. They do need a host to survive since they feed on blood, so it's unlikely that fleas can live on your bedding or mattress for more than a week or two without an animal present.
For mild or light infestations, washing the bedding thoroughly in hot, soapy water is necessary for killing fleas and destroying their eggs and larvae. You are going to have to wash your pet's bedding like this every week for at least one month, or until you are sure the infestation is over.