Keep your eye out for the dirty residue fleas leave behind. This often looks like tiny specs of black pepper, but it's actually clumps of dried blood and skin. If you have a significant flea problem, you might even see white oval-shaped eggs in your bedsheets.
Washing bedding in hot water, vacuuming any area suspected of fleas and treating the pet for fleas are recommended, along with the use of an insect growth regulator. The Philadelphia Department of Public Health suggests combining these methods to properly rid your bed and home from fleas.
Fleas in beds can be found hiding between sheets and pillowcases – and in the mattress itself.
Fleas are attracted to light, movement, heat, and CO2 because these elements help them find suitable hosts to feed on.
Check their bedding and crates and scan for live fleas and flea dirt. You should also check your couches and other upholstered furniture where your pets lounge around for evidence of flea dirt. If you see some specks but aren't sure they are flea dirt, putting them in water and checking the color will be useful.
All you need to do is mix 1 part vinegar and one part water in a spray bottle. Then just spray your mattress and box springs to get rid of the fleas.
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.
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.
Although fleas tend to prefer dogs, they can hop around and bite you sometimes too. So yes, if your dog has fleas and sleeps in your bed, this could lead to a flea problem that sneaks up on you in your sleep, leaving you with lots of itchy bites in the morning.
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.
Check their fur, especially around their head, neck and hindquarter, as these are the areas fleas usually target most. Look for the following: Tiny, black, pepper-like specks: This is also called “flea dirt” or flea feces, and they are a telltale sign fleas are afoot.
White Sock Test
One way to detect fleas in your house is to throw on a pair of white cotton socks and walk around. Higher socks are better because you'll be less likely to get bitten. Walk around carpeted areas for around ten minutes. If fleas are present, they will jump up to hitch a ride.
During the day, fleas avoid the sun so they are most active at sunset and least active at sunrise. At dusk, the pests would lay more eggs, respire more, and move around in the yard more. Although the fleas are not completely inactive at any time of the day, they have increased activity at dusk and night.
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.
Flea eggs, which measure approximately 0.5 millimeters long, can live in bedding for 1 to 10 days until they hatch into larvae. Flea larvae can survive as long as a flea-infested pet is nearby, since the larvae feed on the feces of adult fleas, known as “flea dirt.” The larvae develop into pupae within 5 to 20 days.
Characteristics of Flea Bites: How They Look & Feel
Unlike bed bug bites, flea bites start to hurt almost instantly. They also tend to appear in different parts of the body and to cluster in different patterns—essentially no pattern at all.
The bumps left by flea bites are typically red but may appear more purple or blue on some skin tones. A strong allergic reaction may leave a halo effect of additional color around the bump.
Fleas generally cannot live in human hair. While most species prefer to live on the furs of animals, they can use humans as temporary vectors. In such cases, fleas can infest and bite humans. You may get infected if there is a serious case of flea infestation in your environment.
Fleas are also attracted to the warmth and carbon dioxide produced by their hosts, which can increase their activity at night. In general, fleas are most active at night and during the early morning hours, and this is often when pet parents notice flea bites.
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.
In terms of being difficult to eliminate and making you uncomfortable in your home, fleas and bed bugs are equally bad. However, the potential to carry serious diseases makes fleas somewhat worse. The fact that they live on various mammals and then travel to human hosts makes them more dangerous than bed bugs.
Flea eggs on furniture will look like they do on your pet's fur: like small white dots or grains of salt.
Hair loss, dry skin, and lesions in the areas where your pet is scratching could lead to infection and more severe diseases if fleas are left untreated.
Flea season can last anywhere from 6-9 months to all year round in some states. Fleas love warm temperatures, so your season can start early in spring and last until September, October, or November.
Remember: Adult fleas can live up to two weeks without attaching themselves to a host.