What causes fleas in house? The typical method for fleas to enter your home is when a cat or dog attracts fleas and brings them into your house. But, fleas can also enter another way. They may come through with an old piece of furniture or clothing and skin of a person who already has been infested.
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.
Pets transfer fleas to the beds and furniture where they sleep. From here, the insects quickly spread around the house. Since immature fleas live and feed off a host in beds and rugs, finding out where the pests are living is crucial to stopping an infestation.
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.
Fleas can live in beds for about one to two weeks, and they like to burrow under sheets. Fleas need blood to survive, though, so they won't stay in one place for too long if there is no food source.
The first sign of fleas in your bed may be waking up with itchy bites on your skin. If fleas fall off a pet and land in the bed, they may bite humans if the pet is not nearby. For some people who aren't sensitive to flea bites or don't sleep with their pet, the first sign of fleas is a pet's constant scratching.
You might be asking yourself will fleas eventually go away? While some could last 2 – 3 weeks, they could also live for up to 12 months on the host it finds, so it is unlikely they will go away on their own. Fleas can also reproduce very quickly by laying eggs in carpet, bedding, or garden prolonging the infestation.
Signs that Fleas Are in Your Bed
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.
Check shady, moist areas outside for fleas with the sock test. They tend to hang out in areas the sun doesn't shine, as well as under porches, shrubs, and around trees. Once you find out where the fleas are hiding, you can start to treat your house and your yard to rid yourself of the pests.
They thrive in any kind of messy or dirty environment, whether indoors or out, and so it is important to keep lawn mowed and yard space tidy. If you do have an infestation, sanitation is key: vacuum and shampoo carpets, wash bedding, and treat your furniture.
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 can't survive the heat. Vacuum the entire surface of the mattress several times. Then turn the mattress over and do the same again. You may find it helpful to spray the mattress with a recommended flea home spray, and when dry, slip on a mattress cover and seal it up.
Citronella, eucalyptus, peppermint, tea tree, and rosemary will all naturally repel fleas. If your dog doesn't mind a spray bottle, dilute a few drops of your chosen essential oil into a 300ml-400ml of water and spray directly onto your dog's coat.
In most cases, it takes three to four months to completely get rid of a flea infestation since it takes fleas this long to go through their life stages, according to the American Kennel Club.
Natural Remedy: Diatomaceous Earth
This talc-like powder is made from silica, the same stuff that makes up sand. You can sprinkle it on carpets, bedding, and furniture. Let it sit for several hours, then vacuum it up. It kills fleas by drying them out.
Without a host like a cat or a dog, fleas can live anywhere between a few days and two weeks, but they can lay eggs that make the infestation last longer.
Do fleas die in the winter? Not necessarily. If you're wondering if dogs can get fleas in the winter, the answer is yes. Flea populations might slow down a bit, especially outdoors, but they don't go away completely.
In just 30 days, 10 female fleas can multiply to over a quarter million new fleas in different life stages. Female fleas start producing eggs within 24 to 48 hours after taking their first blood meal and can lay up to 50 eggs per day.
Clean bedding regularly and vacuum furniture, floors and skirting boards to help destroy fleas at each stage of their lifecycle. Throw away the dust bag from your vacuum after each use to prevent any flea eggs and larvae from developing.
Can You Use Apple Cider Vinegar as a Homemade Flea Spray? Using a DIY flea spray of apple cider vinegar on a rug or dog bed will not kill fleas of any life stage. That's because the acid in vinegar is not strong enough to penetrate the shell of flea eggs or larvae.
Capstar (nitenpyram) is a fast-acting flea treatment tablet for use in dogs and cats that starts killing fleas in only 30 minutes. A single dose of Capstar kills 90% of adult fleas within 4 hours for dogs and 6 hours for cats, ridding your pet of these pesky parasites.
Bowl of Dish Soap and Warm Water
This remedy is very simple. First, mix dish soap with warm water. Then place a bowl containing the mixture in each room of your house and leave it there overnight. When fleas jump into the solution, the dish soap will cause them to get stuck.