Eliminating Fleas from your Home

Surprised you have fleas?

Any pet can get fleas. This can happen not only when you bring your pet outside, but when it is exposed to other animals. This can happen at the kennel, doggie day care, or even at the groomers.

While fleas are a common problem in households with dogs, it is possible to get fleas in your home even if you don’t have pets.

Any rodent can carry fleas. If you don’t have a pet, that could mean there is something else lurking in your walls. Mice, rats, and other small mammals can bring these pests into you home.

Once fleas are in your home, they will start breeding and infest your entire home.

Getting rid of fleas

Effective flea treatments must eliminate all sources of infestation. Only treating your pet won’t solve your flea problem. Fleas can be lurking anywhere your pet has visited throughout your home. This means if your pet has been on a surface, (carpet, upholstery, bedding) then these must be treated as well, and at the same time your pet is treated. If you stagger treatments, even by a few days, your pet and your home will continue to re-infest each other.

Treatment options

Pinterest is full of home remedies for fleas. Many of them are little better than old wives tales, and those that do trap fleas will not eliminate the entire population from your house. The only effective solution is to treat both your pet (or eliminate the rodent infestation) and household surfaces aggressively and simultaneously.

For your pet, ask your vet for recommendations for removing these pests from their coats. Different pets will require different treatments, so your vet is the best resource for this information.

For your home, talk to your pest control professional. He or she will be able to identify areas that need treatment and have the expertise to eliminate the problem without over treating, keeping you and your pets safe.

After your initial treatment, vacuum your home at least every other day for the first week, and twice a week for a month. Do a thorough job, making sure to get along baseboards, and in the hidden nooks and crannies where flea larva hide. This will eliminate any remaining fleas that may have developed resistance to conventional treatments before they have a chance to complete their life cycle.

Bringing home fleas doesn’t have to become a nightmare. If you find your pet has been exposed, don’t wait until the problem spreads through your entire home. Call your pest control professional right away.

MicheleEliminating Fleas from your Home