Killing Fleas

Although killing fleas is not hard, it is a process that can take days or sometimes even weeks to completely control.  

When you have an infestation of fleas, you have to consider not only the adult fleas but also their eggs and larvae.  

Without treating your home or pets for all stages of a fleas lifecycle you'll be fighting an endless battle.

Chances are the fleas entered your home on your pet.  

Whether it was when your dog was having a play date with another dog who was infested with fleas, or your cat picked them up at a local kennel or boarding facility, you'll want to make sure you control the fleas quickly before you have a full infestation.

So, before you begin treating your home for fleas, start with your pet.  

If you have more than one pet, treat them all at the same time.  

This will help stop the fleas from simply moving from one pet to the other.

Then, once you've treated the pet it's time to remove the fleas from your home.  

Sound like a lot of work?  

Well, it kind of is......but your diligence will definitely pay off and you'll be thanking yourself when the infestation is completely gone for good.

Killing Fleas On Dogs And Cats

Like we mentioned earlier, the fleas probably entered your home on one of your pets.

So, the first order of business is to treat your pet to kill any fleas or eggs that are currently living on them.

Start your pet flea control buy purchasing a flea comb and thoroughly comb your pet to remove any fleas they might have.  

Have a bucket of hot soapy water next to you and simply knock the fleas from the comb into the bucket to kill them.  

Since fleas love to hang around their neckline or tail, give these areas extra attention and time. 

Once you have the initial combing done, speak to your veterinarian about the best treatment options for your pet.

Products like Advantage Flea And Tick Control or Frontline Flea Treatment can have great, long lasting effects and only need to be applied occasionally.  

While speaking to your veterinarian, also talk about any flea treatment side effects you should be aware of.

If you're concerned about side effects, you can turn to natural flea protection methods such as using garlic for dogs fleas, using a homemade flea shampoo or even making a homemade flea trap to remove the fleas living inside your house.

Other products such as cat flea collars or even electronic flea collars which use ultrasonic high pitched sounds will repel fleas but they won't kill them at the source, so you'll need to consider this in your quest for total flea extermination.

Depending on which type of pet you have, you might wonder if there is a difference between cat fleas vs dog fleas?  

There actually is a difference between the two, since they're two different species but a cat flea can infest both dogs, cats and other pets, and a dog flea can do the same.  

The major difference is geographic location.  

In North America we generally have cat fleas and dog fleas are typically found in Europe.

What do fleas look like?  

These small wingless insects are typically 2.5 mm long and have dark colored, thin, flat bodies.  

They can jump surprisingly far for their size, which helps them move from host to host.

Plus, their thin body makes them hard to grab or catch, and they seem to disappear before you know it.

Killing Fleas Inside Your Home

After you've successfully removed the fleas from your dog or cat, the next step is killing fleas inside your home.

Killing fleas with items such as a flea bomb or flea fogger work great for covering large areas but many homeowners choose not to use these because you're covering your entire house in thin layer of chemicals.  

Sprays such as Raid flea spray can be used in more specific problem areas without having the chemical widely distributed throughout your home like a fogger would do, but you're still exposing your home and family to harsh chemicals.

One of the easiest and safest home flea remedies is to use a standard vacuum to remove both adult fleas and their eggs.  

Start by looking over your home for obvious signs of fleas.  

Areas around your pets bedding, dark corners and other areas that don't receive a lot of foot traffic are all popular places for fleas to live and breed.

Although it's a little tougher to spot on dark carpet and rugs, you can actually spot "flea dirt" which is dried up fecal matter and blood left behind by the carpet fleas as they feed.

The flea dirt resembles granules of pepper.  

Once located, give these areas extra treatment since it's a sign of heavy flea populations.

Fleas in furniture can also be treated in the same manner by throughly vacuuming the cracks and crevices of the furniture where the fleas are most likely living.

Take your time and vacuum under your bed, furniture and use the nozzle attachment to address cracks along your baseboards and in any hard to reach spots.

Vacuuming not only kills adult fleas, but it also sucks up flea eggs and larvae, which helps disrupt the fleas lifecycle and stop an ever evolving population of fleas.

Damage Caused By Fleas - Killing Fleas

The first sign of a flea crawling across your arm or jumping off your pet is enough to gross anyone out.  

However, these tiny pests are more than just a scary sight, the diseases spread by fleas can effect both humans and pets.  

Can humans get fleas?  

Yes!  

So it's important to stop the problem quickly and effectively for the safety of everyone in your home.

Disease such as Murine Typhus, Tapeworms, Mycoplasma Haemofelis and Cat Scratch Disease can all be transmitted by fleas. 

Flea bites are pretty easy to identify.  

They're typically small round red bumps that appear in groups of 3 or 4 or they run in a straight line.

There are several different methods for treating flea bites which involve soap and topical creams, but you'll want to avoid itching them since scratching can open up the surface of your skin and increase the chances of infection.

Although commonly mistaken as the same species, sand fleas and cat or dog fleas are different.

They're both small and they both bite, but it's important to know the difference.  

To learn more, read this article about sand fleas treatment.

Killing Fleas - Overall

Although it won't happen overnight, killing fleas inside your home is not an impossible task.

BE consistent, BE thorough and before you know it.....your flea problem will BE GONE!