A quick test to see if you have flea dirt, is to place it in water. If it turns red, flea dirt is present, and this area should be treated. Also be sure to check any upholstered furniture and places where pets tend to rest and groom for live fleas or flea dirt.
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.
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.
Vicki said: “An adult flea can lay up to 500 eggs in their lifetime, each one with the potential to develop into another flea. This cycle can take as little as two weeks in ideal circumstances and the eggs and immature fleas can live in carpets, beds and furniture for many months.
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.
Steam cleaning your carpets, furniture and pet beds is a brilliant idea if you have a flea infestation. Thanks to the combination of high heat and soap, the fleas will be gone in no time.
According to extensive studies conducted at Ohio State University, vacuuming is indeed an effective way of getting rid of fleas! Through these studies, scientists discovered that vacuuming killed 96% of adult fleas from carpets and 100% of the flea pupae and larvae.
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.
Myth #2: Can fleas live on furniture? Fleas usually enter the house on pets, as stated above, but they can quickly find refuge in the house. Carpets, bedding, pet beds, and upholstered furniture make cozy homes for fleas, flea eggs, and flea larvae.
Flea larvae hatch from eggs that were laid by a female flea and have fallen off the animal host. Once away from the host, the larvae seek out shaded locations such as cracks in the floor, in carpets, in pet bedding or protected locations under and in furniture.
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 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.
You treat upholstered furniture much the same as your carpeting when it comes to flea control. Frequent vacuuming combined with a product such as Enforcer flea spray will help you on the way to eliminating fleas in your furniture.
Raid® Flea Killer Plus Carpet & Room Spray kills adult fleas on contact and kills hatching eggs for up to four months on carpet and upholstery.
Scientists have determined that vacuuming kills fleas in all stages of their lives, with an average of 96 percent success in adult fleas and 100 percent destruction of younger fleas.
If fleas have spread throughout your house, you can make a white vinegar solution with equal parts water and vinegar to spray on carpet, baseboards, furniture and under furniture. Salt. When it's sprinkled on to the carpet salt will work as a drying agent to kill flea eggs and 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.
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.
The most common way 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.
It looks like specks of black pepper on your furniture, carpets, and clothing. If you suspect fleas, the easiest way to check is to take a damp white cloth or piece of paper and brush the infected area. If flea dirt is present, the little black fleck-like pieces will stain the cloth or paper in red.
Small red-brown or black specks on your pet or around your home may be a sign of fleas. While it could be typical dirt or dust, it's important to inspect. Flea dirt is flea feces. It often has a reddish hue due to the digested blood.
It can take up to 3 months to break a total flea life cycle by using monthly flea treatments. For indoor flea control, vacuuming all floors, carpets, baseboards, pet bedding and furniture will help remove adult fleas and eggs.