Mopping and steam cleaning can help to kill flea eggs, and washing linens, bedding, and pet beds in the washing machine on the hot cycle is also advisable. If possible, declutter your home so it's easier to clean and there are fewer places for flea eggs to hide.
Hot Water. Washing linens and bedding in water that is 140 degrees or hotter will be effective to destroy most flea eggs. Steam cleaning carpets after vacuuming can also help to kill remaining flea eggs.
“Egg-Stopper” Collars- Unlike conventional flea collars, these contain an insect growth regulating ingredient (methoprene or pyriproxyfen) which prevents egg hatch for several months.
Vacuum floors, rugs, carpets, upholstered furniture, and crevices around baseboards and cabinets daily or every other day to remove flea eggs, larvae, and adults. Vacuuming is very effective in killing larvae in the carpet, picking up adults, and stimulating preemerged adults to leave their cocoons.
Summary. Cat flea eggs aren't hard. They're somewhat soft and squishy when squeezed. The chorion (outer membrane or shell) is porous and thin, with a gel-like, amorphous structure Img 1.
In humid and hot temperatures, about 50% of the flea eggs may hatch in about 36 hours. In cooler temperatures, flea eggs will take days to hatch. Many flea eggs can lay dormant for weeks to months. As soon as the hot, humid weather arrives, the hatching will increase.
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.
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.
Fleas cannot fly, but they move by jumping from object to object. 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.
Flea Eggs & Larvae
Flea eggs die in temperatures above 100.4°F (38°C). In slightly cooler temperatures, 95°F (35°C), 40% of eggs will survive to hatch. However, the eggs will desiccate if relative humidity is less than 75%. And the eggs will die in fully saturated air because heat accumulates within the shells.
When the temperature and humidity are right flea eggs will be constantly hatching out. New adult fleas will also constantly emerge from the pupae stage when the conditions are right. The new adult fleas will only hatch when a host animal is close by, as they need a blood meal to survive.
Summary. In homes, flea eggs live for 2 to 3 days before hatching . Most eggs and larvae live in carpeting. The microclimate within the carpet fibers is near ideal for developing fleas.
The larval stage lasts from four to 18 days, after which larvae spin silken cocoons and enter the pupal stage. The pupal stage may be complete within three days, or it can last as long as one year. Flea larvae hatch from eggs that were laid by a female flea and have fallen off the animal host.
How does baking soda kill fleas? By mixing baking soda and salt into a formula you are making a dehydrating agent. This will dry out the fleas, their eggs, and the larvae. This will kill them off so that they do not reproduce and spread.
Dawn dish soap will help rinse flea eggs out of your pet's coat and down the drain, preventing them from hatching out. However, it does nothing to tackle flea eggs that have already rolled off of your pet into your household. These will develop and reinfect your cat or dog, and so the flea life cycle continues.
One of the first solutions to get rid of fleas is to bathe your pet. Just lukewarm water, or water and a mild soap, can help get fleas off your pet's fur and skin. The dish soap can help to drown adult fleas. If you're thinking about using a flea shampoo or something similar, talk to your veterinarian first.
Insecticide formulations containing an insect growth-regulating ingredient such as pyriproxyfen (Archer® Insect Growth Regulator, NyGuard® IGR Concentrate) prevent hatching/development of flea eggs and larvae for several months.
Thoroughly bathe pets with soap and water, then comb them with a flea comb. Pay careful attention to face and neck regions, and the area in front of the tail. Soap will act as a gentle insecticide to kill adult fleas. Talk to your veterinarian about choosing the right flea control product for your pet.
Combination flea kits (Liquids-to be mixed in a pump sprayer ) contain flea control products to get rid of fleas both inside and outside your home, targeting every stage. They contain both a liquid insecticide to kill the adult stages and an IGR to stop the flea cycle.
A very effective, natural insect killer is diatomaceous earth, killing fleas within four hours. It is non-toxic to pets and humans, but it's fine dust, and like any particulate matter, it should not be inhaled.
Apple cider vinegar can't kill fleas, but it can help to repel them. Fleas don't like the smell or taste of it, so they're likely to avoid your pet if they have it on their fur. Dilute apple cider vinegar in water and add it to a spray bottle.
Fleas can lay eggs in your pet's fur, and those eggs can fall off onto your bedding and other areas where your dog sits or sleeps.
Although fleas lay their eggs in your pet's fur, they don't stay there — the eggs don't stick well to your pup's fur or skin, so they drop off easily. Of course, this means that they get on everything, including bedding, carpeting, furniture, between floorboards, and anywhere else your pup goes.