Fleas in the bedding are never pleasant. One of the easiest ways for fleas to enter a home is through pets when they roam outside. Once the animals are inside the house, they shake off their fur unwittingly transferring the bugs into the house.
The pests spread quickly around the home, attaching themselves to any host available.
Parasitic insects can infest any part of the home especially those hidden areas that are dry like inside mattresses, underneath carpets and inside cushions. They have proboscis that allows them to pierce surfaces like those.
How fleas infest bedding and furniture
Normally, every parasite requires a host to live out its entire lifespan, however they can lodge themselves on beds in order to feed on the occupants or they fall off their host’s bodies into the furniture and surrounding.
If the beddings left untouched and dirty, fleas would continue to multiply rapidly until the house becomes overrun with them.
The most likely stages around the home are eggs, larvae and pupae since they do not require a host to survive and are largely inactive. They can be seen on pet bedding, under cushions or and shaded area in the house.
Signs of flea’s infestation on pet and human bedding
- They leave behind small oval-shaped blotches on bed sheets, this is more noticeable on light colored materials.
- Pets constantly scratching themselves due to the bites and suddenly jumping away from their beds.
How to exterminate fleas from bedding
- Sundry every mattress and pillow suspected to be infested with fleas, do this for days until you are certain that fleas are gone.
- Fleas thrive in shaded areas; they die off quickly when exposed to high heat. This is why hand washing is not recommended if fleas are to be exterminated properly from beds, machine wash every sheet, blanket and pillow case and transfer to a dryer immediately after.
- Use a vacuum cleaner to suck up dirt and fleas from the carpets and rugs. Ensure that the shady areas are cleaned out. Afterwards, dispose of the dirt far from home to make sure that fleas do not attack your house again.