Get Rid of Fleas

How To Get Rid Of Fleas In Car?

January 24, 2021 By admin

Did your furry friend bring fleas into your car? No worries, in this article we will discuss, how to get rid of fleas in car.

Taking your little friend on a joy ride to the park or anywhere else is fun. However, having fleas in your car, as a result, is disheartening. Flea infestations take a lot of time and effort to eradicate. Nevertheless, you you cannot ignore them, because fleas spread rapidly and become too troublesome. Therefore, here are the steps you must take to get rid of fleas from your car

How To Get Rid Of Fleas In Car

1. Get rid of fleas from your environment

The first step would be to eliminate insects from your environment. You can begin by identifying areas of infestation in your home, yard, and even the office. Afterward, call the experts to help you kill fleas around your home, yard, and surroundings.

2. Treat your pets

Talk to your vet about the best flea treatments suitable for your pet. These medications may come in pill forms, sprays, or pet collars. Before visiting your vet, you can give your pet a bath with dish soap and water to kill all adult fleas and dislodge eggs, larvae, and droppings. You can also run a flea comb before the shower to remove more fleas from your pets.

3. Treating your car for fleas

After you have eliminated fleas from your pets and home, the next step is to remove fleas from your car. This approach demands multiple levels, proper attention, and patience. You will need to wear a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, and disposable gloves for the task (make sure you wash clothes before taking them into your home afterward). Here are the steps you can take;

Remove all washable items from your car including your car mats, pet blankets, and beds and launder at high temperature
For items you cannot wash but can be packaged, do so and dry at high heat setting
Remove other detachable and check for fleas. Next, wipe those surfaces with soapy water to eliminate all possible flea droppings.
Using a handheld vacuum, vacuum your floor, underneath seats, and other areas in your home.
Next, apply an anti-flea product such as boric acid, diatomaceous earth, or flea sprays. Allow treatment to stay in place for as long as possible. For diatomaceous earth, you can allow the dust set in for a day. Flea sprays, on the other hand, can stand in for 30-60 minutes before clean up. Close the doors of your car during this time as well
Open the doors of your vehicle to let the air out before vacuuming again

How did fleas get into the car

Whether you have pets or not, fleas can enter your vehicle in many ways, including:

Taking your pet on a ride to the vet for flea treatment
Visiting the local park with your pets, where they might pick up fleas
Packing your car in a flea-infested area
Giving rides to anyone that has fleas

Wrapping up

So, how to get rid of fleas in car…..Eliminating fleas from your car demands killing fleas not only in your car but on your pets and surroundings. Without following this approach judiciously, the flea infestation may escalate. Nevertheless, make sure you repeat the car flea treatment within 7 to 10 days to kill all fleas entirely.

Professional Flea Control Cost

June 23, 2019 By admin

What does it cost to employ the services of a flea control professional? Fleas are wingless parasitic insects that survive on the blood of warm-blooded animals. They possess well-built legs that help them get on their host with ease – even over distances of up to 12 inches. The reverse-bent spines on their legs also give them a firm grip on their host thereby making it extremely difficult to pick fleas off their hosts. Getting rid of fleas once they have infested your home can amount to serious work even after you’ve killed the adults because their eggs and larvae often hide in carpets, wall cracks and furniture.

Professional flea control cost is always a concern. To effectively eliminate fleas from your house, first of all find out how your house got infested with them and then treat the source in question before moving on to treating your entire house. Miscellaneous treatment including pet treatment, laundry and thorough house cleaning may increase the cost of getting rid of a flea infestation, but the average cost of exterminating fleas ranges around $95 for the first process, and $75 for subsequent inspections.

Various Species of Flea

While there are over 2000 species of fleas in the world, only the following are commonly responsible for most infestations around the house:

Human Fleas:

This species of fleas thrive on human blood and are usually found in human hair.

Dog Fleas:

Dogs are the most common hosts for this type of flea.

Bird Fleas:

This species of fleas prefer to have birds and poultry animals as their hosts. Nonetheless, they can also feed on other animals.

Cat Fleas:

Although this species of fleas may feed on human, dog and bird blood, they are most commonly found on cats.

Oriental Rat fleas:

These fleas feed predominantly on mice and rats.

Rodent Fleas:

Rabbits, mice and rats are usually the top on the list of hosts for this species of fleas even though human beings and pets are often their hosts.

General and Health Issues Associated with Fleas

It is best not to have fleas in your home at all because their infestations can be extremely difficult to eliminate. Also, professional flea control cost can be a concern. This is because they reproduce very quickly (with the female flea capable of laying up to 100 eggs on a daily basis) and fresh infestations may be lurking in their eggs and larvae hidden in holes and cracks even after you’ve killed the mature ones.

While anemia may result from fleas constantly feeding on the blood of a host, allergic rhinitis and itching can also result. Even if all fleas are not pathogen carriers, most of them are likely to transmit deadly diseases such as Bubonic plague, tapeworms, typhus fever and cat scratch disease. It is best to get rid of them immediately they are discovered because there are no tests to ascertain which flea is disease-carrying and which is not.

Detecting a Flea Infestation

Fleas are not very easily detected because for one thing, they’re very tiny and almost microscopic and are hard to spot. Secondly, their bites can be mistaken for those of similar insects like mosquitoes. One sure way to detect fleas is by looking out for their ‘dirt’ on your pets and their sleeping areas or spots where they’re commonly found.

While every cluster of black spots you see may not be flea dirt, flea ‘dirt’ is usually identified by a cluster of black spots comprising of flea excreta and dried hosts’ blood. To ascertain the presence of flea dirt, soak a paper towel in water and spread bits of it around the cluster. If it is flea dirt, it would disperse and the blood would form a reddish coloration in the water.

You can also visibly spot fleas (usually less than half a centimeter in size) leaping from your pet to their bedding or from one part of their body to another.

A flea infestation may also be detected by frequent bites in the ankle area and your pets may begin to scratch intensely or have their hairs fall off abnormally.

Necessary Effort

In dealing with a flea infestation, it is necessary to take certain steps meticulously to ensure it does not become widespread. The first step usually involves a thorough examination to establish the presence of fleas, followed by an adequate treatment of the host involved. Inspections can be carried out at no additional cost. There will however be a cost for professional flea control treatment.

Flea hosts (which are most often pets) can be treated either by the administration of topical or oral medicine by a vet or thorough flea wash to get rid of fleas and their larvae on your pets.

Your veterinary doctor should be able to help you decide on which treatment is best for your pet because a good number of pet medications for flea are often administered with respect to the weights of the pets involved.

After Treating Your Pets

Once your pets have been treated, they should be kept as far away from your house as possible until the treatment for your house has been successfully completed so that fresh infestation does not occur.

A bottle of flea wash for your pet may cost up to $10 while topical or oral medications may cost around $40-$50. Also, your veterinarian may charge an extra $50 as visit fee if he/she is to administer the treatment to your pets.

When it comes to treating your house, vacuuming is usually the first action to be taken. Most pest management firms may carry out this step in their procedure or possibly allow you do it on your own. During the process of vacuuming, ensure that every corner of your house is accessed by the vacuum cleaner – especially furniture, pet bedding, carpets and wall fissures. A proper vacuuming ensures that the eggs – which are not usually affected by chemicals – are exposed and easily destroyed.

The use of pest-killing chemicals always succeeds vacuuming so that the exposed fleas can be killed. A complete house treatment typically takes up to six hours and may cost up to $100 for the initial treatment. This amounts to a total of almost $150 for the treatment of both your pet and your house.

Further Visitations

Given the nature of a flea’s life cycle, pest control firms may suggest further visits for an interval of one to two months to ensure there is no fresh infestation. These additional visits can increase the professional flea control cost up to $75 and serve the purposes of killing recently hatched adults before they can begin reproduction.

Advanced Costs

Advanced measures such as washing your carpets to remove dead fleas and their dirt may cost you an additional $60 for each room in your house and also, administering flea prevention treatments on your pets may incur an extra $60 in costs.

Supplemental Points to Note

Your house is more likely to be declared flea-free if you’ve had successions of visits from your pest control firm and your pets have been treated for further flea prevention. This may increase flea control costs but will prevent reinfestation.

If after treatment, your pets still pick up fleas, your yard may need thorough treatment. You can treat your yard by keeping it dry, exposing more areas to sunlight, generously dropping chips of cedar wood all over your yard and using diatomaceous earth or chemicals.

Ensure to establish that you’re actually dealing with fleas because bedbugs bite in very similar ways as fleas and can also be found in bedding. However, only fleas can be found around your pets and their bedding. Your pest management company should be able to help you figure out the exact insect you’re dealing with.

All you need to know about flea collars

June 23, 2019 By admin

In this piece is all the information you’ll need to know about flea collars as a pet parent before using flea collars to safeguard your pets from flea infestations. Given the current trend in flea treatment, the use of collars has become slightly outdated as topical and oral medications have become the order of the day. Nonetheless, flea collars still remain highly effective for preventing flea infestations on your cats and dogs.

How Flea Collars Work

Recently, flea collars have been developed to effectively prevent flea infestation for an interval of more than six months. They perform two essential functions that include:

Repellent: Flea collars act as flea repellents by giving out a pet-neutral gas that wards off fleas.
Treatment: Some other types of flea collars have a particular flea medication infused in them. This medication slowly passes into a pet’s body either through a layer of fat found underneath its skin or through its natural lubricants.

While most flea collars perform either of the above functions, others perform both functions. Just ensure you understand the instruction and descriptions written on their containing boxes. Repellent collars might include words like ‘keep fleas away’ while treatment collars may use words like ‘kills fleas. It is important you know what the flea collar does.

Advantages of Flea Collars

Flea collars are long-lasting
Given that fleas are fond of staying around an animal’s neck and collars are also worn around the neck, flea collars are very effective preventive and curative measures for fleas.
They’re relatively cheaper. However, you should consult your vet before buying flea collars as the comparatively cheaper ones tend to be less effective. Also, it is important to know what ingredients the flea collar contains.

The Most Effective Way to Use Flea Collars

As soon as you’ve completed a flea treatment plan for your house and pets, it becomes the best time to get flea collars. Use them on your pets and then place one in your vacuum bag so that it can kill any flea you pick up around your house afterwards.
Once there is a risk of a flea infestation, let your pets use the collar. As an illustration, if you’re taking a walk with your dog, he should use a collar if you’re likely to walk through spots that are prone to flea infestations.

Also, let your pets take these collars off if they’re already on other flea medications or if the risk of an infestation no longer exist. This is because the neurotoxins used in these collars become harmful to your pets at higher doses (i.e after long intervals).

Popular Active Substances in Flea Collars

There are certain chemical substances contained in flea collars that make them as effective as they are. They include:

Pyriproxifen: This chemical renders fleas infertile thereby slashing their rate of reproduction as fast as possible.
Deltamethrin: This is a derivative of Pyrethrin extracted from chrysanthemum flower, and it happens to be one of the harmless insect-killing chemicals in the market.
Propoxur: This chemical induces an immediate collapse of a flea’s nervous system making it to die within one day. Children should be kept away from collars that contain this substance and also ensure to wash your hands thoroughly after placing the collar on your pet as Propoxur is very toxic for humans.
Amitraz: This substance is more common in collars produced for flea treatment. Studies have shown it to be a highly effective anti-parasitic chemical.

Collar Ingredients to Steer Clear from

Tetrachloryinphos

There is no doubt that this substance is very effective in killing pests, but it is also highly toxic to humans and pets as studies have suggested that it may be carcinogenic.

Disadvantages of Flea Collars

Fleas are known to live mostly on the necks and tails of pets, and considering that collars are usually worn on the neck alone, this means that flea prevention and treatment around the tail may not be effective when collars are involved.
You may be putting your children’s health at risk when you use flea collars for pets your children touch often. They may ignorantly place their hands in their mouths after touching pets that are wearing flea collars and this is likely to severely affect their health.
When you have more than one pet, and they are in the habit of playfully biting each other, you might end up putting their health at risk if you decide to use flea collars to protect them from fleas.

Flea control products

June 19, 2019 By admin

Frontline – the Right Application

Everyone wants the best flea control products for their pet. When searching for products that can effectively rid your home of fleas, the most common is Frontline plus and Frontline, however people continually report that the products are ineffective against fleas. The various flea control drugs such as K9 Advantix, Revolution and Frontline have different dangerous chemical compositions that can kill fleas, this is why each will work differently than the other.

Fleas are tough creatures; they look for a way to survive in any condition. Sometimes they also survive the effects of some pesticides. The fact is that fleas develop immunity to products used over and over again.

Frontline, a topical flea control product should be used following the manufacturer’s instructions otherwise, it will not work properly. When you apply Frontline on your pet and you realize that it is not working, apply it again after two weeks. If you don’t get positive results, consult your veterinarian.

Dangerous flea products

Chemical flea products are toxic to both humans and fleas. A majority of them are harmful and should not be put on your pet frequently. If they are foggers or spray, be sure to vacate the environment for a few days so you will not inhale harmful and toxic chemicals.

Signs of Flea Infestation

June 9, 2019 By admin

You may question the signs of flea infestation. It is very easy to detect flea infestation but eradicating them is a tough task. To identify flea infestation, you must first check your pets closely to notice any strange behavior like:

Scratching: Fleas bites are always itchy; so when you see your pet scratching excessively, check their fur.

Hair loss and Reddened skin: If your pet’s hair is falling off, and its skin is becoming reddish, it may be suffering from flea infestation.

Dogs: Check the hind quarters of your dogs. Those are common targets for fleas.

Cats: Fleas often target the neck and head of cats.

What if I see the insect on my pet?

If you find a flea moving inside the fur of your pet, or if you pet’s skin has become reddened or stained with black spots, contact your veterinarian to know the suitable flea treatment you need. The black spots, or flea moving is a strong sign your pet has a flea infestation.

Scratching

If you check your pet and don’t find any insect on it, it may have a skin infection. Contact your veterinarian to know the cause and possible treatment options.

Identifying Fleas: What to look out for

Shape: Fleas have a flat wingless body.

Length: Fleas are about 2.5 mm long.

Legs: Fleas have six long legs

Jumping: Their long legs help them in jumping to a long distance

You can’t tell the level of flea infestation by merely seeing signs of fleas on your pet’s body. There may be flea eggs, larvae and pupae hiding in different parts of your home, waiting to develop into adult fleas.

Flea larvae are tiny, milky in color and about 3 to 5.2 mm in length.

Sanitation

When you notice an infestation, sanitize your house properly, hot-launder all pet clothing and take your pet to a veterinarian for proper treatment.

Eradicate fleas using Vinegar and Dawn

May 25, 2019 By admin

When fleas take residence in your home, there are no tendencies that the insects will leave without a push from you. Fleas will continue to multiply and spread where there’s a host. Eradicating fleas with dawn and vinegar is a proven way to effectively control fleas.

It is essential that you exterminate these parasites for the good of your pet and your family. Fortunately, there are a lot of products you can administer to treat your home and pet but, on the downside, most of these products are made with toxic chemicals that may harm your family if applied frequently.

This is why most people prefer home-made treatments that are cheap, effective and safe. Vinegar and Dawn dish soap are common ingredients you probably have lying around in your house, you can make use of them to get rid of fleas in the following ways.

Vinegar bath with Dawn soap

Using vinegar and dawn for a bath is one option. Fill your bath tub with warm or tepid water, add half cup of Dawn of any scent. Soak the pet in the mix, hold him in it for at least five minutes then lather with Dawn from head to tail thoroughly. After the animal is dry, groom him with a flea comb. Buy a flea comb from any pet supply shop, it is a necessary supply that every pet owner must have.

To increase the effectiveness of this routine, add half cup of Vinegar to the warm water. It has a powerful scent but that wears off in time or you add an essential oil to cover the scent and repel fleas.

Water and Vinegar Spray

Get a spray bottle, fill with water and two tablespoons of Vinegar. Use the spray before and after bathing your pet. The spray can be used on bedding, curtains, pillows and furniture. Essential oils repel fleas and they will improve the scent of your spray.

Vinegar and Dawn testing bowl

As the name implies, this technique is used in testing the presence of fleas in a home. All you must do is, fill a bowl with water, add soap and vinegar. Mix to form lather and place next to a light source. Leave overnight, if there are fleas in your home, they’ll be drowned in the water.

Vinegar mixed into Dog water

Use apple cider vinegar for this method. Add a spoonful of vinegar to your pet’s drinking water. However, if your pet hates the taste of vinegar, reduce the quantity but increase the number of times you give it to them. If they still refuse to drink the water, consider giving your dog or cat a vinegar pill.

Dawn for infested furniture

Fleas get dislodged on your furniture or bedding, if you want to get rid of them, make a solution of out of Dawn soap, then use that to wipe the couch. Add Dawn to mop water to clean floors. For carpets, add two drops to your steam cleaner and clean, anymore and you will have way too many suds on your hands. These are some ways you can eradicate fleas using vinegar and dawn.

Lemon Sprays for Flea Eradication

May 9, 2019 By admin

Those who may look for natural methods for flea infestations wonder about lemon sprays for flea eradication. Fleas are bad news for humans and animals. First, they need blood to survive, but unlike bedbugs, they do not bite and fall off, they have to live on that pet throughout their lifetime. Then, fleas reproduce at a high rate, at least fifty eggs per day. This means that if left untreated, your home can be overrun with the parasites in just a few weeks.

There are several products that which are manufactured to control fleas, however, 80% of these products are made with chemicals, harmful substances that can hurt your pet and family if used frequently. Natural methods are far better and more effective, consider lemon sprays which can kill and repel fleas.

Quick facts about fleas – How the infestation begins

The parasites are not particularly picky about their choice of host. They pick on non-domesticated animals found around your yard like raccoons, possums and squirrels. Naturally, fleas have to reproduce and when they do, the non-sticky eggs falls right on your yard – where your pets play – the eggs develop into larvae, pupae and finally adults poised to jump on the unsuspecting pet. If you never let your pet go outside, but the yard is infested already, fleas may stick to your clothing and still jump on the cat or dog once inside.

Two thousand species have been discovered but the variety commonly found on dogs, cats and homes are cat fleas scientifically known as ctenocephalides felis.

How to inspect your home and pets for flea presence

Homes: You need a pair of white socks for this, put them on and walk around the entire house, outdoors and shady areas. If fleas are present, you will find them stuck to the bottom of your socks.

Pets: Groom your pet regularly with a flea comb, it a ‘fine tooth comb’. If there are fleas living on your pet, you will see them stuck to the teeth of the flea comb. Next, you may notice your pet scratching consistently as a reaction to flea bites.

Application of Cultural Control Methods

Now, after the inspection, you may have a negative or positive result. Either way, put up a masonry fence covering the whole yard. This should effectively keep the small wild animals away. Of course, the existent animals such as squirrels cannot be removed with only a fence.

If your house is already surrounded by a fence, ensure that all holes in the wall is sealed shut then cover any other openings in your house, you can start by plugging the vents.

Squirrels are known to thrive in trees, so if your neighbor’s tree has grown into your yard, ask for permission to cut off the offending branches.

Fleas cannot be completely eradicated in an unhygienic environment as confirmed in an article by (CUIL) Cornell University Insect Laboratory “A clean home surpasses any treatment given to the pet” So ensure that you mow the lawn, sweep your porch and mop, get rid of weeds, prune shrubs and trees to give more opening for sun light. Dispose of the piles of leaves and other organic debris properly.

Cedar chips are natural flea repellents so after cleaning scatter the chips around the house especially those areas that you confirmed to be flea infested. If cedar chips are not accessible, you can alternate with penny royal a member of mint species. It is also a flea repellent.

If the search revealed fleas right inside the home, vacuum the rugs, underneath the beds, rugs, carpets and couches at least five times a week. Machine-wash your pets bedding, fleas will not survive inside the heat, immediately transfer to a dryer after washing.

How to make Lemon Spray

You may now wonder how to make lemon spray for flea eradication. Lemon sprays are confirmed to be more of a repellent than flea killers. According to an article published by the Canine Journal, it is a natural repellent. If the spray is applied on your pet (check for open sores before spraying) and in the house fleas will steer clear of them.

To prepare, divide the lemon into thin slices and throw into a pot containing twelve ounces of water. Cover it and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and allow it to simmer for half an hour. Move the pot away from the stove and let the lemon water sit for approximately nine hours. Scoop out the thinly sliced lemons and pour the water/lemon mixture into a spray bottle. Refrigerate for three days.

Others like to use a combination of lemons and apple cider vinegar for lemon spray for flea eradication.

How to apply your spray

After series of research, the ASPCA discovered that some cats, dogs and horse’s skins are photosensitive to lemons, which makes it toxic. This is why you should consult your veterinary doctor to determine if it is safe for you to administer the spray directly on the animal.

Your pet has to be clean and dry and with complete backing from the vet spray your homemade spray on the animal’s coat lightly. Avoid all open areas such as ears, eyes, between the toes and genitals. This is to reduce the irritability. Use a flea comb to spread the lightly sprayed solution on the skin, if the pet begins to exhibit signs of extreme discomfort stop immediately.

Rid your home of fleas

Vacuuming is one of the best choices you can take in the process of removing fleas, this is because the suction should remove every flea, from egg to adult. Spray your lemon solution lightly on carpets, bedding, baseboards, beneath furniture and cracks. Seal the bag containing the dirt and dispose properly preferably far from the home to avoid re-infestation.

Getting rid of fleas is not a onetime process. Maybe your pet has stopped scratching for the meantime but there may still be flea eggs around the house. Keep searching and removing through the aforementioned processes until you are absolutely sure there are no more fleas.

However, if you try all these and get only negative results then consider what CCH (California Health Program) recommends;

Have your vet advice you on the appropriate spot treatment medication and before you apply pesticides, read the instructions written on the label.

Or you consult an expert pest removal company to treat your home with a flea growth disruptor, it will stop the parasites from completing their cycle and allow the company to apply any suitable pyrethroid.

DIY Flea Killing Sprays

March 5, 2019 By admin

Chemicals are commonly used to get rid of fleas but there are repercussions attached to frequent usage of chemicals. Several of these shortcut products are dangerous for human inhalation and animals if applied repeatedly. The question becomes what is the best method one can apply without dying?

Due to the effects of these products, various people choose to work with natural or organic products instead believing it to be safer. The truth is, while organics are safe for humans, some animals react badly to them and in some cases, they are not as effective in the extermination of fleas.

However, the combination of cultural controls and less harmful product may do the ideal job. They should remove fleas from your surroundings especially the garden.

Cultural Methods of Removing Fleas

Fleas cannot thrive in cold areas, they are partial to shady and moist places where they can lay eggs and develop into adults in no time. To combat this, you have to ensure that your yard has no shady or warm area by watering the soil at least once a week, the soli should be completely dry before you repeat. Don’t skip mowing your lawn, reduce the grass to two inches at most, this way it remains exposed to sunlight.

The major way an infestation begins is through the infested small non-domesticated animals prancing around the yard. Fleas will jump from these animals to your pet. To prevent this from happening, build a fence round the house and line it with cedar chips which repel fleas.

Parasitic Nematodes

These are worms that feed on tick and flea larvae. They are found in shady areas just like fleas. Flood the soil with two inches of water before you spray. Mix nematodes as specified by the expert with spray, they apply at 70 degrees Fahrenheit. While spraying, remember to shake intermittently to ensure that the worms remain suspended. Later, flood the area again to release the worms towards their prey.

Diatomaceous Earth (D.E)

This is a finely ground powder, formed from left over fossils of diatoms. The powder has sharp edge that pierces the outer bodies of the insect and other pests effectively killing them. However, this treatment cannot work in rainy season, it will be washed off. The ideal weather to apply this treatment is in dry season. Wear a dust mask and eye goggles and make a long line round the house. Keep in mind that only food grade D.E should be used.

Plants

There are many plants that actually repel fleas although some are toxic to animals such as pyrethrin extracts gotten from Chrysanthemum Cinerariaefolium and citrus oils. DIY products made from orange peels should not be used close to dogs or cats. Generally, spray your yard with these products containing Pyrethrin, limonene and pyrethroids, but before application read the instructions carefully. Concentrate on shady areas where fleas may be hiding.

After the yard is cleaned, treat your pet else the infestation will continue. Vacuum the house thoroughly at least five times a week focusing on beneath furniture, bedding and carpets where the ticks and fleas are. Buy vet recommended spot on products that will kill the parasitic insects on the cats or dogs.

Do Fleas Drown in Water?

February 17, 2019 By admin

If a flea is dropped in water, it can survive for up to seven days. If submerged in water, it can only survive for about 24 hours. However, if you put detergent or liquid soap in the water, its surfactant properties will reduce the surface tension of the water, causing the fleas to sink and drown faster.

Insect respiratory system is designed to adapt to oxygen deprivation. This is why they can survive for a few hours when submerged in water. Scientists discovered this very long time ago, when Claudis Aelianus reported, in 200 AD, that it was difficult to drown flies in water.

Drowning Fleas in Water:

How long does it take for fleas to drown?

Fleas can stay alive under water for up to 24 hours. If they’re removed from water within this period, they will survive and continue living their normal lives. When simply dropped in water, fleas float on the surface of the water without any possibility of drowning. In one study, researchers dropped seven squirrel fleas into water, and after 24 hours, only one died. The other six survived for up to seven days.

Why Fleas don’t easily drown in water?

Fleas have water resistant cuticles. Their cuticles are coated with oily water-repellent wax that makes their body waterproof. It is believed that this water repellent property also extends to their trachea, and prevents water from entering into their respiratory tracts. Waxed cuticles also facilitate easy movement through host hair.

Their small size and water repellent body helps fleas float on the surface of water without drowning. They’ll flail around, and can even crawl out of water if they can get to the edge of the container. Coating the edge of the water container with petroleum jelly hinders them from escaping.

Surfactants & Soapy Water

Since time immemorial, soapy water has been used as an insecticide. This practice also holds till date, as people commonly drown fleas by putting them in water and adding detergent or liquid soap to the water. Some common methods include (1) Combing off fleas from a cat and dropping them in a bowl of soap water. (2) Setting up homemade flea traps by keeping a plate of soap water under a lamp

Surfactants:

How surfactants make fleas sink

The surface tension of water allows fleas to float and survive in water. Adding some drops of liquid soap such as Dawn, provides enough surfactant effect to reduce the surface tension of water, and cause fleas to sink and drown.

Although Dawn dish detergent is effective in flea control, Jet-Dry has a more concentrated surfactant effect. It is formless, and is the ideal option for flea control when fleas tend to jump from the water and try to escape through subs and soap bubbles.

Reversing the waterproof effect of Cuticle Wax

Surfactants in liquid soaps also counteract the waterproof effect of insect cuticle wax. The surfactant destroys the wax and makes the body of the insects water-permeable. Water then spills into the spiracle and floods the insect’s respiratory system, depriving it of oxygen and causing it to drown

Soaps

According to a popular theory, soaps weaken cuticle wax and cause the breakdown of insect cell membrane. Because of this effect, soaps cause desiccation in insects, as it hinders them from retaining water.

Experts studied the effect of glycerin soaps on flea, and found that they don’t have any strong effects on fleas. Fleas survived for four days in a mixture of 50% glycerin and 50% water, before they finally died.

Bathing Pets with Liquid Soap

In the absence of flea shampoos for pets, people use dish liquids to bathe pets. This practice isn’t ideal because dish liquids are harsher than pet shampoos. Dish liquids can destroy the protective oils on the hair coat of the pet, causing them severe dryness and irritation. This harsh effect gets even worse on pets with skin infection. Although flea shampoo for pets are mild and have balanced pH, it should only be used once a month.

Drowning Fleas in Vegetable Oil

Fleas quickly drown or suffocate when they jump into vegetable oil. Some homemade flea traps use vegetable oil as means of trapping and killing fleas, because unlike water, vegetable oils are quite viscous, and have very low surface tension.

Controlling fleas using washing machines and dryers

Fleas cannot withstand extreme hot temperatures. This is the reason why flea control programs recommend hot-laundering of pet clothing, rugs and bedding, and drying them at the highest temperature.

Kill Fleas in a Bed

February 10, 2019 By admin

Then they begin to bite because fleas will bite humans when there is no animal nearby, repeatedly. This is probably why you might need to find ways to eradicate the insects from your sleeping area.

However, a report published by University of Florida – Entomology Department confirmed that a large majority of people do not react to flea bites and fleas have to be particularly hungry to feed off humans.

How do I know it’s a flea that bit me?

Bed bugs hangout in your bed also and like fleas they feed off humans though less frequently than fleas. Both bugs leave almost the same kind of bite mark, a small swollen spot. While fleas will bite humans and animals, bed bugs do not feed on animals, so if you notice that your cat or dog is scratching just as much as you, then chances of the bug definitely being a flea is quite high.

How to remove fleas from your bed

You can take care of your flea problem by following these steps;

Machine-wash all your bedclothes; fleas die in extremely hot areas. Add a dash of lemon juice to the machine, to make it more effective. Next, sundry your mattress for two to three days.
Vacuum the house especially those areas frequented by your furry friend, sprinkle those parts with salt and allow it to stay for two days only before vacuuming. This method should dry out adult fleas hiding in your carpet.
Take your pet to the vet immediately to be treated of the infestation.

However, the Department of Public health in Philadelphia suggests that the following methods be applied along with the bed treatment.

After treating your pet, do not take it back home with you, first eliminate fleas from the house. Focus your treatment on those places where your pet plays, which in some cases, could be everywhere. Any material used as pet bedding should be discarded far from the home.

Upholstered furniture, carpets and rugs should be thoroughly vacuumed, and the dirt bags thrown into the trash ready to be disposed. In a case where the flea population is not much, vacuuming at least four times a week should suffice. Heavy flea infestations will require the use of an insecticide or pesticides on cracks, carpets, baseboards and crevices and any other place where there may be fleas. If these methods seem too convoluted for you, contact a professional and determine the source of infestation and apply the suitable method to get rid of fleas.