How to get rid of fleas in your house: pets, vacuum, laundry, repeat

Step by step: how to get rid of fleas in your house

Safety first. Use only flea products labeled for the species and weight of each pet; products containing permethrin or amitraz must never be used on cats. Follow every pesticide label exactly, keep children and pets out of sprayed rooms until it is dry or as the label directs, and do not reapply indoor sprays sooner than the label allows.

1. 1

   Treat every pet on the same day

   Fleas live and lay eggs on the animal, so the house will not clear while a pet is still carrying them. Treat all dogs and cats, even the ones not scratching, with a spot-on, oral or collar product your vet recommends. Comb each pet with a flea comb over a bowl of soapy water to check how many there are.

2. 2

   Find where the fleas are concentrated

   Flea eggs, larvae and cocoons build up where pets sleep and rest: beds, sofas, rugs and favorite corners. Walk through these areas in white socks pulled up high; fleas will jump on and show up against the white. Focus your cleaning there.

3. 3

   Wash all bedding in hot, soapy water

   Strip pet beds, blankets, throws and any human bedding the pet sleeps on. Carry them to the washer in a bag so eggs do not drop along the way. Wash in hot water and dry on high heat, then repeat every few days during the first two weeks.

4. 4

   Vacuum everything, slowly

   Vacuum carpets, rugs, upholstered furniture (under cushions too), pet beds that cannot be washed, baseboards and cracks in hard floors. Go slowly so the brush reaches the base of the carpet fibers, where larvae live. Vacuuming picks up eggs and larvae and the vibration makes adult fleas leave their cocoons sooner.

5. 5

   Empty the vacuum outside

   Seal the bag or the canister contents in a trash bag and put it in an outdoor bin right after each session. This keeps any live fleas from crawling back out into the house.

6. 6

   Spray carpets with a growth regulator if needed

   For a heavy infestation, use a hand sprayer or aerosol labeled for indoor fleas that contains methoprene or pyriproxyfen. Spray carpets, pet resting spots, under furniture and along baseboards, then keep people and pets off until it dries. Total-release foggers reach far less of the carpet than a direct spray.

7. 7

   Keep vacuuming daily for two to three weeks

   Flea cocoons resist sprays, so new adults keep emerging for about two weeks after treatment. Vacuum daily or every other day, and do not reapply spray during this time. Seeing a few fleas in week two is normal and means the treatment is reaching the last of them.

8. 8

   Check pets and keep prevention going

   Comb pets weekly. If you still find fleas after three to four weeks, look for a missed pet, an outdoor resting spot, or wildlife under the deck. Keep pets on year-round flea prevention so the problem does not start again.

Why fleas keep coming back after you treat

Fleas come back because most of them are not adults on your pet; they are eggs, larvae and cocoons in your carpet and furniture. UC IPM explains that cat fleas (the usual flea on both cats and dogs) lay eggs on the pet that fall off onto bedding and carpet, larvae develop in protected spots, and at cool temperatures fully formed fleas can wait in their cocoons for months.

The cocoon is the problem stage. University of Kentucky entomologists note that it resists insecticides, which is why some fleas persist even after the pet and home are treated, and that vacuuming makes them emerge sooner so they meet the treatment. That is why the plan is two to three weeks, not one day.

Which flea treatments work in a house?

Treating the pet and vacuuming do most of the work; sprays help with heavy infestations. The EPA calls daily vacuuming the best method for initial control and recommends washing pet bedding and family bedding pets lie on in hot, soapy water.

Flea product safety and when to call a pro

Read the label before you buy and before you use any flea product. The EPA advises following every label instruction, keeping pets and children away from treated areas as directed, and keeping the label with you if you need to call for help. Dog products can be dangerous to cats, so never share them.

Call your vet if a pet has hair loss, scabs or intense itching, since flea allergy is common. Call a licensed pest control professional if fleas are still biting after a month of pet treatment and daily vacuuming, or if wildlife is living under the house. For gentler, low-chemical steps, see how to get rid of fleas naturally, and for the yard, see fleas in the yard.

Mistakes to avoid

• Treating the house but not every pet, or treating one pet and not the others.
• Stopping vacuuming after a few days, before the cocoons have finished hatching.
• Using a dog flea product on a cat.
• Spraying again and again in the first two weeks instead of vacuuming.
• Relying on a fogger, which misses the carpet base and under furniture where larvae live.