Fleas are a nightmare to get rid of once they’ve taken over your home. They breed so quickly that if you spot just one flea in your home it’s too late.
Fleas are parasites, which means that they need a host to live off. So if you’ve got a cat or dog, they will jump onto them and live off their body heat, fur and blood.
They can also survive in your carpets, just coming up to suck on your blood for the day before returning, so you’re not safe even if you don’t have pets.
If you notice you have fleas, there are some things you need to do as soon as you can to get rid of them.
1. Treat your pets
If you’ve got a flea infestation and you’ve got a pet, it’s likely that the problem started with them. Treat them with vet-recommended flea treatments and get products to help prevent infestations in the future.
2. Temporarily remove your pet from your home
Once you’ve treated your pet for fleas, you should ask a friend or pet sitter to look after them until you’ve got rid of the fleas from your home. Otherwise, you risk your pet getting infested again.
3. Wash all your clothes and sheets
You’ll need to put them on a very hot wash. Temperatures over 90 degrees will kill any remaining parasites.
4. Get a fogger
It might be worth calling a professional for this, but you can buy or hire foggers to use. They’re also named ‘flea bombs’, as they are full of poisonous chemicals that will kill them. Be very careful how you use them – make sure you have a mask on and have the rest of your family wear one. It’s also a good idea to keep your pet away for a few weeks to ensure they don’t breathe in the harmful chemicals.
5. Bring in the pros
Getting rid of a flea infestation is a trying task. If you’d rather get someone else to do it, call a professional exterminator. Often they will be able to carry out the treatment in one visit, so it can be over much more quickly than if you did it yourself.
Use our form below to get in touch with up to 4 pest control companies in your area who will be able to give you a quote for getting rid of fleas.