How To Remove Fleas in Your Home

You can get rid of fleas in your house by sprinkling a thin layer of diatomaceous earth in areas with frequent activity. Learn more about this method and others in our guide.

Written by Brenda Woods Updated 07/23/2024

Fleas can produce hundreds of eggs monthly and explode into an infestation if left untreated. They can also pose a health risk to your pets and family, as they transmit diseases through their bites. In this guide, we’ll review the signs of a flea infestation, explain how to get rid of fleas in your house and provide prevention tips to keep them from returning.

What Are Fleas?

Fleas are small, flightless insects that bite animals and humans to feed on their blood. These reddish-brown, teardrop-shaped pests look similar to bed bugs and have a very small head and engorged body (especially if they’ve recently ingested blood). They don’t fly but have a distinctive jumping motion that can help you recognize them.

Fleas can pass along diseases such as typhus or cat scratch fever, and their bites can be itchy and uncomfortable. They can enter your home by clinging to your pet’s skin or fur or via rodents, infested packages, or infested clothing.

What Is the Flea Life Cycle?

If you spot a flea infestation early, you can often stop it from growing. It can take up to three months to break a flea life cycle and eradicate an infestation in your house, so act quickly if you notice any fleas around your home.

The flea life cycle has four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Eggs hatch within 10 days, and flea larvae remain active for up to 20 days as they eat flea dirt (or flea poop) before building a cocoon. Once in a cocoon, they can remain inert until they detect a host nearby.

The adult stage is the most problematic, as that’s when fleas look for a host, start mating, and begin laying up to 50 eggs a day. The volume of eggs, as well as the ability of larva to subsist on flea dirt and for the pupa to stay in cocoons for long periods, can elongate the flea life cycle and make it hard to get rid of them completely.

Flea Infestation Risks

Flea infestations can cause severe health and safety risks, such as allergic reactions, infected bites, typhus, tapeworms, and other diseases. Fleas can also latch onto cats and dogs as hosts, causing your pets to scratch their skin, which can cause bloody injuries and infections. Pets are also susceptible to flea bite anemia, tapeworms, and parasites.

A flea infestation can even pose a risk to your home. Fleas hide in fabrics, curtains, and furnishings for long periods and can also hide in the crevices of your floors and walls. Fleas may not cause much direct damage, but you may have to throw out furnishings and other home goods to eradicate these pests.

What Are the Signs of a Flea Infestation?

It can take months of concerted efforts to get rid of these pests. If you spot signs of a flea infestation, take steps to remove and contain them as soon as possible.

Here are a few common signs of an infestation:

Black dots on your floor, furniture, or pet bed: If you notice unmoving black dots along your baseboards or in other areas of your home, this may be flea dirt or excrement left behind by fleas. Large amounts of flea dirt indicate a bigger infestation. Look for this substance on your floor, your pet’s bed, and your pet’s skin. You can rid your home of flea dirt by vacuuming your floors and washing any materials with this substance.
Flea bites: Flea bites are small bumps that tend to have a central red spot. Your body may register the flea saliva as an allergen and release histamine to the bite, causing it to turn red, itchy, and inflamed. In some cases, the bite may swell or you may develop a more extensive rash.
Pets frequently scratching themselves or biting their paws: You may not notice flea bites if your pet has thick, dark fur, but you’ll notice your pet’s agitation. If they seem restless, frequently get up to scratch themselves, or are constantly biting at their paws, they may have attracted some fleas. If your pet has lighter fur, look for groupings of red or inflamed bites.
Pet hair loss or inflamed skin: If your pet has a flea bite, they may have inflamed skin, swelling, and thinning fur.
Visible fleas: You may visibly notice fleas around your home. Look for small reddish insects that crawl or jump.

Once you’ve identified a flea infestation, disrupt their life cycle and apply the right pesticides and deterrents.

How To Get Rid of Fleas

There are both do-it-yourself (DIY) flea control methods, including store-bought chemicals and traps, and professional flea control options. If you have a severe flea infestation, we recommend skipping DIY strategies and making an appointment with a professional pest control company.

DIY Flea Control

If you have an active infestation, contain and kill as many adult fleas as possible to prevent future infestations. Consider these methods to control a flea infestation.

Apply a fine layer of food-grade diatomaceous earth: Diatomaceous earth is a fine, abrasive powder that can dehydrate and kill fleas. Apply a thin layer of powder in areas where you’ve seen fleas. Let the powder sit for a day or two, and then vacuum it up before reapplying. Use food-grade products, as these are safe for humans and pets.
Create a DIY flea spray: Mix a solution of eight parts vinegar to four parts water, and add one part lemon juice and witch hazel. Pour this solution into a spray bottle and spray surfaces with frequent flea activity. This spray is a deterrent, not an active flea killer, so use it to contain fleas and keep them out of areas where you have successfully killed previous generations.
Make dish soap traps: Mix a diluted solution of dish soap and place the soapy water in shallow bowls near areas with a lot of fleas. Fleas that jump into the solution won’t be able to escape and will drown. Keep these traps out at night when fleas are most active.
Rub baking soda into fabrics and carpets: Sprinkle baking soda on your carpets and furniture, and use a hard brush to rub it into fabrics such as carpets, rugs, and couches. Let it sit for at least 12 hours before vacuuming the solution.
Treat your pets: If you have pets with fleas, wash your pet with a flea shampoo, use a flea comb to remove any visible fleas, and apply a topical ointment for inflamed or infected bites. You should also start your pet on active flea medication to prevent it from attaching to your pet’s fur in the future. Additionally, wash all bedding and toys in hot water every couple of days to remove any fleas and flea dirt from the materials.
Use deterrents to contain the infestation: It may take several repeat cycles of active extermination methods to get rid of fleas, but you can limit the exposed area in the meantime. Use rosemary-based sprays or powders, salt, and lemon-based sprays to keep the infestation from spreading to other areas of your home. You can also purchase flea deterrent sprays from the store.
Use flea bombs: If you can, set off flea bombs throughout your home. Remove yourself, family members, and pets before setting off the bombs, and thoroughly vacuum the area after your return.
Vacuum your carpets: Vacuuming actively kills and removes flea larvae, active adult fleas, and flea dirt from your home. In the early stages of an infestation, vacuum every other day, clean the vacuum, and dispose of the vacuum bag after each cycle.

It can take up to three months of active efforts to finally exterminate all fleas, so use as many of these methods as possible.

Professional Flea Control

Professional flea control is often a faster and more effective method than DIY methods since pest control professionals have the tools and expertise to get rid of an infestation quickly. Flea extermination can cost between $75 and $400, depending on the severity of your infestation and the exact processes used.

Professional exterminator services will often include the following steps to resolve your flea problem:

An application of preventive insecticides and treatments that deter fleas from your yard and the perimeter of your home.
Fumigating your home with professional-strength fogger products, such as insect growth regulators that prevent larvae from becoming adults, that both kill fleas and disrupt their life cycle.
Repeat treatments one or two weeks later, as these fleas may have been in a protective cocoon during the first treatment.

Professional flea treatments can be more expensive than DIY methods and contain harsh ingredients, but you can speak to a pest control provider about custom child- and pet-safe treatments.

How Can You Prevent Future Flea Infestations?

Deterrence and flea prevention are important after battling an active infestation. Here are a few tips to help prevent a reinfestation:

Give your pets proactive flea treatments or flea collars: Preventive flea treatments are topical treatments you apply to your dog or cat once a month or every six months (depending on the product). These treatments kill fleas, flea eggs, and ticks and prevent these pests from latching on to your pet.
Maintain your landscaping: Mow your grass once a week and trim garden beds away from your house and patio. This can help keep fleas out of your yard and make it harder for them to jump on you or your pet. You can also ask pest control and landscaping services about flea deterrent chemicals to use around your home’s exterior.
Regularly clean and vacuum your home: Frequently cleaning your home means you can catch an infestation as soon as possible. This can also deter rodents and other pests, which can bring fleas into your home.

Our Conclusion

If you have fleas in your house, you can use a few DIY methods and chemical options to get rid of these pests as soon as possible. Proactively monitor your home, yard, and pets for signs of fleas, and be ready to act fast if you spot fleas. We recommend hiring a pest control professional for severe infestations and continually applying deterrents and repellents to proactively keep fleas away from your home and family.

FAQ About Fleas

How long does it take to get rid of fleas in the house?

It can take as long as three to four months to get rid of fleas in your house. Adult fleas can lay around 50 eggs a day, and pupal fleas can stay in their cocoons for long periods, so you may need multiple removal cycles to eradicate them all.

How can I get rid of fleas right away?

You can get rid of fleas right away by actively removing adult fleas. Use a flea comb to remove fleas from fur and hair, and dip the comb in hot water to kill the fleas. You can also vacuum every couple of days to remove fleas from carpets, rugs, furniture, and curtains, and you can wash fabrics such as clothes and bedding in hot water cycles.

Can fleas live on humans?

Fleas typically don’t live on humans since humans don’t have as much hair or fur as animals, making them an unlikely host to lay eggs.

How do you get rid of fleas on dogs, cats, and other pets?

You can get rid of fleas on dogs, cats, and other pets by combing their fur with a flea comb and washing them with flea shampoo. You can also proactively keep them safe with preventive flea medications.

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