Treating a Home and Garden Flea Infestation

When your pets have a flea infestation, they feel miserable. When the fleas migrate from your pets to your home, you will feel even more miserable. The key to treating and clearing a home and garden flea infestation is to treat both your pet and their environment on the same day. Follow these tips to rid your home and garden of biting, disease-carrying fleas.

Step 1 - Empty and Clean All Pet Areas

Wash or destroy your pet's bedding, rugs, and soft chewing toys. Remove all the places where it rests: rugs, blankets, sheets, cushions and other soft fabrics. Empty and wash all pet food and water dishes. Throw out any small rugs used under the pet feeding dishes. Move all household items up off the floors, out from under beds, and off all closet shelves and hanging racks.

If you have an aquarium, cover it and disconnect the air pump.

Step 2 - Vacuum the Environment Completely

Vacuum all the floors and baseboards thoroughly. This will get larvae to come out of their cocoons early, and expose them to pest-control insecticide. Vacuum the carpet on a strong setting to raise the nap as much as possible. Vacuum all upholstered furniture, under cushions and down into attached arms.

Vacuum and wash down wood and tile floors with an antibacterial cleaner to remove flea feces, cocoons, and other flea residue. Use the drapery attachment of the vacuum cleaner to sweep drapes that touch the floor. Use a freestanding vacuum cleaner for this task rather than your central vacuum unit. Remove the vacuum bag, seal it into a plastic garbage bag and dispose of it in the garbage.

Step 3 - Apply Spray Insecticide from Handheld Containers

Be sure to obtain spray insecticides that contain both permethrin to kill adult fleas and pyriproxyfen to suppress development of larvae and eggs. Read the ingredients list before purchasing to ensure you get both of these ingredients.

Direct the spray around and under beds, furniture, and into carpet as intensively as possible. Keep everyone out of the house until the insecticide treatment is finished.

Step 4 - Treat your Pet

Take your pet for its flea treatment the same day at the veterinarian's office or apply flea medicine at home. Keep the pet away from the areas at home which have been treated with insecticide. Fit your dog or cat with an effective flea collar or maintain regular flea treatment to prevent the return of flea infestations.

Step 5 - Treat Your Garden for Flea Infestation

You can determine if your yard has fleas by walking across your yard in white long socks. The fleas will be visible against the white material.

Spray your yard with an insecticide containing both ingredients mentioned above to kill flea adults and to reduce the development of eggs and larvae into adult fleas. Focus on the areas where your pets run, play, and rest, especially near fences.

Careful and intensive vacuuming and application of suitable insecticide will rid a home of fleas. Once you have eliminated them, be diligent about stopping fleas from making a home on your pet again by continuing flea treatments even if you don’t see fleas.