Fleas can be a frustrating and difficult pest to get rid of. Even after you have treated your home and pets, it’s normal to worry that they might still be around or come back. So how do you know for sure when fleas have finally gone for good? Here are some tips for confirming that fleas are no longer in your home.
Look for signs of fleas
The best way to know if fleas are still present is to check for any remaining signs of them. Fleas are very small and can easily hide in carpets, furniture, pet beds and other areas. Some signs that fleas may still be around include:
- Seeing fleas jumping on your pets
- Flea dirt (small black specks that contain flea feces and dried blood)
- Flea eggs and larvae in carpeting and pet bedding
- Itchy pets that are scratching or biting themselves
- Red bite marks or sores on pets from flea bites
Carefully inspect your pets by brushing back their fur and looking at their skin for signs of fleas or flea dirt. Check their bedding areas too. Examine carpets and furniture by vacuuming small sections and looking to see if any fleas, eggs or flea dirt show up in the vacuum cleaner canister.
If you don’t find any evidence of fleas or flea dirt during your inspections, it’s a good sign that the flea problem is gone. But continue monitoring so you can spot any potential re-infestation right away.
Monitor for several weeks
Even if you don’t see any obvious signs, it’s best to continue checking for fleas weekly for 2-3 weeks after finishing treatment. This helps ensure you catch any emerging fleas before they can reproduce and spread.
Adult fleas can survive without a host for weeks or months waiting for a blood meal. So there may still be some in the environment trying to jump onto pets. Plus, flea eggs can be difficult to find and may hatch later on. Frequent monitoring helps confirm that no life stages remain.
Treat all pets
Be sure you’ve treated all pets in the household with an effective flea control product. Fleas prefer dogs and cats, but will infest other animals as well. If you only treat one pet but others are still infested, the fleas can keep cycling between untreated pets and create persistent re-infestations.
There are many topical and oral flea medications available through your vet. Continue using these preventatives on all household pets during and after the flea removal process. This will help kill any new fleas before they can lay eggs. Combining pet flea treatment with home flea treatment is the best way to eliminate an infestation.
Continue home treatments
In addition to pets, all areas of the home need to be thoroughly treated to remove flea eggs, larvae and pupae. This includes carpets, furniture, pet beds and anywhere pets spend time.
Use a flea spray or fogger and vacuum repeatedly during and after treatment. Wash all pet bedding on the hottest water setting. Any eggs or fleas that were missed can survive and re-emerge later if the home isn’t thoroughly treated.
Continue vacuuming and washing pet bedding weekly, even after you think fleas are gone. This helps pick up any eggs or fleas that could be lingering in the environment before they hatch and spread. Be patient, as it can take weeks or months to fully clear an infestation.
Consider hiring a professional
For severe flea infestations, or if you continue seeing signs of fleas, it may be worthwhile to hire a professional pest control company. They have access to stronger insecticides and application methods not available to consumers. Fumigation and heat treatments can effectively penetrate floorboards, furniture and carpeting to kill all life stages.
Professionals also know the best products and treatment plans for eliminating fleas from a home for good. Just be sure to follow all preparation instructions they provide, which usually includes extensive vacuuming and washing of materials.
Restrict pet access
To prevent re-infestation during and after flea removal, try to restrict pets to only certain rooms or areas of the home. This limits the spaces fleas could inhabit. Keep pets out of rooms that are hard to thoroughly treat, like finished basements or storage areas.
Confining pets to non-carpeted spaces is also helpful. Tile, wood and vinyl floors don’t offer fleas the same protective habitat as carpets. Regularly wash any pet bedding in hot water and vacuum upholstered furniture if pets spend time there.
How long does it take fleas to die after treatment?
It depends on the product and method used, as well as the severity of the infestation.
– Topical or oral flea medications generally begin working within 24 hours to kill adult fleas on pets. But they don’t kill eggs or larvae already in the home.
– Foggers, sprays and powders can begin killing adult fleas within hours. But eggs and larvae may survive initial treatments, taking days or weeks to fully die off.
– Insect growth regulators (IGRs) prevent larvae from maturing but don’t kill them right away. It can take weeks to see their effects.
– Professional fumigation kills all life stages, but homes may need to be sealed for days afterwards to allow gases to penetrate and work fully.
So while you may see some fleas dying within the first day or two, do expect it to take weeks or months of diligent treatment before they are fully gone. Be patient and keep vigilant monitoring and treatment going.
Can fleas live in cold weather?
Yes, fleas can survive even in cold temperatures. While they prefer warmer conditions, they have adapted to live through winter and re-emerge when the weather warms up again.
Some ways fleas persist in cold weather:
- They seek shelter in insulated micro-environments like pet beds, carpets and under furniture where warmth collects.
- Their eggs are protected from cold when laid deep in carpeting, cracks or pet bedding.
- As temperatures drop, fleas enter a hibernation-like state and their metabolism slows down so they use less energy.
- Outdoor fleas overwinter in places like barns, sheds and beneath leaf litter that shield them from harsh elements.
So even if it’s freezing outside, fleas can remain snug inside your home all winter long. Their metabolism will become more active again with seasonal indoor heating. Continue treating pets year-round and vacuum to control any emerging fleas.
Should I bomb my house for fleas?
Flea foggers, also known as bug bombs or flea bombs, can help rid your home of fleas. However, there are some downsides to consider:
Pros:
- Kills adult fleas and some eggs
- Treats whole rooms at once
- Relatively easy to use
Cons:
- Doesn’t kill larvae already in environment
- Eggs may survive and hatch later
- Can’t get into many hiding spots
- Requires evacuation of home for hours
- Harsh chemicals can linger
Bombs alone often don’t eliminate a serious infestation. Combining them with thorough vacuuming, pet treatments and additional targeted spraying is more effective. For severe infestations, professional services may be needed.
How do I prepare my home for flea treatment?
Proper preparation is crucial prior to treating your home for fleas. Here are some steps to take first:
– Wash all pet bedding, blankets, cushions, etc in hot, soapy water. This kills fleas and eggs.
– Vacuum floors, carpets, furniture, crevices – everywhere pets go. This pulls fleas from their hiding places.
– Empty vacuum contents in a sealed bag, as fleas can survive inside.
– Remove pets and cover aquariums/pet food before using sprays or foggers. Avoid fumes getting near food.
– Plan to be out of the home for as long as recommended on insecticide labels after application.
– If hiring an exterminator, follow all preparation instructions they provide. Extensive vacuuming and washing is usually required beforehand.
– Treat pets with flea medication prior to treating home. Continue using monthly preventatives after.
Preparing properly sets up treatments for maximum effectiveness. It also helps make your home safer for when you return after application.
Do flea eggs fall off pets?
Flea eggs do not cling to pets’ hair or skin after being laid. The eggs quickly fall off into carpets, bedding, furniture or other areas the pet frequents. Some facts about flea egg behavior:
– Adult female fleas lay up to 50 eggs per day on the host, which then roll off.
– Eggs are smooth, round and only about 0.5 mm in size, allowing them to fall deep into fibers and crevices.
– Most eggs fall off within a few hours, though some may stick around slightly longer in fur or if humidity is high.
– Eggs make up about 50% of all flea life stages in an infested home.
– Since eggs drop off pets so quickly, the best places to look are in their bedding, carpets and floor cracks.
– Eggs hatch within 2 days to 2 weeks. Quickly vacuuming and washing bedding helps remove them before they can develop.
So while pets carry adult fleas that produce eggs, the eggs themselves detach and spread throughout the environment very easily. That’s why treating just your pet isn’t enough to control an infestation. Their habitats must be treated as well.
How long after flea treatment can I vacuum?
It’s best to wait 1-2 days after applying a flea treatment before vacuuming again. Here’s why vacuuming should be delayed temporarily:
– Vacuuming immediately before or after can reduce effectiveness of sprays and foggers. It removes residues before they fully settle.
– Vacuuming too soon could redistribute eggs, larvae or fleas deeper into carpets before insecticides kill them.
– Waiting allows chemicals time to penetrate carpets, furniture and cracks to start working on all life stages.
– Fumes need time to dissipate so residues are not sucked up by the vacuum where they could ignite.
Follow all label instructions for the flea product you use. If a certain waiting period isn’t specified for vacuuming, go with 24-48 hours to be safe. Continue regular vacuuming as part of your ongoing flea removal regimen. Just allow treatments time to start working first.
Can fleas live in your walls?
It’s unlikely fleas will infest inside wall voids since they need a host to feed on to survive. However, a few scenarios could allow fleas to temporarily inhabit walls:
– Rodent or wildlife nests within walls can provide fleas access to hosts. Once the animal vacates, fleas will leave too.
– Heavy infestations spread across floors and into walls via cracks or electrical outlets. Vacuuming and treatments may not penetrate deep enough to kill them.
– unincorporated attics, crawlspaces or unfinished basements could allow fleas more flexibility to find hosts nearby and harbor in wall spaces.
If you suspect fleas in walls due to persistent infestation in adjacent rooms, contact a pest professional. Fumigation or heat treatment can permeate wall voids to kill hidden fleas. Remove any rodent nests and seal cracks to prevent this issue in the future.
Conclusion
Getting rid of fleas takes patience and diligence. But taking the time to monitor closely, keep up with treatments and prepare your home properly will pay off. Within a few weeks or months, you can successfully eliminate all flea life stages from your pets, carpets, furniture and other spots they hide. Keep going until those pesky fleas are completely gone for good! Consistent prevention is the best way to avoid ever having to deal with such an infestation again.