Get Rid of Fleas

Fleas in the house can be a cause of worry, as they can cause itchy bites as well as transmit diseases. These blood sucking parasites live on hosts like mammals and birds. There are various types of fleas like cat fleas, and dog fleas. In most cases, fleas are found to gain entry into the house, through the body of their hosts - pets. So, fleas on your pet's body, if left untreated, may also lead to flea infestation of the house. While these parasites cannot live on human body, they can inflict itchy bites and may sometimes, cause infectious diseases too. So, whether it be on your pet's body or in the house, you have to get rid of the fleas, at the earliest. There are various measures that can be adopted to eliminate fleas.

How to Eliminate Fleas

Once you find fleas inside the house, the first thing to do is to look for these parasites on the body of your pet. There are chances that you find some on your pet, as pet animals are mostly found to bring fleas in the house. In such cases, You have to adopt a multipronged approach to get rid of fleas. Apart from cleaning up your pet, you have to clean the whole house and use measures to eliminate them. Fleas are found to settle on carpets, furniture, upholstery, cracks and crevices. So, it can be a daunting task for you to clean every nook and corner of the house.

• As carpets are the most common sites for flea infestation, you have to clean them thoroughly. One of the simple methods to get rid of fleas from the carpet is to spread some borax on the carpet and keep it overnight, before vacuuming, next day. You have to put some borax in the vacuum bag, so as to kill the fleas, once they are sucked into it from the carpet.
• If you want some natural ways to eliminate fleas, you may scatter some diatomaceous earth on the carpet and then vacuum it after a day. You may also use a mixture of equal amounts of baking soda and salt (as a replacement for diatomaceous earth), for killing fleas in carpet. Sprinkling diatomaceous earth all over the yard is said to be beneficial in killing fleas and preventing their entry into the house.
• You have to vacuum every nook and corner of the house, including beds, furniture, cushions, curtains, crack and crevices. Remove all bed covers, curtains, rugs and mats and wash them with soap water as it is said that fleas can be killed with soap water. You may also go for steam cleaning the carpet, so as to get rid of fleas.
• Another important aspect of this task is to clean the pets. You have bathe your pets once or twice daily with soap water (dish wash soap with lukewarm water is said to be effective). After that, use a flea comb to catch fleas on their body. You can dispose off these fleas in the soapy water.
• There are various home remedies to eradicate fleas from the house. This includes cedar wood chips, eucalyptus leaves, eucalyptus oil, lavender oil and citronella oil. While cedar wood chips and eucalyptus leaves can be kept in different parts of the house, essential oils can be diluted and sprayed, so as to repel fleas.
• It will be better to quarantine flea-infested pets, especially from areas that have been cleaned. You may also use flea collars for your pets, to kill fleas. Clean the pet bedding regularly and make sure to vacuum the house on a daily basis.

Now, you have a basic understanding about the various methods for flea control. The best way to get rid of fleas naturally is to adopt a combination of the above said methods, rather than sticking to one. If you are not able to do this task for yourself, hire a pest control professional for the same. You may also use commercial flea control products that can help in eliminating these parasites from your home. However, take enough precautions, as these products contain chemicals, that may prove bad for kids as well as pets. Even adults must take enough precautions while using such products and make sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions.