8 flea remedies that get rid of fleas in your home

If you are a pet owner, the thought of your beloved cat or dog catching fleas is a constant strain on your mind. These parasites feed off the blood of animals and can easily become a problem in your home, biting both you and your furry friends.

Did You Know…? Relative to their size, fleas can jump further than any other insect. If an average sized human had the same jumping ability of a flea, they would be able to jump 295 feet across and 160 feet high!

If you feel that you have a problem with fleas around your home or property and you truly want to know how to get rid of fleas, then you should contact the flea control and prevention experts at Ehrlich Pest Control.

What to know about flea bites

The main reason behind fleas being regarded as a pest is through their biting habits.

Flea bites on humans are quite rare, the majority of the time it’s your beloved pets which come victim to flea bites. They aren’t particular painful compared to wasp stings but you will become aware once you have been bitten. As with all insect bites, itchiness and swelling will occur around the bitten area.

While cases of flea borne disease is very rare (especially in the U.S.), fleas are vectors for a number of diseases.

Flea home remedies

Fortunately, there are a handful of homemade flea remedies you can try to help prevent and get rid of fleas.

1. Use dish soap to create a flea trap.

This home flea remedy involves creating a flea trap using dish soap and some water. All you have to do is fill a plate or bowl with a mixture of warm water and dish soap and place it in the rooms of your house which receive the most flea activity.

The water and dish soap solutions act as a glue, trapping the fleas due to the high viscosity of the solution. You should repeat this method with a fresh batch every day.

For this flea home remedy to work effectively it should be conducted at night time. This is because, for the most part, fleas are nocturnal creatures. It has been suggested that placing a candle near the solution will help this natural flea remedy, but this is not advised due to the potential fire hazard a naked, unattended, flame can cause.

2. Create a homemade herbal flea spray.

Rapid home remedies suggest using an herbal flea spray to get rid of fleas from your home. This natural remedy for fleas is made from non-toxic products found around your home, making it suitable to use around pets and children.

Create a flea spray by mixing 4 liters of vinegar, 2 liters of water, 500 ml of lemon juice and 250 ml of witch hazel in a large spray bottle. Before applying the product around your home, you should vacuum properly, emptying the contents into an outside bin, and wash any bedding/cushions that could be infested. Once this is completed, apply the natural flea remedy to your home using a heavy spray, spraying carpets, furniture, pet bedding, window sills, and floors.

3. Vacuum your carpets with baking soda to get rid of fleas.

If you're struggling with knowing how to get rid of fleas, know that one of the most effective flea control home remedies is vacuuming. This helps getting rid of fleas by removing them from the fibers of your carpets and furniture. However, there is a way in which you can increase the effectiveness of this by using baking soda!

For this flea home remedy to work, lay down baking soda along your carpets and furniture, take a hard brush and rub it into the fabric. After that, vacuum your home thoroughly and empty the contents of the vacuum into a bag and place in an outside trash can.

4. Sprinkle your carpets with salt to repel fleas.

Much like baking soda, salt is a great natural flea home remedy when accompanied by vacuuming. Salt acts as a dehydration agent, helping to get rid of adult fleas.

To treat fleas with this natural remedy take some salt (finely ground works best) and sprinkle it all over your carpets in each room. Leave the salt to rest for 1-2 days, then vacuum your home throughout, emptying the contents in an outside trash can.

5. Create a lemon spray to keep fleas away.

Lemon can be used in a lot of ways around the house, but aside from being a good way to treat wasp stings, it’s also a great natural home remedy for fleas.

Treatment using this natural remedy to get rid of fleas consists of making a citrus spray to use on infected furniture. To make this flea spray, slice a lemon thinly and add to a pint of water and bring to the boil. Let the citrus solution sit overnight and pour into a spray bottle. The next day take the citrus solution and spray it on the infested areas in your home – sofas, pet bedding, chairs etc. Do not soak, only dampen.

6. Use diatomaceous earth carefully to get rid of fleas.

Diatomaceous earth is the microscopic remains of fossilized algae, diatoms. It’s a very fine powder, which is non-toxic to humans and is a great natural remedy to get rid of fleas as it causes dehydration.

Using diatomaceous earth to treat a flea problem consists of sprinkling the powder over areas you suspect have high flea activity, applying thin layers. Leave the diatomaceous earth to do its magic for 2 days then vacuum promptly, following the necessary flea prevention methods afterwards.

Proceed with caution!

It is important to note that if using diatomaceous earth as a natural flea remedy you should use the food grade option. Although it is non-toxic, the nature of the powder can get messy and irritate your eyes and throat. When using diatomaceous earth to treat your home it is advised that you wear a face mask.

7. Repel fleas with rosemary.

Rosemary is a great organic flea control product. It can be used to treat light infestations as well as on pets (depending on how you use it). This example of a natural flea remedy focuses on creating a powder to be used to treat fleas in your home.

To make an herbal flea powder using rosemary, place this herb with some rue, wormwood, fennel and peppermint into a pestle and mortar and grind into a powder. Then sprinkle it on your carpets, furniture, pet bedding, window sills and anywhere else you suspect flea activity in your home.

Note: Rosemary is a natural flea repellent, it will not get rid of fleas but help repel and prevent them.

8. Use flea repelling plants around your home.

The final natural remedy to get rid of fleas is enlisting the help of specific plants to help repel these biting insects. Certain plants contain specific oils, compounds, and chemicals which fleas hate and will try and avoid.

There is a range of different plants that repel fleas. Using these plants around your home in flower pots and flower beds is a great natural home remedy for fleas.

Plants that keep fleas away:

• Penny Royal
• Chrysanthemums
• Lavender
• Spearmint

How to get rid of fleas

It can be tricky to know how to get rid of fleas. But other measures include washing your pet’s blanket and carrier. You should also take seat cushions off of couches and chairs and vacuum the cushions. Also, vacuum cracks in chairs and couches. Be sure to throw your vacuum bags outside in garbage cans.

Although there is a range of different home remedies for fleas they are not 100% effective. Yes, they can potentially help manage a flea problem, but they cannot successfully solve one. This is mainly due to the fact that the majority of home remedies for fleas only affect the adults of the species, leaving the larvae and eggs behind. This creates a window of opportunity for another flea infestation to arise.

Professional flea control

Want to know really how to get rid of fleas? The best way to get rid of fleas is with the help of a professional pest controller such as Ehrlich. A pest control professional can provide you with the best services and solutions to fully remove a flea infestation in your home or business. If you think you might have a flea problem, get in contact with Ehrlich today. Fleas really like areas where there is a lot of humidity and rain, so they can be found in warm, humid, areas like Atlanta or Miami and infestations can spread faster in densely populated areas like New York or Boston.

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