How To Remove Fleas From Carpet
Fleas are not only gross and a pain in the rear to get rid of, they're also undead. They're basically little zombie bugs from hell and I despise them.
I hate them because you may do everything right. You clear the pets of fleas, you sterile the house, you wipe the fleas out of your yard, and yet a of couple weeks later the evil zombie fleas return just like the living dead.
Fleas are able to seemingly rise from the dead because they hatch in stages. While they're adults they happily play piggyback on your pets, riding them around while hatching eggs. These eggs then fall off of your pets, landing in the yard and carpet. Your cat Fluffy has basically become a zombie flea delivery system at this point.
At this stage you may notice your pets scratching like mad and discover the fleas. You may even successfully clear most of them out. But you won't be able to kill the ones safely nestled up in their cocoons. When the eggs hatch they become larvae which in turn develop into cocoons.
It's during the cocoon stage that these pesky little buggers are nearly impossible to kill. They've basically got a tiny anti-insecticide force field protecting them and it's unlikely that you'll be able to successfully vacuum up every single one of them.
That means that even after cleaning everywhere you can possibly think of, these little zombie bugs from hell will re-appear after a few weeks to continue wreaking havoc. They can jump over six feet like little super zombie bugs and catch a ride on virtually anything that moves into your home. Worse, they can also carry nasty diseases and parasites. Their bites irritate both pets and humans, causing allergies to flare up.
I always hear people talk about removing fleas naturally and humanely. They're fleas. Kill the little buggers. If I've got fleas in my carpet then I'm bringing out the big guns. I'm not sprinkling salt or herbs on my carpet. I'm not going to burn incense and ask the fleas nicely to leave. I'm killing them in a manner in which I'll have NO doubt that they are in fact dead. I'm choosing my family over the fleas. I'm not going to mess around with disease carrying filth.
To kill the fleas you need to treat your pets, your home, and the yard at the same time. Fail to treat one and you may as well sprinkle flea food across the home for your little carpet friends to enjoy, because they're not going anywhere. While there are many treatments available, the method that worked for me was using insecticide foggers in conjunction with spray treatments. Fog them out and then spray the hard to reach areas like under the bed, closets, etc..
Visit your local home improvement center and speak to whoever is in charge of the insecticide department. Ask him specifically which products his customers have had success with. These guys usually know their own products and are happy to help you.
Insecticides are extremely toxic! Be sure to follow the product's instructions to the letter. Plan on keeping your family and pets away from the home until it has had a chance to air out and the insecticides are removed from the premises. Never use an insecticide while your family is in the home.
This is especially important with small children and infants. Keep them AWAY from the home until you're certain that it's safe! I would probably send them to grandmas for a couple days. Thoroughly read the instructions that come with the insecticide.
There are several types of insecticides used to combat fleas, including foggers and manual sprayers. If using a fogger where you set it and leave the premises, be sure to manually spray in hard to reach areas (be certain that any products you use are compatible and do not create a safety hazard). Foggers do not typically penetrate well in areas like under beds, closets, etc.. Whichever product you choose, be certain that the application is thorough, and is applied to all areas of your home.
When it's time to gas out the fleas, be sure to remove all lose items from floors, under beds, and closets. Remove anything that might become contaminated; pet food, people food, water dishes, fish tanks, etc.. Remember to manually spray underneath beds and in nooks and crannies. You're also going to need to thoroughly wash your pet's bedding, paying particular attention to sterilizing the area where they sleep. Don't forget to treat area rugs as well.
After following the instructions that come with the insecticide, when it's safe to return to the home be certain that the spray has dried on all surfaces. Remain out of the home until all treated surfaces have dried sufficiently and the instructions say it is safe to return. Fumes from insecticides can be extremely hazardous!
When it's safe to return immediately open all doors and windows. Turn some fans on, get a cross draft going, and air that place out. I would still keep the kiddos away until the place has aired out sufficiently.
Now it's time to vacuum. Vacuum every square foot of the home. Under the beds, in the closets, everywhere. Fleas love to hide in those hard to access places like underneath your 60” television stand. So hire some local kids to help you move your stuff and vacuum. You don't want to go through all of this effort and then have fleas re-appear because you were too lazy to sweep underneath the couch.
Vacuuming not only removes dead bugs, it sucks up flea eggs, larvae, and cocoons, significantly reducing your chances of a re-infestation. Vacuuming also encourages pre-adult fleas to emerge prematurely from their little cocoons where they've been safely sleeping while you were gassing out their friends.
Now it's time to turn your attention to your pet. We highly recommend that you have your veterinarian treat him. Your veterinarian will know the best treatment for your particular situation. They also have access to products that can eliminate fleas for several months at a time, including those that keep the eggs from hatching. I would avoid over the counter flea collars as they can in some cases make your pet sick.
You should obviously never treat your pets with products intended for the home. You should also never use a product intended for dogs on a cat or vice versa. Products intended for full grown cats or dogs should not be used on kittens and puppies. Thoroughly read the instructions before using any type of flea removal product on your pets.
Many times people will follow the above advice and then neglect the yard. Forget to remove the fleas from your yard and you'll be repeating all of the above steps a second time.
Fleas tend to hide in the shade; along fences, under decks, along the foundation of your home, in the dog house, and similar spots. Head off to your local home improvement center and purchase an insecticide formulation that they recommend for your local area. As always, read the instructions that come with the insecticide paying particular attention to safety information. You obviously don't want to spray any type of insecticide on your ripening tomatoes.
Unfortunately you're not finished yet. There will be more fleas emerging from your carpet within the next couple weeks following treatment. Those little guys that were sleeping safely in their cocoons will emerge to wreak havoc once again on your family and pets. Thankfully, it shouldn't be necessary to use an insecticide again.
Get rid of these new recruits by vacuuming thoroughly and regularly. It would not be unreasonable to vacuum daily after the insecticide treatment until all of the fleas are gone. You can expect to have little zombie fleas emerging from your carpet for two weeks following the initial treatment. If they continue to be seen past two to four weeks, it's time to repeat the process, nuking your home once again with insecticides. You'll also need to re-treat your pets and yard.
WARNING! Insecticides can be extremely hazardous! Always read and follow the instructions that come with any insecticide.