What's the best and safest way to rid my house of a flea infestation?

Question

Preferably an answer that does not involve getting rid of my cats and dogs.

Answer 1

You asked for the "safest" way, yet I don't see any suggestions so far for a non-chemical solution.

Some time back, my daughter's cats had our living room sooo infested, and I discovered that the fleas were concentrated in one area near the couch. Anytime I sat there, my legs were soon covered with bites. I found a cool flea trap at a local store for about $16. It was a round, plastic tray about the size of a small dinner plate, with an attached dome. In the tray lay a very sticky adhesive pad, in the dome was a small light bulb. The heat of the light bulb attracts the fleas, they jump in and get stuck to the adhesive and can't get out. I put it near the couch for a couple of days, and haven't had fleas since!

If your fleas are all around the house, I would suggest multiple traps, placed in different areas of the house; leave a trap in one spot for a day or two, then move it to another area.

Of course, you need to take measures to prevent more fleas. The animals do need flea collars, and you'll get less fleas if you keep the cats inside. Flea baths would be a good idea too if the animals seem really bothered by the fleas, and to get a handle on things more quickly. The traps are mainly to avoid using chemicals on your home, and they can prevent the problem from cropping up again as well.

Answer 2

First, clean the pets off, then remove them from the home temporarily. Put them in a garage, preferably.

Pour regular table salt (buy those big cannisters at the grocery store) all over your house, on the uhpolstry, etc. Let it sit overnight. Vaccuum really well the next day, getting all the salt up, and the dead fleas.

Do this several times over the next week or two. This should get rid of a majority of your fleas, and allow you to bring the pets back in. Make sure they are flea free, though!

You can also set bowls of water along the walls under light sockets. Put a plug in night light into the socket, and leave it there. The fleas will jump at the light, and they will land in the water, and be unable to get out. Do this in places the pets will not get at the water.

Answer 3

One thing no one has mentioned, in case you haven't had this problem before. Do NOT mix dog and cat flea prevention products. Most of the products suitable for dogs will kill or cause horrific nerve damage to a cat.

Please read the labels. Due to lawsuits, all of them have warnings about which animals have tolerance to the products.

We have a lot of different animals at our rescue shelter, and use dips for dogs as opposed to bathing them (too many), and drops for cats. There is a fumigator made by Raid, not a fogger, that we used ONE time in the kennels and house, and we have not seen a flea since!

Of course every living thing has to be vacated from the house. Depending on how many animals you have, and your financial situation, the easiest solution is to take them for a professional dip while your house is getting fumigated.

Don't forget the yard, too, if your animals have special spots out there. We hate spraying everything because of the butterflies, lizards, fireflies and other insects around here, so we have to keep the fleas controlled by treating the animals.

Good luck to you.

Answer 4

The primary problem with fleas is an unhealthy animal. Fleas are a symptom. The main idea is to make your pet undesirable to them. Healthy, clean animals do not have much in the way of flea problems to bring into your house. There are a couple of safe ways to quickly rid your house of an infestation, but they will come right back unless you animal is very healthy, bathed and groomed regularly, and your house vaccuumed daily.
After bathing or flea combing your pets and vacuuming the house (which should be done daily - esp corners and out of the way places), spray the house with a product containing only the flea hormone methoprene, which is commonly known as Precor and is available as a concentrate (made by Zodiac) that you can apply with a plant mister. The flea hormone is harmless to fleas, serving only to keep them from maturing into biting, reproducing adults. Stores which sell Zodiac products but don't carry this one can order it for you, and Zodiac is widely available in pet supply stores. I don't recommend any of their other products.

In addition to the hormone spray, I strongly recommend the use of a carpet powder such as that used by Fleabusters. Similar powders are often available at pet and feed stores, I cannot think of their names offhand. The powder, which is guaranteed effective for one year, dehydrates and kills fleas without actually being a poison or insecticide. Any fleas that are brought into the home die when they come in contact with the powder. It can be used on carpets, upholstery, and even in the cracks of wood floors!

As long as the outdoors is infested with fleas, flea prevention in the home is only half the battle. It used to be that those who wanted to treat their yards had to rely on dangerous pesticide sprays or ineffective herbal repellants. Even relatively benign treatments such as diatomaceous earth and pyrethrums are toxic to beneficial insects and earthworms. Though you can use diatomaceous earth in relative safety in the home.

With the marketing of the flea nematode, pet owners can now buy a do-it-yourself product. The nematodes are available at many vet offices, garden centers, and pet stores, and can also be purchased in bulk from organic farm and gardening supply catalogues. The nematodes can be applied easily with a hose end sprayer or through an irrigation system.

Best of luck!

Answer 5

This one may sound strange to some but I have used it and it works. Fill a pan with soapy water and put a light not far from it. They will go to the warmth and get stuck in the soapy water. I had a bad flea infestation on most pesticides you buy at the store for spraying have harmful chemicals to your pets. Dont know about most people but I do not have alot of places to take my babies when an exterminator comes to spray.

Answer 6

You don't have to get rid of them. Go and buy some Raid Flea bombs and the day you set them off have your pets Flea dipped at the vet. That will take care of your problem. I just had to do that and it was 2 weeks ago and I haven't had a problem with fleas since.

Answer 7

Diatomaceous Earth!! This stuff is magic.
I copied this off a pet forum when I was trying to get rid of fleas a while back. I do have pets, but even when you don't, the little flea monsters can live in your lawn and come into the house. I bought this at a Fred Meyer store, probably you could buy it at a farm supply place or pet store? You might have to call around for it.
Anyway, I got it, put it in my carpet and used on my lawn and NO FLEAS SINCE!!
Here is what I copied:

In Reply to: PLEASE help me posted by Ina on September 27, 2005 at 13:14:43: Insect Dust Diatomaceous earth is a mechanical insect killer. Insects cannot become immune to its action. When insects come into contact with diatomaceous earth, the sharp edges lacerate the bugs' waxy exoskeleton and then the powdery DE absorbs their body fluids causing death from dehydration. DE kills insects by drying them up. Insect Dust stops bugs fast. Diatomaceous earth replaces Diazinon and other harsh chemicals. Intended for application with a hand duster, diatomaceous earth is so safe it may be rubbed right into your dog or cat's fur. Use outdoors in the garden, on the grass, and around the foundation of home. Inside on pantry shelves, under sinks, closets, on rugs, and in corners and crevices. To use for flea and tick control, apply a light dusting over the lawn, in dog runs, around pet bedding or favorite resting spots and sprinkle a little on your pet between baths of a mild herbal soap.

Source(s):

a blog

Answer 8

This may be a lightly extreme option but it has a dual purpose. I would suggest purchasing "parvocide" from your local vet and washing your house from top to bottom. Put it in your laundry as you wash it, mist it over your furniture and carpets, wash all the animal toys and accessories, scrub your hard surfaces with it, and give them all flea baths. This is a very strong germicide and should kill of all the fleas while ensuring that your pets aren't exposed to parvo in your home. This product doesn't really have a particular smell to it either so your home won't stink.

Answer 9

Bug bomb. Find a place for your pets during the day and set a few off in the house *although one per room...some dork set 15 off in his apartment and blew the place up a few days back*. I had to do that last year in my apartment. You set them off, leave for the day, come back *8 hours later or so* and let the place air out. While you're at it, treat the pets for fleas *frontline is really good* and voila...no more fleas.

Answer 10

Getting rid of your animals....would only make the flea problem worse...they would be all over YOU! The best, easiest and cheapest method is this: Buy 20 Mule Borox in the laundry soap aisle. Sprinkle it around all the corners of your home, and lightly on your carpet...let it sit for at least 24 to 48 hours. And then vacuum! It dries out the fleas...it works! My vet told me about it!