A Simple Plan for Getting Rid of Fleas.
If you’re here at this website, it’s probably because you’ve got a bad case of fleas. They might be on your pet, or in your home, or both. Either way, they can be a nightmare. I probably don’t have to tell you that.
One of the problems many people have in dealing with fleas is not knowing what products to use, or not using them appropriately. When dealing with a bad case of fleas, it’s critical to not only kill the fleas on your pet, but to get rid of the fleas in your home as well.
And, you absolutely must keep to a regular program of flea control. Otherwise, just when you think you’ve gotten rid of the little buggers, they’ll come back in force and you’ll have to start all over again.
The purpose of this site is to give you straightforward advice on how to get rid of fleas for good. It’s not rocket science, but it’s vital that you use the right flea control products, and you follow the program and stay with it.
We also provide information on natural flea control, for those who don’t like to use chemical treatments on their pets or in their homes. Whether you want to build your own flea trap, or plant herbs to repel fleas, we’ve got the information you need.
Our guide to flea control products will help you find the best products for your needs, from topical flea drops such as Frontline Plus, to effective sprays, flea bombs and foggers for your home. Don’t waste your time with a can of Raid from the drugstore. You need to use the right products from the start in order to be most effective.
Step 1: Get rid of the fleas on your pet.
{ 55 comments… read them below or add one }
My dog had fleas. I gave hime to shampoos and flea treatments in the last week. I haven’t seen any fleas on him or in my house. Is it a good idea to bomb anyway. It’s been 2 weeks since I’ve treated him but I am afraid to those creepy crawlies.
Hi Nikki,
As we state on this page, flea bombs are not particularly effective. You’re better off following the steps on this website, washing bedding, vacuuming carpets, etc.
If you need to spray, concentrate on the specific areas that are infested. Use a spray that contains both a growth regulator and an insecticide in order to kill both adult fleas and their eggs. Both Knockout and Siphotrol brand sprays are suitable, and available from Entirely Pets.
Just another update! I last wrote in on the first of August and have now been flea free since that date. I will still continue to vaccumn every day even tho I don’t see or feel the fleas any longer. I am just going to stay a step ahead in this hot Texas weather to make sure I don’t get them again. As far as seeing eggs like one of the writers inquired about, I have never seen one, but just vaccumn just in case for a while. It is constant attention for a while but the results will be worth it! VACUUM, VACUUM, VACUUM!!! Spot spray as needed. It worked for me and its all I did to get rid of them, but I did it everyday for 2 weeks. Good luck. I am going to get some Nematodes at the merchantile too.
I have been flea free for a month now. The daily vacuuming is the ‘key’ to this after spraying your carpets for the fleas. I know had I not vacummed everyday I would more than likely still be having the problem. You can’t just wash & expect them to go away. You have to treat your carpet & vacuum. I never did anything special to clothing other than keeping up with the laundry, so that nothin was laying around for them to gather in. I feel you are fighting an endless battle if you don’t vacuum. James you can live in the tub, but the moment you get out, if your not doing the the previous steps, then you being clean isn’t doing a thing to rid your home of these pests. Good Luck…barefoot & flea free
I hve 2 dogs and a cat, I ahve been having a flea problem for a whle. Both of my dogs continue to get the pests/ I vacuum everyday sometimes more than once I have used 3 shampoos, sprays, frontline and somethings I am sure I just don’t remember/ nothing has worked! I don’t know what else to do!
We found fleas in our home, but we don’t have any pets. It’s probably from neighbours cat (she used to sleep on our door mat and now it’s sprayed with anti-cat thing). What’s the best way to get rid of them? We vacuum quite often so I consider extra, natural methods, due to a fact that we have a 6 mths old baby. What herbs/oils are the best to help prevent fleas?
Hi Marcin,
Many people comment on this site with the same complaints you have, i.e. they homes are infested by fleas brought in by other people’s pets. The best you can do is concentrate on vacuuming, and washing any infested bedding or other items you can.
For natural methods, see our natural flea control page for info on using diatomaceous earth, borax, etc. If you’re careful, you might also consider some spot treatments of heavily infested areas with Knockout or Siphotrol brand sprays, which are available from Entirely Pets. These sprays will kill both eggs and adult fleas, and they’re purported to be harmless to humans. At the very least, perhaps you can use them on the areas of your carpets that might be most heavily infested.
i have used baby powder and it work real good for fleas on my dogs or use wet tea bafs and rub on your pets and it will help with the itching.
Our dogs got fleas last year for the first time in 20 years. I had brought them to get their nails cut and 2 infested kittens had been there before them and that is how they got them.
Anyway, I freaked out and started researching as I dont use chemicals and feed a raw diet.
I bought a 50# box of perma-guard food grade diatomaceous earth online and used this on my dogs. It was a pain as I had to reapply often cause my dogs swim in the summer but it was worth it.
I bought mule team borax at the grocery store and used this on my rugs, in the cracks of my wood floor, under furniture in any rooms the dogs go. I sprinkled it evenly on the rugs and then swept it in evenly even more. I did the same things on the wood floors so it would get in the cracks.
I also vaccummed often but not when I first put the borax down. I bought natural flea spray and used this on the beds.
No more fleas–Yeah. We also had the winter in our favor so they couldn’t get anymore outside. I never got nemotodes as they werent in our yard to begin with. So far they dont have any fleas this season and I dont go to the groomer anymore I do their nails myself. If they did get fleas I have all the supplies from last year.
beyondfleas Says: as we stated on “this page”
May 5th, 2009 at 1:35 pm – page not available –
host not found – ? would like to see if we can find it.
Thanks
Dear Barefoot -
What did you spray your carpet with?
Thanks
I need to know if I use white vineger or apple cider vineger on my cats for flea control and how much. my cats do not go outside. thank you
Hello. i have a real bad issue. I have fleas on my cat. and its spread to my dogs. i spent over $200.00 on flea supplys. and it seems to work and then just comes right back. I havent washed my cat. but i have sprayed him with a flea spray for cats. and my dogs. they are now staying outside until i get this under control. but i have washed them. and they seem to be fine. but i have bombed several times. i havent vacumed though. and i have bought all types of chemicals to help. but im lost at this point. can anyone help?
i just moved into an apartment where im guessing the previous tenant had a cat with fleas. we do not have any pets but there are fleas in my apartment. what is the easiest most effective way to get rid of these fleas for good?
i just moved to the country and got a puppy. she is on frontline has a flea collar and gets bathed once a week in a flea and tick shampoo. still i went in my garage and found fleas everywhere today. they arent visible in my house yet there is hardly any carpet in the house pretty much all hardwood. most of the remedies seem to be for carpet. what would you recommend for the hardwood, garage, yard, etc….
I moved to a house that had fleas, the neighbors had cats they kept outside as well as inside and they pretty much took over the apartment building. We bombed, mopped, washed, called exterminators and nothing worked… so we moved. We bombed prior to moving and had the place exterminated. Now in the new place I’m having the same issue. I’ve used Flea Busters, sprayed with precor, and vacuum almost everyday….. I’m doing something wrong, but what I am not sure. I think its time to pull in the big dogs and have Terminix or Orkin on the payroll….. any thoughts? Anybody
Any comment will do
We have just moved and our new house is clean and so are our pets, but our previous house is infested to the point we can’t even walk in without 20 or more on us. There are no animals there and hardwood floors. No one has been to the house in a month and you can see them on jumping on the floors. How do I get them out? Bombed 3 times already.
Sorry for the delay in responding to these questions…
@melissa – Vinegar may very well be a good solution. It can be used one the animals coat, mixed with dish soap as a shampoo, and also internally by mixing a small amount in their drinking water. Check this link for more info:
http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf262770.tip.html
For the rest, I’m not sure I can offer any other solutions than are in the pages of this site. I would again suggest using a spot spray, such as Knockout or Siphotrol, instead of bombs. These sprays are available from Entirely Pets, and they contain both an insecticide and a growth inhibitor to kill eggs and larva. Many of the sprays you buy in the pet stores are not effective against both.
On hardwood floors, I would vacuum every day, and spray corners and the edge of the floor with an area spray such as Knockout or Siphotrol. If you want to avoid sprays, try some of the natural methods; Borax, diatomaceous earth, salt, etc.
If all else fails, try one of the professional exterminators. But first, be sure to try the methods mentioned in this site. Don’t waste time and money on cheap products. Treat your pet with Frontline or Advantage Multi, or natural methods and regular bathing. And, treat your home with Siphotrol or Knockout, lots of vacuuming, or natural methods.
Cheap flea products in pet stores, flea collars, Raid, etc. or at best going to be minimally effective. Read the information in this site carefully and use the right products.
I don’t know how well any of the “Home Remedies” work for eliminating fleas in your home…but I do know that for your pets, feeding garlic (liquid fill capsules) daily helps keep the flea infestations down. However, you will not rid your pets completely from fleas, but it will certainly help a great deal. I am in the professional pest control industry and from our knowledge and experience, there is a definite way to rid your home of fleas. With professional flea control. Fleas are not an easy pest to eliminate. They lay eggs which may lay hidden and dormant for fairly long periods of time. As long as fleas have a food source (pets or humans, or even rats, mice or wildlife) they will thrive. My suggestion if this is an ongoing problem is to enlist professional pest control services. I would and I have. Orkin is probably your best resource as they have the expertise and guarantee to stand behind the services.
Thanks for your input, Myra. From the comments posted here, I tend to agree that sometimes consulting a professional extermination service is the best way to go.
But first, be sure you’ve tried all the methods for both your home and pets described in this website. I don’t know exactly how much professional extermination costs, but I’m sure it isn’t cheap.
Help. My dog ran away. And brought home fleas. And they are in my hair. HOW DO I GET RID OF THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To get rid of your fleas use Borax. I sprinkle it on my carpet and the next day I vacum. There is something in it that kills them. Old timer gave me the advice. I know for sure that it works.
for 6 weeks i used, diamataceous earth,salt,borax,flea powder,essential oils of lemon,lavendar,cinnamon,citronella,cedarwood,neem,patchouli, and for 6 weeks i suffered. i finally bombed the apartment with raid flea killer and used raid carpet spray and am getting some relief
help i’ve put liquid between my cats shoulds, ive shampooed her, ive washed the linens and nothing has changed!!!!
I have tried everything!!! I have flea bombed my entire house. My 2 dogs and my 3 cats have all been treated every which way possible for the fleas and nothing seems to work. I went out and got the spray that you use for furniture and that hasn’t worked either. I am running out of options on how to get rid of them. PLEASE HELP ME I am DESPERATE!!!!! Diane
i still have a problem in my carpets with the fleas after bombing. However, my cat seems to be flea free after giving her capstar pills, which you can give your animal once a day for like 6 days until you don’t see any fleas on them. Then you put the a topical liquid on them for futher prevention. I used two capstar pills and did not see any more fleas on my cat and then put advantage on her. She is confined to a room in the house that does not seem to have any fleas and she is fine. I am going to try the baking soda/salt treatment in my carpets tonight and if that does not work, i am going to try bombing again. The fleas are biting me too.. so it is just a frustrating thing… it seems like it is an all out war to get rid of these little pest…
How well does Raid Fleas work? Is it affective if a wide area is sprayed or as a spot spray? My cats are suffering and I need solutions. Also, would a vet help??
Raid Fleas should kill eggs and larva, as well as adult fleas. Your vet would have Frontline or Advantage for your pet, if you can’t find them elsewhere. You can also buy them online through the merchants listed in the upper left of this page.
my dog and i moved to canada my wife and i think the fleas have emerged now i do belive we have a new strain of fleas they ar very aggresive and bite we have tried all of the normal flea control here in canada they havent seen fleas like thses before is there and 1 doing research on fleas here in canada
@rastlynn
That’s very interesting. I haven’t heard anything about a type of flea specific to Canada, but please come back and let us know if you find out anything.
It’s no wonder people are confused about what to do with fleas. Vets tell you the topical solutions sold by them or in pet stores is perfectly safe, yet you read where they can cause cancer, and you witness either tumors or worse, convulsions, etc in your own pet. They frown on using garlic, or other natural remedies saying they can be harmful to the pets. I have 3 dogs and several cats and live in Florida which provides a perfect arena for fleas. I have used the borax on carpets, which works with patience, and I’ve filled a pan with hot soapy water and placed it on the floor with a lamp and found that to be successful. But you have to keep doing it until the pan becomes flea free to be effective. I tried using apple cidar vinegar, and didn’t find that to be effective, but then I gave up on putting it on my dogs food after about 6 weeks. I made a spray solution with white vinegar and found that works to deter fleas from jumping on your pets in the first place, but it must be reapplied frequently.
Ridding your pets, home and your life of fleas can be a challenge and I have discovered if you are going the natural route, you need alot of patience and perserverance to come out ahead. But it is possible to do so.
I’m stil struggling here with no solution. I’ve tried putting down the Flea Buster’s powder and even have an exterminator come out, but it seems like the more I vacuum, the more I get bitten. I know that the vacuum brings them out, but I can’ spray every time I vacuum.
Anyway I think I’m going to just have the company out and put down the Flea Busters powder. They can do a better job and probably have a lot more powder than I could purchase. I know they work and that it takes time, but if I have the Flea Busters come out and the exterminator I should have them out by the holidays? Right?
Need a little help as this is going on 2 months now. I’ll take any and all suggestions.
I have found that the Frontline and Advantage are less effective than they used to be. Only working for about a week or two at the most before having to reapply, therefor being real expensive. I wash my pets with Sergents flea shampoo (from the dollar store) every three or four days and use a spray on the carpet and bedding as needed during the bad flea seasons. Usually in the spring and late summer when they are all trying to hitch a ride inside before it gets cold. The spot on flea treatments you can buy at stores work just as effective as the ones from the vet and are about 1/4 of the price. Good luck and keep fighting!
I had fleas in the house and sprayed 3 times with a week between each time and it got rid of them. I put IGR in the gallon of home spray. Now I have them extremely bad in the garage. I have sprayed about 10 times day after day with Demon WP, bombs, house sprays and still can’t get rid of them.
I called 1800 pet meds for more frontline and the lady told me that there has been a really bad resistance to frontline that apparently started in Ohio. Well, she recommended Advantix and it has worked! For the dogs only. We seem to have an infested basement! I am going to try borax and will let you all know how it goes.
I first noticed fleas on my dog (via flea dirt) in July 2009. They were especially bad for the next month or so. I put Frontline Plus on her immediately and bathed her with Seargeant’s Gold shampoo after the Frontline dried (3 days). I used the sprays on the furniture and carpet and tried Borax treatment for the carpet. I only started to see a difference when I used the flea treatment carpet and upholstery powder. You sprinkle it down on all the carpets and into the furniture. You have to then sweep it into the rug (make sure that you’re pushing it into the rug, not into the air) and let it sit for about 24 hours. It’s alot of work, but it seemed to be the only thing that worked for me. I was not interested in “bombs”. Once you sweep it into the rug, you should not be able to really even see the powder any more (that’s how you know it’s down into the carpet). The next day, vacuum well, especially around the baseboards and into the cushions of the furniture. You can use the spray to augment, but only spray the pillows and things you can’t wash. Wash all your bedding and especially the dog’s bedding in hot water and dry in the dryer on the high setting for at least 45 minutes. I put all my pillows and mattresses in the anti-allergies covers because it prevents anything from getting into them. I also use a lint roller to check where my dog had been resting to help me gauge if the amount of flea dirt or of the treatment has worked. It’s now been almost three months since this nightmare started and I think we’re almost through this. I do sometimes see a little flea dirt every 10 days or so because the pupae that are protected from the flea treatment hatch, but they go away after a day or so when they come in contact with the carpet powder or the Frontline on the dog. Be aware that Frontline does not kill fleas immediately and can sometimes appear that it doesn’t work because there are still fleas on your pet. But if it takes up to 24 hours to kill the fleas that are on your pet, new ones may have jumped on and then it takes 24 hours for those to die, etc., etc. Therefore, you HAVE to treat your house, too. I didn’t treat my yard because my dog probably picked up the fleas from her walk, because she doesn’t hang out in my yard very much. I feel all of your pain, but I HOPE that this is now behind me. I will never forget to put on her Frontline again! Good luck to all of you!
i just found out about 5 days ago that my cat had fleas and ticks. i put him in a room and i treat him there. i washed him with shampoo for fleas and ticks. they seem to be jumping off him. i have been washing and vacuuming everything regularly ever since i showerd him. but there’s fleas and ticks everywhere in my house. i was wondering if i can use the powder meant for pets on my carpet? leave it in there for a few hours and vacuum it up? please help. i’ve had my cat for 3 years and this is the first time this has ever happened. any help would be greatly appreciated
I have just discovered that my indoor cats who have never been outside have fleas. Im going to the vet to get the advantage and start them on it immediately. Im just wondering what to do next. I cant see them anywhere in my place nor have I been bitten. I have tile and wood floors throughout and was just wondering how to treat them besides vaccuming. Another question, If they are on treatment monthly (Advantage) will this eventually help kill leftover fleas tha may be lingering around even after cleaning everything? Any advice would be great I am germ crazy as it is and this flea business is freaking me out. Thanks
Howdy Yall,
My names Colby and I have done a LOT of research on killing the spawn of Satan himself – fleas that is.
I’ve come up with an Multi Step Process to rid myself and my home from Fleas forever. Here it is
1 Vacuum the entire house and your room heavily 3-4 times a week
2 Bathe twice a day with no exceptions, this is critically important.
3 Ice – FTW – Fleas cannot stand freezing temperatures – Hell Yea
4 Flea Shampoo – when Showering use it – buy at Petco – Buy this one
http://www.petco.com/product/12133/Natural-Chemistry-De-Flea-Pet-Shampoo.aspx?CoreCat=OnSiteSearch
5 Under-water, off the radar – Fleas die like bitches if your completely submerged in water – wear earplugs
6 Lavender scent
7 Eat more garlic to strengthen you immune system
8 Launder your clothes twice do the whole cycle twice because drying makes the eggs hatch,
also if possible soak laundry seeing as being in submerged in water kills the bastards
9 When Vacuuming be sure to periodically throw the bag out because they will live fine in the bag
10 Wash the rugs in your apartment
11 Wash you sheets and comforter with Eucalyptus oil added to the washing process
12 Replace air filter in your apartment
13 Mint Plant in your window and home to ward off fleas
14 Wear Socks around the house at all times
15 Be strong and persistent, it will take time
because it is not instantaneous
16 Take out all trash regularly but especially in the fight against fleas because they tend to breed and congregate around the trash bin in my experience.
17 A great solution for anyone hell bent on ridding your-self of these bastards – Use the scent of Lavender, put lavender scent on your clothes and spray it in your home. Fleas can’t stand it
18 Lavender and Mint Plants as well as Eucalyptus Plants all ward of fleas
WARNING – Eucalyptus plants are poisionous to Dogs AND Cats. So if you have dogs and or cats that like to gnaw on random stuff better to probably use the other two plants.
Hope this helps
Sincerely
Colby
My housecat got out for a few days and now my house in infested with fleas. Did the capstar yesterday and am now waiting 36 hours to do the Revolution. However, I had dreadlocks and had to cut them off since the fleas took up home in my hair. Problem is, they still get in what’s left of my hair. I thought fleas didn’t attach to humans. HELP!
Hello, We got fleas in our house about 3 weeks ago, We are pretty sure my kids got them on there clothing like larva or something because we noticed them in our house roughly 2 weeks after the yard work.. Well we were flea free for about 1 1/2-2 weeks and now i will find like 8-10 a day take or give a few.. and i vaccumm every day. I have laundry in bags that I need to wash, I found a flea or two in my daughters drawer of clothing.. What do i need to do.. I am going to watch the clothes but should I wash them several times then dry them and then re wash them again to make sure that if any eggs were to hatch in the dryer then they will die in the washer again?? PLEASE help me.. I am one parrannoyed person about these stupid fleas.. I WANT THEM GONE!!!! HELP PLEASE
Also need help with getting rid of fleas. I have read almost every comment on this site and basically have tried most of it, except for fogging, which I really don’t want to do. We have noticied fleas on our 7 mo. old cat since Aug, when we let him stay at someone else’s house. They have never been “Bad” but I can’t stand even seeing one or 2 on him. We got frontline and have put that on him for 2 months and it doesn’t seem to be working. When we see any fleas on him, we usually confine him, start vacuuming, then give him a bath. They all seem to die after the bath then I don’t notice any, sometimes for a day or 2, sometimes for a week or so. We mainly have hardwood in our house, and carpet in our bedrooms, which we try to keep him out of there as much as possible. Lately, I have only seen fleas on him, none around the house. I don’t know what to try next, but its driving me nuts. Help!
My daughter and family came to stay and bought along some unwanted guests…fleas! They had no clue and we assume they were in the lavae stage because low and behold I found a flea on each of my 3 dogs! Being the germaphobic person that I am, I went into panic mode! Within 15 minutes of finding (3 fleas, one on each dog), I had them treated with Frontline Plus and had a professional company come out and spray the entire house along with outside. I wasn’t going to even risk finding anything else. I put everything soft in the dryer on high heat for 20 minutes and have vacuumed over and over again. I’m sure I’m probably doing overkill, but I don’t want to even risk it. I live in the northwest and was led to believe that fleas are not a problem here! Ha! It’s only been 4 days since the discovery and I’m freaking out by reading all these comments that say that frontline doesn’t work, etc. The company I had spray recommended another spraying in 30 days which I am going to do and my dogs will be re-treated with the frontline…wish me luck. Oh, one of my poor dogs, who has many allergies was allergic to the chemical sprayed in the house and had to have steroid shots!!
I strugle to clean my house of fleas and I found this article on my “researces”.
Today I put on my entire house baking soda (logicly, is made to “grow”) and I found one dead flea in my bed! I am tired of all the chemicals.
Wed Dec 19, 2007 10:11am EST
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Vacuum cleaners kill fleas just as well as any poison, surprised U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.
They said a standard vacuum cleaner abuses the fleas so much it kills 96 percent of adult fleas and 100 percent of younger fleas.
So no need to worry that a vacuum cleaner bag may turn into a fleabag breeding ground for the pesky, biting creatures, said Glen Needham, associate professor of entomology at Ohio State University.
Needham studied the cat flea, or Ctenocephalides felis, the most common type of flea found in households.
“No matter what vacuum a flea gets sucked into, it’s probably a one-way trip,” Needham said in a statement.
Writing in the journal Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, Needham suggested that the vacuum brushes wear away a waxy outer layer on insects called the cuticle. Without it, the fleas, larvae and pupae probably dry up and die, he said.
The findings were so surprising that the researchers ran their experiment several times.
“We didn’t do a post-mortem, so we don’t know for sure. But it appears that the physical abuse they took caused them to perish,” Needham said.
Fleas spread diseases such as plague and can transmit worms.
“There are all kinds of ways to manage the problem, but how people feel about insecticides and how much money they want to spend factors into what they’re going to do for flea control. Vacuuming is a great strategy because it involves no chemicals and physically removes the problem,” Needham said
Fleas in my Hair!! help!!!!
I have been using DeFlea Concentrated Shampoo. I have been washing my hair q-day with it. It kills some of the fleas but not all of them. Does perma-guard food grade diatomaceous work? Will it kill the fleas in my hair if i rub it on my scalp?
Guess dogs found a bunny and now there are fleas. I know how to deal with the problem but would like to know if anyone has a product they like better than others. Also do u need to strip all human bedding and all washable items? Like go to the laundromat to address the problem? Thanks. rebecca
I wrote back on November 19th and here it is December 19th and I wanted to report we have never seen another flea in our house, dogs, nowhere!! Yeah!! If I had to give anyone advice, I would say, don’t bother trying sprays, bombs, etc…go straight to the pros! A little expensive, but honestly, having the peace of mind is really priceless! I did treat my dogs with frontline on the 16th and plan on treating them every month from here on out! Happy flea free holidays!!
one of my rental homes had been so flea infested you couldn’t even walk in the door, without being jumped and bitten by at least several dozen fleas… tried all the sprays and bombs you can buy… double the amount “needed”…. NOTHING!!! i called the pro’s, and voila’ THEY ARE GONE!!!
one week of H…, and about $250,– in products… versus $130,– and 2 days for the pro’s…. YOU DO THE MATH!!!!
i also have 3 dogs, now they have fleas… we were on vacation and they were at a friends… my dogs are just about clear, my house is good… but i found them in my daughters hair, who of course hugged and played with them as soon as we got back, and we didn’t know… still find one or two every couple of days…. i’ve seen other posts about this, but no responses… how do i clear my daughters head?
hello i sprayed my house with flea spray 3 days ago and im still seeing fleas on my clothes and jumping around on my kids clothes… they are also still on my dog… i used the drops on her she has had one month so far out of 3 month treatment…. how can i get these to go away!