How to Get Rid of Fleas
If you’ve recently had rodents in the house or yard, you might now have a flea problem. While flea season can be incredibly unpleasant and uncomfortable, there are a few simple ways you can deal with the problem.
In this article, Mortein explains the most effective ways to control and prevent fleas—whether it’s in your house and garden.
How to Get Rid of Fleas in the Home
If you have found yourself facing a flea infestation, you’ll need to know how to get rid of fleas in the house fast. Once you have determined that you have them in your home, follow our advice below. before treating each of your rooms with our Mortein PowerGard Flea & Crawling Insect Control Bomb.
Vacuum your house
Thoroughly vacuum your home, including everything from the carpets to soft furniture and any other areas the fleas may be hiding. Once you have done this, make sure to empty your vacuum cleaner or dispose of the bag into a sealable plastic bag.
Clean all machine-washable items
Collect all machine-washable items such as clothing, blankets, sheets and bedding. If it’s been lying around or you suspect that it’s harbouring fleas, wash them on a hot wash to kill any remaining fleas. Pets can be a carrier of fleas so if you have pets, make sure you wash their items too - this includes pet bedding.
How to Get Rid of Fleas From the Bed
Having a flea infestation in the bed can be a nightmare. These vicious little insects can leave itchy, uncomfortable insect bites while you sleep and can have you jumping at the sight of a small black spot. First of all, you need to make sure that they are in fact fleas. This is because if you are regularly waking up with itchy red bites on the exposed parts of your skin, it could be either an infestation of fleas or bed bugs.
Thoroughly inspect your bed
Bed bugs leave rust coloured excrement on mattresses while fleas are likely to leave faeces which resemble black pepper-like specks that are round in shape.
Understand the different bites
Bed bug bites usually occur on the face, hands, neck and arms and the bite itself looks like a mosquito bite. On the other hand, fleas normally bite in small clusters around the legs and feet and are extremely itchy. The bites become red and swollen within half an hour.
If you have determined that the culprits are fleas, the next step is to find out how you can kill fleas in your bed. It is important to act fast to stop them from multiplying further – some general suggestions on eliminating fleas from the bed include:
- Wash all bed sheets, pillowcases, blankets with detergent on a hot cycle. If you have a dryer, use this right after washing. The fleas will not survive the heat.
- Give your mattress a thorough vacuum and pay close attention to the seams and underside of the mattress. You may want to repeat this process multiple times.
- If you have a fabric headboard, rigorously vacuum there too.
If you find fleas in your bed, there could be a chance that there are some hiding in the rest of your bedroom too. The Mortein PowerGard Flea & Crawling Insect Control Bomb is an effective product in getting rid of the remaining fleas – continue reading for more information on how to use the product to get rid of the fleas in your house.
How to Treat Flea Bites on Humans
Flea bites appear as small red dots that are extremely itchy and in clusters. Fleas often target the legs and feet and the bitten area can develop into a wound with an added risk of infection if scratched aggressively. You can’t exactly get rid of flea bites but there are ways to help reduce the swelling, itchiness and redness. Suggestions for treating flea bites include:
- Resist the urge to scratch the bite.
- Consult your pharmacist for advice on appropriate medications to take to reduce swelling.
- Wash the bites with antiseptic soap to prevent chances of infection.
- See your doctor if the swelling worsens or if infection occurs.
While the bites are treatable, you will only get bitten again if you do not take action to remove fleas from the house. Fleas are tricky little pests; they can burrow deep down in carpets and bedding and make it incredibly difficult to get rid of through cleaning alone. These bugs can really make life miserable, so be sure to deal with the problem head-on and use a trusted method like Mortein for a flea-free home and peace of mind.
What Kills Fleas?
If you want to know how to kill fleas in your house our best recommendation is to use the Mortein Powergard Flea & Crawling Insect Control Bomb. Apart from an insecticide which kills the adult fleas already established in the room, the flea bomb contains an Insect Growth Regulator (IGR) that prevents any flea larvae hatching from surviving eggs from developing into viable adult fleas thus breaking the breeding cycle. That way, the treatment will remain active to prevent re-infestation for up to nine months. For best results, use one bomb in each room and follow the steps below:
- Turn off electrical and gas appliances and pilot lights.
- Make sure to open cupboards and drawers. Close outside doors and windows and vacuum carpets thoroughly.
- Place the bomb on a sheet of newspaper in the centre of the room.
- Shake can well, then tilt sprayer away from face and push the locking tab into place.
- Leave the room and close the door for 2 hours.
- When you come back, air the room for 30 minutes before switching on electrical appliances or pilot lights.
- To get dead fleas out of carpet, vacuum on a weekly basis.
Fleas can be a major nuisance, but with the help of Mortein, you can get rid of them quickly and effectively. Try our products today and say goodbye to those pesky fleas.