What are carpet fleas?
Carpet fleas are widespread blood-eating, wingless parasites. The loss of their wings occurred while adjusting to the parasites. They are carriers of dangerous human and pet pathogens. Carpet fleas are the collective name for various species that can live in a household or office. They are mostly human, cat and dog fleas. The difference between them is minimal – all of them leave in carpets, rugs and furniture upholstery. The same methods are used to kill all these species.
How do carpet fleas spread?
Carpet fleas and their eggs can get into the house with the help of humans or pets:
- On the sole of their shoes;
- Through ventilation shafts;
- In the fur of dogs and cats;
- From the basement;
- Along with mice and rats;
Carpet flea control
There are many ways of removing fleas from the carpet. The choice of the successful method depends on the degree of infestation, preferences, and budget. The main thing is a comprehensive approach. To remove fleas from the carpet, you will have to clean not only the carpet but also the furniture, floors and rugs. These places are ideal shelters for adult insects and their maggots.
Careful spot carpet cleaning will help to remove carpet fleas if they are slightly infected. Most eggs and larvae will be destroyed during this process. This will require careful vacuuming and washing of all possible insects:
- Carpets, rugs and mats;
- Furniture.
- Pet beds.
Here is what you can do to stop the spreading of carpet fleas:
- Get rid of useless upholstered furniture and stuffed toys;
- Thoroughly vacuum all corners of the apartment by means of different nozzles;
- Take the carpets outside for natural air ventilation;
- Regularly carpets and rugs must be car-washed and dry-cleaned;
- Regularly clean all the rooms in your house;
- Vacuuming should be repeated within a few days to ensure that any presence of insects in the house is eliminated;
- With a steamer, it is desirable to apply all upholstered furniture, curtains and other fabrics. The device will help to destroy insects in hard-to-reach places;
How to kill fleas in carpet with chemicals?
How to treat a rug and furniture if it is heavily contaminated with carpet fleas? In this case, special insecticide products must be applied. The most available and known is the usual household product is Dichlorvos. The products like Dichlorvos only affect adult insects. That is why the treatment must be repeated every 10 days. This will allow the newly hatched individuals to be destroyed.
[tds_note]Important notice: before spraying Dichlorvos, make sure that there are no people or pets in the treated area.[/tds_note]Anti-flea insecticides are most commonly used to control fleas in the carpet. When particles of the mixture get on the insect’s body, it poisons the flea instantly. It is easier to use aerosol products.
Liquid insecticides should be applied manually. Before applying, please dilute it in water.
Removing fleas from the carpet: pet-friendly and environment-friendly remedies
1) Essential oils are the ancient remedy for killing carpet fleas
Essential oils of different plants are successfully used for the carpet flea removal at home:
- eucalyptus;
- chamomile;
- peppermint;
- rosemary;
- citrus fruits;
Before applying the oils, the carpet should be thoroughly vacuumed. Oil is applied to pieces of fabric or cotton swabs, which are then spread over the surface of the rug or upholstery. Do not apply the oils directly to the carpet! In such a way, oils leave stains that are difficult to remove. Do not tolerate pests and the smell of citrus, conifers, eucalyptus and lavender. You can use essential oils of these plants, treating carpets and floors at regular intervals.
- Fleabane (wormwood) and dye are worse than fire for carpet fleas
How to get rid of fleas in the carpet with these herbs? Some plants contain natural permethrins, which are deadly poisonous to insects. Any sort of wormwood is effective against carpet fleas. Just lay it out dry and fresh under the carpet for a few days.
Or you can make such a mixture of herbs: 2 tablespoons of dry fleabane pour into a glass of boiling water. After 10 hours of mixing, the product is ready. The resulting liquid is sprayed on the surface of the carpet or upholstery (mostly traffic zones).
- Cold, steam and sun are the best flea killers
To destroy carpet fleas, any clothes steamer will help. Such devices are good for cleaning the surface of carpets and furniture. Steam destroys adult insects, larvae and eggs. Use it 2-3 times per week.
An ancient method of destroying any parasites is freezing. Frosting a house or apartment completely is a challenge. But taking out the carpet outside when the weather is below 0 is possible. The parasites die even after 2-3 hours of freezing.
The sunrays are no less destructive than steam or natural frost. Just take the carpet out on a hot sunny day and leave it there for a few days. Eggs and larvae will start dying after 2-3 hours of direct sun rays. Semi-mature insects are more resistant to the sunshine. That is why I recommend washing the carpet additionally with a special shampoo and insecticide.
- Baking soda
How quickly can you get rid of carpet fleas with soda? I recommend mixing it in equal proportions with salt to achieve a faster effect. Spray this mixture all over the carpet. After 24 hours, all treated surfaces should be thoroughly vacuumed and cleaned.
Salt and soda solution can be applied in a liquid form as well, you may mix them with water. After the complete dissolution of the components, it is sprayed on the infected carpet. After the surface is completely dry, you must also vacuum it.
- Sawdust
It is another great remedy for killing carpet fleas. The essential oils – thanks to phytoncides – can deter and destroy insects. Sawdust is simply scattered in places where fleas prefer to inhabit – rugs with long piles, carpets near doors and upholstery. In 3-4 days after using sawdust, the carpets and furniture must be vacuumed thoroughly.
You may also fill small cloth bags with sawdust and put them all over the house, especially near the carpets.
Removing fleas from carpet and house: preventive measures
- keep your apartment clean and tidy;
- natural air circulation and sunlight;
- get rid of moisture;
- wash the floors with wormwood, fleas can’t stand the smell of it;
- regularly bathe pets with anti-flea products;
- buy special, anti-parasitic collars for your cats and dogs;
- keep other people’s animals out of the house that may have been infected;
- make sure there are no insects in the basement;
Final thoughts
You already know how to get rid of fleas in the carpet and can start to remove them from your household or office right now. To prevent the problem of spreading fleas, you should take care of preventive measures.
