DIY Flea Pest Control Methods

Are you perhaps interested in DIY Flea Pest Control Methods because you have been noticing that your dog scratching itself a lot lately?

Perhaps found a few scabs on his skin??

You may even have noticed the feeling like something is nibbling at your feet when you walk barefoot around the house?

You don’t see anything & so you think it may be your imagination. (heck even reading this article can make a person itch !) BUT there IS something there. That something is more than likely a flea.
If you are concerned that the fleas are starting to invade your home, maybe even that an infestation is imminent, read on and find out what you can do when it comes to flea removal from your home.

What exactly is a flea and what does it look like?

Fleas are tiny parasites.

They feed off blood and they feed often and the way they get the blood is to bite your dog or cat (or other furry animals). This is what creates the distinctive itching that many associates with fleas.
They also live on these animals and sometimes in the bedding that they sleep on.

As you can see from the life cycle of the flea, taken from a CDC chart your pets from an important part.

While they are visible to the naked eye, they are very small and can be difficult to see.
They cannot fly, but they do have an impressive ability to jump (up to 13”).

Fleas can cause a lot of discomfort in your home and even cause your beloved pet to scratch itself to the point of creating an open wound, which can then become infected.

Fleas do not bite people as often, but they still do often enough to become a problem for people as well. Sometimes flea bites are confused with Mosquito or Bed Bug Bites.

So, what are the signs Of Flea Infestation

The first sign you’ll probably notice is Fido scratching himself incessantly. Over time you may see scabs on their skin.

In animals with lighter coats, you may be able to see signs the bites and even bug droppings.

As an aside, there is a way for you to confirm that they are in fact flea droppings by doing the following:
Wet a paper towel with some warm water, then,
Place the suspected dropping in the wet paper towel.
After waiting for a minute or two, inspect the paper towel. If it has red spots then you’ll know it is flea droppings. (since the droppings are made from blood, the warm water will dissolve them back into fresh blood, turning the paper towel red).

In some cases, fleas may bite you or your family on the lower part of your feet and ankles. Check immediately if you feel something and if you see small, jumping specks, you guessed it …. those are the fleas!!

DIY Flea Pest Control Methods – How to remove fleas

This process can be extremely difficult and frustrating if you don’t go about it methodically.

I would suggest the following steps:

1. Start by getting the fleas off your pets. Depending on the type of pet you have and type of coat it has, this can be done by:
   1. Giving them a bath and shampooing with a recommended flea shampoo.
   2. Follow the bath by completely drying the pet’s fur, and then;
   3. Comb your pet with a special flea comb.
   4. Any fleas found during the process of combing should be dropped in water.
   5. Once you have completed the above steps, use of a flea collar or a recommended flea and tick. This will eradicate any remaining fleas.
2. Now you can rid your home of the remaining fleas:
   1. Start by thoroughly steam cleaning all of any carpets, then,
   2. Vacuum every part of the home. This includes all furniture (be careful to vacuum all parts of the furniture- so don’t be in a rush and take your time. The entire floor area should be vacuumed, whether carpeted or not and move the furniture away so that you can vacuum where it was previously.
   3. Repeat the vacuuming every day for a total of ten days. This is a vital part of the process as it is intended to remove remaining flea eggs and larvae.

If you are still encountering problems with fleas after you have followed these steps, it may be necessary to use chemicals. Be very careful with this, both for you and your family and the pet’s sake. Follow all the instructions to the letter. Alternatively, contact a pest control professional.

Prevention of Flea Infestations

Once you have cleaned and vacuumed your home, you can prevent further infestations by taking appropriate measures to stay current on your pet’s flea and tick medication. Although sometimes not considered, I would also recommend regularly washing a treating any bedding used by pets inside your house.

Wrap Up

Fleas are so small and most of the time go unnoticed, but when they become a problem, measures need to be taken to prevent the problem from growing rapidly.