How to get rid of household bed fleas

How to detect pests

Fleas, despite their size, are dangerous to humans. They belong to the category of bloodsuckers and carry a number of serious diseases. They get into the house from animals, attics, basements and neighbors.

If you suspect that insects live in the sofa, you can use a few tips:

1. Carefully inspect your legs and arms for bites. Couch fleas hide during daylight hours, but at night they crawl out and bite.
2. Lay out white sheets of paper. After 20 minutes, black dots appear on them. They disappear when you try to move the sheets.
3. Cover the sofa with white bed linen. After 20 minutes, dots appear on it. A day later, small drops of blood are visible in the place where the legs are located.

The presence of insects in the sofa can be judged by the behavior of pets. When infected with fleas, pets behave restlessly, rub against the litter, and itch.

But parasites do not live in places where there is a strong and unpleasant odor. He scares them away.

Appearance

Fleas are small insects. The length of the body in adults does not exceed 5 mm. Young parasites are distinguished by a light brown color, while adults are dark, almost dark.

Fleas living on the sofa can jump to a height of up to 2 meters. In accordance with living conditions, life expectancy ranges from two months to one and a half years.

External manifestations of infection

Before you begin to destroy bloodsuckers, it is important to establish their habitat. Fleas live in large groups and hide in the folds of the sheathing during the daytime.

Before processing furniture, a thorough inspection is carried out. In and around the place where the insects live, you can see a cluster of black dots.

In animals, flea infestation is easier to determine. To do this, it is enough to inspect the wool. The presence of black dots is established on the skin, which may turn out to be pests or waste products.

House flea: general signs

Before answering the question of how to get rid of household fleas , we will give basic information regarding the pests themselves:

• Dimensions. Typically the length of the insect is from one to five millimeters. Accordingly, they can be seen “by eye”; however, this will require focusing your gaze.
• Colors. There are endless options here: a flea can have almost any shade - from light wheat to close to black.
• Structure. Typically, fleas have a flattened body with a colossal number of small bristles, allowing them to move along the hairline.
• Jumping ability. A distinctive feature of fleas that distinguishes them from the vast majority of pests is their jumping ability. The jump height can be up to thirty centimeters. Having noticed a small insect jumping in this way, you can draw an almost certain conclusion that there are fleas in your house.
• House flea bites . The main danger of fleas is that these insects bite all their victims, which often include people. Since the pest does not inject any natural anesthetic when piercing the skin (unlike mosquitoes), you can feel the bite almost immediately. Because The flea's proboscis is also not very large; to reach the capillary, the flea has to plunge headlong into the skin. The bitten areas begin to hurt and hurt, and they may not heal for a long time. It is precisely because of their “biting abilities” that fleas pose a danger. They are carriers of a colossal number of diseases, so contact with such insects can have extremely serious consequences.

Removal

The fight against insects begins immediately after they are detected. The SES is responsible for removing fleas from the sofa. The room treatment procedure continues for 1 hour. The products used are quite strong, which allows you to quickly and effectively destroy parasites.

You can use special means and folk methods. They treat furniture and the place where they live, floors, walls and baseboards.

Fleas are small insects that can hide in crevices and folds where they cannot be seen. The processing process is carried out in stages:

1. Throw away all trash.
2. Wrap food in plastic, even if it is in an adjacent room.
3. Remove toys.
4. Remove bedding.
5. Prepare funds.
6. Clean the surface of the sofa with water. After drying, go through with a vacuum cleaner.
7. Wear gloves and a mask. The products often have a pungent odor and are toxic. It is necessary to protect the skin and mucous membranes as much as possible.
8. Apply the product to all wooden parts of furniture and walls at a height of at least 1.5 meters. Insects can live not only in the sofa, but also in wallpaper that has peeled off from the surface.
9. Treat the front door, window frames, baseboards.

After completing the treatment, cover the sofa with a blanket and close the room for several hours. The procedure is repeated two weeks later. During this period, adults emerge from the larvae.

During primary treatment, only fleas are destroyed. The eggs are not affected and remain viable. After 2 weeks, if you do not re-treat, the insects will appear again.

Steps

How to get rid of fleas by brushing

Vacuum the carpet thoroughly.

Use a special attachment for a vacuum cleaner. Start at one end of the room and vacuum in stripes until you have cleaned the entire carpet. Pay special attention to the corners of the room and baseboards. Fleas like to hide in dark and damp places, so thoroughly vacuum areas under furniture.

Vacuum all upholstered furniture in the room.

Pay special attention to the base and bottom. Fleas often jump onto furniture and can jump off it again onto the carpet if they are not eliminated.

Read also:  Where do fleas come from in the house: causes, symptoms of infection and how to get rid

• If your vacuum cleaner has a special container for garbage instead of disposable bags, take it out and carefully pour the garbage into a plastic bag. Tie the bag well and throw it in an outdoor trash container.

Preventing further spread of fleas

1. Check if your pet has fleas.

   Fleas most often appear in carpets from pets. You need to check your pet for fleas to prevent them from getting on your carpet. If your pet is constantly itching, he most likely has fleas.

   Brush your pets regularly.

   Buy a flea comb from a pet store and use it to comb your pet. A flea comb has small, stiff bristles that trap tiny pests in your pet's fur. You can also use a comb to remove the undercoat, thus preventing shedding.

   Give your pet a bath.

   Fleas will drown in water, and soap will destroy all larvae. You can use special soap to kill fleas. Keep in mind that this method does not work well for cats. Most cats hate water and become aggressive when in contact with it. If you want to bathe your cat, wear thick gloves and long sleeves to protect the skin.

   Give your pet anti-flea medication.

   Take your pet to the vet and ask which flea medication is best for your pet. Your veterinarian will prescribe or recommend the appropriate type of medication (for your cat or dog) and dosage. If you want to choose the medicine yourself, read the information on the label - it indicates whether the medicine is suitable for cats or dogs, age range and dosage. Otherwise, you risk giving your pet more medicine than necessary, and the results could be tragic.

   • Depending on the type, flea medications can be given orally or topically. When applied topically, the medication is usually applied to the base of your pet's neck, right between the shoulder blades. Re-read the label directions to learn how to properly administer the medicine to your pet.

   Observe your pet for any signs of discomfort or allergic reactions. Sometimes cats or dogs have an allergic reaction to flea medications.

2. Never give your cat flea medications intended for dogs. Always give the medicine at the recommended dosage, but never more.
3. Buy a flea collar.

   Flea collars contain chemicals that protect your pet from fleas. They are especially useful for pets that are allowed to roam outside. If you can keep fleas away from your pet, you can keep fleas away from your carpet. Place the collar on your pet and tighten it until you can fit your finger under the collar. Cut off the excess part of the collar with scissors.

   Do not use garlic or brewer's yeast.

   Garlic or brewer's yeast is often added to dog food to repel fleas. However, studies have shown that adding garlic or brewer's yeast to dog food has little to no effect on fleas.

   • Never give garlic to your cat. Garlic is only suitable for dogs and is extremely toxic to cats.
4. Treat fleas with essential oils.

   You can make your own carpet flea spray by pouring some water into a spray bottle and adding a few drops of essential oil. Shake the bottle to mix the ingredients, then spray the solution onto the carpet. This flea treatment is safe if there are children and dogs in the house, but it is dangerous for cats.

How not to ruin a sofa

In order not to harm or spoil the appearance of the sofa, select products intended for processing upholstered furniture.

To get rid of fleas it is strictly forbidden to use:

1. Potently toxic agents.
2. Undiluted vinegar.
3. Preparations not intended for the treatment of upholstered furniture.

When choosing sprays, solutions, or powders against parasites, you need to read the instructions and make sure that the product is intended to get rid of fleas living in furniture.

Where do fleas come from?

What to do if pests appear, which take a long and painful time for a person to remove? Since house fleas and linen fleas are traditionally spread by warm-blooded living creatures, the parasite cannot exist for long without a food source. If homeless animals (cats, dogs) or rats begin to appear at the entrance, most often we can expect an obvious deterioration in the sanitary condition in all residential premises. Bed fleas can be found in folds of linen, mattresses, pillows, and blankets. But not a single insect, regardless of its species, can jump higher than 30 cm from the floor.

There may be several options for migration paths. The first of them is through pets. The second is through the threshold, cracks in the floor and walls, and balcony structures. The delivery of pests to the upper floors of buildings is usually facilitated by rats moving along garbage chute structures. Negligent actions of organizations servicing multi-apartment housing can also contribute to the appearance of fleas in a house. A damp basement, an unventilated attic - all these factors help create a favorable atmosphere for insects to breed. As a result, fleas appear in abundance at home, especially among residents of the first and last floors.

Facilities

Today there are many products that are used to exterminate fleas in a sofa or bed. Sprays, powders, solutions are used.

You can destroy furniture fleas using store-bought products, traditional methods, or physical force.

Use of store products

Special aerosols are used to get rid of insects. They are designed to treat sofas against fleas. The following methods are popular:

• Karbofos";
• "Dichlorvos";
• "Combat";
• "Raid";
• "Raptor".

The first two remedies are considered the most common. "Dichlorvos" is available only in aerosol form. Karbofos is sold in different forms. But their use is not recommended, as they contain toxic substances. Today there are a number of products that are safer for killing fleas living in the sofa.

“Dichlorvos”, produced under the brands “Neo” and “Varan”, is odorless. However, it is toxic and inhalation of vapors leads to poisoning.

When using aerosols, you must follow the instructions and safety requirements.

Many drugs do not have a distinct odor. But they are also harmful to health and their inhalation leads to poisoning.

“Neostomazan” is popular. Sold in pharmacies. The advantage of the drug is that it can be used to treat animals against fleas. Sold in ampoules.

To treat the room, purchase a 5 ml ampoule. Its contents are diluted with a liter of water and rubbed on the baseboards, floor and bedding where the animal sleeps. After treatment, the room is closed for 3 hours, after which it is ventilated.

Dust is popular. But experts do not recommend using the product, as it is toxic. The substance can accumulate in the body. It is used only for floors and baseboards. You cannot use dust to treat a sofa against fleas.

Before use, you must read the instructions, and when using, follow safety precautions.

Traditional methods

To get rid of sofa fleas on your own, you can also use the same remedies that grandmothers used.

Before using traditional methods, bed linen is removed and the sofa is cleaned with a vacuum cleaner. To destroy pests, herbs are used: eucalyptus, tansy or wormwood.

Plant branches are placed under the sofa and removed after 5 days. To treat walls and baseboards, prepare a decoction. To prepare it, use a dry plant, fragrances, and aromatic oils.

Eucalyptus is diluted with water and ammonia is added. The resulting solution is used to wash the floor and treat the walls.

At home, you can kill sofa fleas using turpentine or kerosene. But the smell that remains after using the products is difficult to get rid of.

Turpentine is diluted with water and the furniture is treated with a brush. The procedure is repeated several times so that no eggs remain. After 12 hours, ventilate the room.

Fighting fleas with folk remedies

If you decide to get rid of fleas using traditional methods, first clean the sofa with a vacuum cleaner.

After cleaning, you can use herbs. The following herbs are common:

• tansy;
• eucalyptus;
• sagebrush.

Dry branches of tansy and wormwood are laid out under the sofa; you can lay them out on the sofa and remove them after 5 days. To treat the walls, prepare a decoction of these herbs. Eucalyptus fragrance is mixed with ammonia, diluted with water, then floors and walls are washed with this solution.

Before the advent of modern products, kerosene and turpentine were used, if you manage to remove fleas with their help, it is difficult to remove the smell of the products themselves, but if you have no other choice, you can use them. After diluting the turpentine with hot water in a basin or bucket, treat the sofa with a brush. You will have to repeat the procedure several times.

Traditional methods suggest you use essential oils such as anise or orange. There is an option to treat the sofa with shampoo against lice.

Tansy flowers repel fleas

Physical ways to get rid of fleas

If you have such an opportunity, at the dacha, take the sofa out into the scorching sun. The sun's rays will help you get rid of the living creatures that have settled in the sofa forever. You can use an iron if the furniture covering is not afraid of it. If it’s winter outside, open the windows and leave for a while, fleas and larvae cannot tolerate sub-zero temperatures, subsequent thorough cleaning will help get rid of the remaining parasites. If the infestation is not too severe, you can remove fleas from the sofa by vacuuming thoroughly. After this, do not forget to thoroughly wash the brush of the device with a disinfectant, otherwise the vacuum cleaner will become an additional factor in the spread of fleas in the apartment.

Don't forget about bedspreads and bed linen, if they were used in this room, they need to be thoroughly dried and washed. Ideally, to get rid of fleas, the laundry should be boiled, but since modern materials are not designed for such exposure, try to wash them at the highest possible temperature. If there are a lot of fleas in the sofa, the treatment will have to be carried out again a week later, after the larvae hatch. These methods can also be considered household or folk.

Physical methods

If pests have infested a sofa in the country, take the furniture out into the sun if possible. An iron is used as a physical influence on parasites. But they are used when the coating is not exposed to high temperature and steam.

Fleas and their larvae are susceptible to sub-zero temperatures. If insects were found in winter, it is enough to open the windows wide open in the room. After this, thoroughly clean it with a vacuum cleaner.

If the parasites have just begun to multiply, you can get rid of them using a vacuum cleaner. Bed linen is thoroughly shaken out and washed. After completing the procedure, the vacuum cleaner brush is thoroughly cleaned with a special product so that it does not become a source of subsequent infection.

Fleas in apartments are a common problem. Dealing with it is not difficult, as there are many means. They do not have a distinct odor, but require compliance with safety measures. Inhalation of vapors leads to poisoning. To treat a sofa, the product must be intended for upholstered furniture, which must be taken into account when purchasing.

Main subspecies: categorical classification

• Basement and earthen. These fleas are usually dark in color; popularly they are often called “sexual”, since such insects are located at a small height relative to the floor. In most cases, those people who live on the lower floor have to deal with such pests, but they can also be found above.
• Dog and cat. The most common variant of infection involves the “arrival” of fleas through an “intermediary” - on one of your pets. This happens especially often with dogs that need to be walked regularly. Naturally, fleas that initially attached themselves to your pet’s body can subsequently “settle” in the apartment and begin to feast on the blood of the owner of this pet.
• Bedding. Another extremely popular subtype is bed (also called linen) fleas, which are a collective term for a large number of varieties of pests. Typically, such insects are not large in size (they are difficult to see). They start when a person neglects basic hygiene rules and does not ensure proper cleaning of bedding. Also, bed fleas often live in old furniture (beds, sofas, chairs).
• Rat. As is the case with dogs and cats, rat fleas can cause trouble not only for rodents, but also for people. A common situation: fleas, “frenzied” due to the persecution of small animals, go in search of new food, and virtually any warm-blooded creature can become their victims.