TOP-8 Ways to get rid of fleas in the house: with chemicals, as well as proven folk remedies | (Photo & Video) + Reviews

1. Where do parasites live?
2. Why do basement fleas appear in an apartment?
3. Why are basement fleas dangerous?
4. How to destroy basement fleas in an apartment
5. Chemicals for flea control
6. Removing basement fleas from animals
7. How to kill flea larvae
8. Basement treatment
9. Traditional methods for fleas in the apartment
10. Preventive measures

Basement fleas often appear in city apartments. The likelihood of fleas increases if you have dogs or cats. But, as the name of this type of insect suggests, they live in basements. Let's figure out how to get rid of basement fleas in an apartment building.

Where do parasites live?

It is not difficult to guess which places basement fleas prefer. Basements and crawl spaces are not the only habitat for parasites. Insects choose those rooms whose conditions are favorable for reproduction.

Favorable factors for the existence and reproduction of bedbugs:

• warm room, with air temperature +17, +20 °C;
• high humidity (more than 70%);
• bad light;
• accumulation of garbage, household waste, rags.

Where do basement fleas usually live:

• basements;
• sheds;
• country cellars;
• wells;
• heating mains;
• ground floors.

Often insects appear in the house along with rats running from the basement. They enter the apartment by crawling through cracks and cracks in doors and floors. During the warm season, basement fleas live in dirty, abandoned garbage dumps.

Parasites enter the home not only through animals. People can bring fleas on shoes and clothes after throwing out trash. Fleas that appear in the house begin to lay eggs and actively reproduce.

Insects prefer cozy, secluded places. Also, do not forget that fleas can jump to a height of 1.5 meters.

Where do parasites most often live:

• space under carpets and rugs;
• cabinet corners;
• pet bedding.

Where do fleas live

Disinsection involves the complete treatment of the apartment, but special attention is paid to places where flea nests are located. Finding specific habitats of small parasites is not easy. How to determine where fleas live? They prefer to build nests:

• near the ventilation grille;
• in the space under furniture;
• on the wrong side of a pet's bed;
• in mattresses and sofa folds;
• behind the baseboard;
• on the underside of the carpet.

Fleas spend most of their time on the host's body. You can verify this by examining the fur of a cat or dog in an apartment inhabited by ectoparasites.

Why do basement fleas appear in an apartment?

The season for basement fleas to appear in an apartment is summer and autumn. Residents of apartments from the first to the third floor and private houses are subject to unpleasant “neighborhood”.

Parasites move into housing:

• from the basement of a residential building (for example, if a person was in it and got fleas on his clothes);
• from neighbors;
• transportation by pets;
• with rodents that have appeared in the home.

Fleas enter the apartment through cracks due to their small size. They live in floor cracks, linoleum, baseboards, and carpet pile.

Another factor in the spread of parasites is the humidity in the basements and sanitary facilities in the apartment is above 60%. Fleas also love warmth. In such conditions, normal life activities are ensured.

Reasons for their appearance

Fleas are wingless insects, so they spread directly from an infected object. It can be:

• mice, rats and other rodents;
• Pets;
• sick people;
• objects on which eggs are laid;
• nearby premises where the pest already lives.

Read more: how to treat basements for mice.

The female lays a huge number of eggs - up to 500 pieces. She glues them to the owner's fur, hides them in the cracks of buildings, or shoots them into the air in small portions.

The eggs are spread over a large area, and after 2 weeks, worm-like larvae emerge from them. Any organic remains serve as food for them. Having pupated, the larva continues its maturation and, upon emerging from the cocoon, looks for a new host.

Thus, a couple of fleas can give rise to a large colony, which, spreading and growing exponentially, will fill the space, infect many animals and cause human suffering.

At risk are premises located next to basements or attics, adjacent to garbage chutes.

The most susceptible to flea infestations are:

• first floors of apartment buildings;
• apartments on the upper floors, if stray cats or dogs live in the entrance;
• any premises where there are rats or mice.

A person can bring fleas or their larvae into the house in the folds of their clothing or on their shoes. Therefore, it is not uncommon for blood-sucking insects to be found in a sparklingly clean apartment on the 12th floor.

Why are basement fleas dangerous?

The main food of parasites is blood. Fleas bite painfully, and bite marks become itchy and inflamed. Insects pose a serious danger to people.

What is the danger of basement fleas:

• painful bites that, when scratched, form ulcers and sores;
• the possibility of infection with infectious and fungal diseases, helminths;
• infection of domestic animals with parasites.

If previously fleas parasitized rats, then when they bite a person, they are capable of transmitting terrible diseases to him: plague, hepatitis, typhoid, encephalitis and others. An increase in body temperature is the first sign indicating the onset of an infection.

There is always a possibility that an apartment will be infested with parasites. To reduce the risk of an unpleasant neighborhood, carry out regular preventive maintenance and take timely measures to destroy insects that have already settled.

How to destroy basement fleas in an apartment

To control insects, you must do the following:

1. Remove carpets, bedspreads and capes and take them to dry cleaning, or carefully beat them outside.
2. Wash the floors, including the baseboards, using a vinegar solution, and then rinse again with detergent.
3. Seal floor and window cracks, first treating them with insecticides.
4. Treat indoor rooms, floors and walls (1.5 meters from the floor) with special anti-insect preparations.
5. Wash bedding and bedding used for animal resting.
6. Treat your pets.

Fleas are repelled by odorous plants - eucalyptus, wormwood, tansy and others. Spread the herb around the perimeter of the apartment or prepare a tincture from it. The tincture is used to wipe floors and baseboards. Remember that traditional methods of killing insects are significantly inferior in effectiveness to chemical insecticides.

Preventive actions

Having encountered a problem and resolved it, it is necessary to take care that the flea infestation does not recur.

Prevention of infection of an apartment or private house can be called:

• maintaining normal air humidity readings;
• protecting animals with flea collars or special medications;
• periodically disinfecting an apartment or private house using available means.

Flea bites can be very dangerous because the parasites are carriers of many serious diseases. For this reason, it is imperative to fight them and completely remove the flea colony.

Chemicals for flea control

Basement fleas are resistant to detergents, even with the most “nuclear” composition. To get rid of insects, use insecticides sold in specialized stores.

Aerosol and concentrated preparations are more suitable for killing fleas. The most common insecticides against fleas:

1. Battalion commander
2. Raptor.
3. Dichlorvos.
4. Executioner.
5. Tetrix.
6. Diazonon.
7. Cucaracha.

Aerosols are easy to use, but require preliminary preparation of the room. Before using the insecticide, it is recommended to put food in the refrigerator, or hide it together with the dishes under a protective film. Children and animals must be removed from the premises until disinfestation is completed.

To kill blood-sucking insects, you will need to spray an aerosol in the room, after closing the windows. Pay special attention to floors, pile coverings, and baseboards. You will need to leave the treated apartment for 1-2 hours. After the allotted time, the apartment is thoroughly ventilated and wet cleaned.

It is recommended to carry out such disinfestation 3-4 times, at intervals of a week. If the eggs and larvae have not been destroyed, regular treatment will help get rid of hatched parasites.

Concentrated products are available in the form of gels or powders and are pre-diluted with water, according to the instructions. The diluted drug is poured into a spray bottle and sprayed around the room.

When using concentrates, be sure to wear protective clothing, gloves, goggles and a respirator. Such products are very toxic and pose a danger to people who are not prepared for the process. After finishing the treatment, leave the apartment for at least 3 hours, and upon returning, clean and ventilate the room.

Effective ways to fight

The fight consists of using special means to get rid of unnecessary neighbors. The drugs are powerful and can destroy a colony very quickly, but the insecticides are practically safe for humans.

But it is worth remembering that not all means of struggle - even the most advertised brands - are able to have the desired effect. Failure to comply with the conditions for using the poison will backfire: it will not be possible to destroy all the insects and the colony will be restored. What to do to prevent this from happening? It is necessary to carefully read the instructions for the poison so that the fight against parasites - fleas and bedbugs - is successful.

How can you kill blood-sucking insects? How to deal with them? It is worth noting that their narrow food specialization - they prefer to feed only on blood, jumping on the host - makes the choice of means of control to get rid of fleas more limited than with bedbugs or black cockroaches. But still, they exist.

Household fleas can be controlled using two types of insecticides. To help get rid of them:

• sprays and aerosols. They allow you to destroy insects quickly, literally within 24 hours;
• substances of contact type of action. They help kill parasites more effectively. The only thing is that there are relatively few such poisons.

It is best to poison the larvae with dust. They are indiscriminate and prefer to feed on various food scraps, so destruction will be more effective. To get rid of “teenagers”, treat food bait with dust. Most likely, it will be completely eaten.

The main condition for using any drug that helps get rid of fleas is complete cleanliness of the room and the absence of people and animals.

Removing basement fleas from animals

Treating the premises is not enough to completely eliminate the infestation. If pets live in the apartment, they should also be treated with special means.

Preparations used to remove fleas from animals:

1. Anti-flea shampoo. Easy to use but effective. You will need to wash the animal with shampoo and repeat this procedure 3 more times until the insects are completely destroyed.
2. Flea drops. You can purchase high-quality drops at a veterinary pharmacy or veterinary clinic. According to the instructions, the drops are placed strictly on the withers so that the pet does not reach the drug with its tongue. To achieve greater effect, drops are used for 2-3 weeks.
3. Nitenpyram tablets. Advanced parasite infestation requires immediate and effective treatment. The drug is administered orally and begins to act within an hour. It is important to consult a veterinarian before use, as this product is dangerous for the animal.
4. Anti-flea collar. A common, easy-to-use tool. The main condition is to change the collar every month, or after the time specified in the instructions. Otherwise, the collar loses its properties.

Remember that most pet products are tailored to your pet's weight. For a pet with a small weight or a pet with diseases, choose a less toxic drug. In any case, choose the most gentle and safe products for your pet.

Take advantage of chemical industry products

The lifespan of fleas is short, but they leave multiple offspring, so traditional methods may not be enough. In this case, it is possible to use more aggressive methods of pest control. These are very effective means that can destroy the entire population almost the first time. And yet, in any case, it is recommended to re-disinfect after two weeks.

• Flea sprays . The main advantage of aerosols is the concentration of the substance, which, thanks to its targeted action, kills unwanted insects almost instantly. At the same time, the targeted action can also be attributed to the disadvantages; treating a large area is extremely time-consuming and expensive. However, if the flea habitat is small, then this method is advisable. The room is first cleaned of unnecessary things, after which the aerosol is sprayed on the floor and walls. The basement is closed for one or two days. Given the strong pungent odor, it is recommended to carry out such disinfection using a respirator and gloves.
• Dust and other powder products . Powdered flea repellent differs favorably from aerosols mainly in its lack of odor. This product is scattered on the floor, its effectiveness remains for at least a year. Manufacturers of powder products note that this method is safe for residents and their pets, and temperature and sunlight do not reduce the effectiveness of the drug.
• A more effective way is special smoke bombs . As a result of use, thick smoke is released, which penetrates even the most inaccessible places and thus completely destroys insects. The main condition is that all doors, windows and possible openings are tightly closed. In addition, using this method will help rid the basement not only of fleas, but also of other pests (rats, mice, ants, cockroaches), if any.

Naturally, such thorough treatment requires time and effort, but the measures taken guarantee the complete destruction of the new generation of parasites.

How to kill flea larvae

Fleas lay a lot of larvae, which become a serious problem for apartment owners. Often after treatment, fleas appear in the room again. To prevent this from happening, destroy the larvae at the same time as the adults.

Phenaxin, Clean House dusts, and Pyrethrium powder will help get rid of the larvae. Sprinkle the powder or coat the cracks and corners in the apartment with fine powder.

Dusts and powders are most effective in combating flea larvae, because the larvae feed on organic matter, on the basis of which powder insecticides are made. The larvae, having tasted the dust, die in the shortest possible time.

Such careful processing takes a lot of time, but guarantees a positive result. Young insects will not appear in your apartment.

Basement treatment

If fleas entered the home from the basement, poison them in the apartment and basement. The pest control service will help resolve the issue. In addition, rodents, the main carriers of fleas, are destroyed in the basement.

First, the basement is thoroughly cleaned. All household garbage and rags are taken out of it. The room is swept out and, if possible, a damp cloth is passed along the walls to clean them.

Then they check the pipes that run in the basement to detect leaks. If there are defects, you will need the help of specialists to carry out repairs.

The basement is treated independently with insecticidal agents in the form of aerosols. The advantage of the drugs is their ease of use and good effect. Treatment is carried out daily for five days.

Then they take a break of ten days and repeat the manipulations. If the apartments on the lower floors are heavily infested with parasites, you will need professional help from exterminators. Only after this do they poison the parasites in the apartment.

For disinfestation of basement non-residential premises, the most powerful and toxic agent is chosen. Suitable drugs are those that are not recommended for use in houses and apartments.

The entire room is sprayed with insecticides - surfaces, cracks, corners. When leaving the room, you should limit the flow of air by tightly closing doors and windows.

Traditional methods for fleas in the apartment

To eliminate basement fleas in an apartment, folk remedies are used. The use of herbal infusions with a specific odor is effective.

Ingredients for infusion:

• 1 part eucalyptus;
• 1 part tansy;
• 2 parts wormwood.

The ingredients are poured with boiling water and left for 12 hours. Then the infusion is poured into a spray bottle. The room is sprayed from a bottle. The product is carefully sprayed onto rugs, floor coverings, and wool carpets.

Caucasian chamomile contains pyrethrins, which have a detrimental effect on fleas. For disinfestation, fresh leaves and stems of the plant are used (dry ones are not effective). It is laid out in rooms for several days, after which it is replaced with fresh again.

Pine sawdust helps remove basement fleas. They fill the bedding on which the pet sleeps. Such activities are carried out before the beginning of spring, when fleas are active.

Baking soda and kitchen salt are used in flea treatment. 180 g of components are mixed and the mixture is sprinkled on the carpets. When 8 hours have passed, the apartment is vacuumed. If necessary, repeat the procedure.

Wormwood and pine shavings have a repellent effect. The plant is scattered along the corridor and left for a week.

A solution based on brewer's yeast and garlic is safe for pets and people using folk remedies. To prepare, grind the garlic and add 500 ml of water. 8 g of beer powder is dissolved in the mixture.

The solution is infused for 8 hours and all corners, crevices, and furniture are wiped. The product is suitable for treating pet fur against fleas.

Peppermint is used to get rid of fleas. The fresh plant is scattered throughout the apartment and under the beds. They also scatter the zest of orange, grapefruit, lemon, and tangerine around the house.

A radical way to get rid of parasites is kerosene and turpentine. The product is applied to the habitats of parasites. After contact with the substances, fleas die instantly.

Use folk recipes

There are many traditional methods for disinfecting basements against fleas. The essence of such methods is not so much in killing insects, but in repelling them. And after some time, pests may appear again. Therefore, the use of such methods is effective in the event of a small number of fleas. For our readers, we have selected several of the most accessible methods from among the many popular ones.

• 
  One of the most effective methods is to use wormwood . It is laid out in the corners, the fleas cannot stand the smell of this grass and rush to leave the area. If the use of the herb is not suitable for some reason, then wormwood tincture, which can be easily purchased at a pharmacy, will come to your aid. This tincture is diluted with water 1:1. Use this mixture to wash the entire area, including walls, baseboards and corners. In the same way, you can prevent the appearance of pests after chemical or professional disinfection. Branches of coniferous trees also have a similar property.

• A mixture of salt and soda . This mixture is poured in different places: on the floor, behind the baseboards, in all hard-to-reach places, as well as on furniture. After several hours, the area must be vacuumed and washed thoroughly. This method works as follows: salt, when it gets on a flea, almost immediately corrodes its body, and soda acts in a similar way. Together, these two products quickly clear the room of insects, and this method is absolutely harmless to people. It is better and more effective if this procedure is repeated after 2-3 weeks.
• Ammonia . Add a few drops of ammonia to the water for washing floors. Walls and floors are washed with this mixture, special attention is paid to baseboards, corners and places behind furniture. Ammonia can be replaced with eucalyptus tincture, the effect will be the same.

Considering the short-term effect of traditional methods of fighting basement fleas, it is necessary to repeat them regularly.