How To Control Fleas

If you have a suspected flea outbreak, the first steps are to vacuum the whole house (carpeted areas, timber and tile floors and furniture). Make sure you clean under furniture, down cracks in furniture and around edges of room. Immediately bag the contents of the vacuum cleaner in a sealed plastic bag and place in the garbage.

Wash all bedding, furniture coverings, clothing, rugs, that can be washed in a washing machine in a hot wash cycle. Another option is to place such items in sealed black plastic bags in the sun for 1-2 hours – the heat kills all flea life stages. If you are unsure whether the fabric cannot be washed or tolerate temperatures to 70ºC, then leave the items in place and carry out a flea treatment (Step 4).

Treat pets with an appropriate flea treatment as recommended by your vet. (Not keeping your pet flea treatment up to date is one of the key causes of flea outbreaks).

Carry out a flea treatment inside the home. You can call a professional pest controller to carry out a treatment, but homeowners can buy the necessary products in their local hardware store to carry out the treatment themselves (at a significant saving).

Treat all rooms where the pets have been with a flea bomb or flea fogger. These products are also called total release aerosols, as once activated they release all the product in one go. The fine mist floats into all but the most protected dead spots. To maximize performance open all cupboards and drawers and remove any items that may restrict airflow.

When using flea bombs is it vital that the label is ready carefully and that all safety instructions are followed. Key standard instructions include;

• Remove any clothing items, exposed food, food utensils
• Remove all pets and plants
• Cover fish tanks
• Turn off all sources of ignition (flames, pilot lights, electricity) prior to use
• Turn off or cover smoke detectors
• Turn off fans and air-conditioners
• Close all doors and windows to the treatment room, prior to use.
• Leave the room immediately after starting the flea bomb
• Stay out of the treatment room for 2 hours after use
• Air the room following treatment
• Wipe down all surfaces
• Vacuum up dead insects
• Turn on smoke detectors

Some flea bombs do not penetrate the flea pupae, so sometimes there may be a minor outbreak 1-2 weeks after treatment when these adult fleas emerge, although these are quickly controlled by the residual insecticide in the carpet.

For any spot treatments or “dead” spots where you believe the mist from the flea bomb may not have reached, use an insecticide spray (aerosol or pump pack) that is registered for flea use, such as PestXpert Pro-Spray Indoor and Outdoor or PestXpert Pro-Spray Crawling.

This is the step many homeowners miss and a common reason for re-infestation.

Treat any outdoor areas where your pet likes to rest. Often these are cool, sandy places in the shade…. just the places flea larvae also prefer. PestXpert Pro Hose-On Tick and Flea is the easy way to treat large areas. For small areas, PestXpert Pro-Spray Outdoor Perimeter is also an option. Make sure the pest are kept clear during treatment and are kept clear until the treatment is dry. Ideally any sub-floor areas should designed to prevent pet access.

It takes a bit of effort, but doing it right first time will ensure you get rid of the flea quickly and do not need to a do a re-treatment.