What is The Fastest Way to Get Rid of Fleas in the Carpet?

While commonly associated with messy dogs and cats, there are many ways that you can find yourself dealing with a flea infestation. And you don’t always need a dirty house or pet.

Your immediate thoughts might be: “What kills fleas in the carpet?” and “What is the fastest way to get rid of fleas in the carpet?”

Here at Pest Resources, it’s our job to ensure you are informed about your pest infestation. That way, you’re prepared to deal with unwanted houseguests effectively while putting prevention precautions in place.

It is essential to be vigilant and swift regarding fleas. Because they are very quickly brought into your home. So, without further ado, let’s begin by considering why a flea infestation might occur in your household.

How Do adult Fleas Infest Your Home and Carpet?

 With over 300 species of flea present in the US, it’s no surprise so many homes experience an infestation now and again.

The most likely cause of your flea infestation is your pets. Your pets are the perfect host for fleas, as they feed on their blood, provide a warm nest, and have long fur to keep them safe.

However, fleas can get into your home and carpet even if you don’t have pets. This is because, while we humans aren’t usually a flea’s primary food source, they will attack us if necessary. And, if there is a guest that comes into your home and is carrying fleas, flea eggs will likely have dropped into your carpet.

Not only this, but fleas can jump long distances. So, if you have a flea infestation in your garden, they might get into your home. It is essential to know every house is susceptible, and avoiding animals won’t always prevent an infestation.

What do adult fleas and flea eggs look like?

Fleas are tiny insects and wingless parasites that feed on blood, sometimes causing allergic reactions and skin irritation. Their bodies are thin and range from brown to reddish brown with a hard exoskeleton. They do not have wings but jump long distances. The body is covered in hair to root them on the host.

Adult fleas are 0.11 inches long, so they are difficult to see. You might notice them weaving through the fur of your pet.

Cat fleas are the most common fleas, but dog fleas are prevalent in homes and on pets. Cat fleas do not just infest cats; all animals can be infested with them.

Flea eggs look like tiny grains of rice; they are oval and a whitish color and will become translucent before hatching.

What You Should Do If You Have Carpets with a Flea Infestation

 Fleas can lay up to 50 eggs daily, leading to eggs and larvae falling from the host to the ground. If your infested furry friend is in the house and rolling or scratching on the carpet, it’s more than likely that fleas have entered the carpet fibers. And this is where you should begin to think about the fastest way to get rid of fleas on the carpet.

If you believe you have a flea infestation on your carpet, this could indicate a much larger one in your home than expected. This is because carpets are very dense, and fleas can often remain undetected for large periods.

Top tip: Having some insect growth regulator at home can help with unwanted houseguests, such as fleas, cockroaches, flies, and mosquitos. This is because it mimics hormones in young insects, disrupting the entire reproductive process.

The Fastest Way to Get Rid of Fleas in the Carpet

It’s time for you to DIY with home remedies for your flea issue or call your local professional pest control technician to begin thinking about the fastest way to get rid of fleas on your carpet.

Some insecticides used will mean both you and your pets stay away from the treated area for a few hours. You’ll need to know the different flea treatments out there for flea infestations. Then you can decide the best for you.

Here’s a small list of different ways to kill fleas on carpet:

• Vacuum the carpet

• Steam clean the carpet

• Fogger always follow the manufacturer’s instructions

• Flea Sprays and flea powder to kill fleas

• Kill fleas with a Smoke Bomb

• Food-grade Diatomaceous Earth, not filter grade

• Vacuuming and Steam cleaning to kill fleas

• Give a flea treatment and worm your pet

• Baking Soda Plus Salt to kill fleas

Treating your pet and putting a flea collar on is not what kills fleas on the carpet. The same can be said for using a fogger or smoke bomb, as these will need to be used away from your pet and will kill adult fleas but will not kill flea eggs.

So, the fastest way to get rid of fleas in the carpet is to use a selection of many. For example: apply the flea treatment for your pet, vacuum the area to decrease the flea population, use a flea powder to kill the current adults, apply a product with an insect growth regulator to the carpet, set a heat lamp trap with baking soda and salt in some corners, and then vacuum the area again at the end.

How to kill fleas with carpet flea treatments

The most important step in killing fleas in your carpet – find the source. Fleas can spread to carpet in other rooms.

Look in areas where pets like to relax in a warm environment; this could include couches, blankets, and bedding. Fleas need a host and will be nearby. Wash all of your pet’s bedding in hot water and soapy water. Then dry your pet’s bedding in the hottest dryer setting.

Use pet shampoo to remove fleas from the fur. Use a flea comb to get rid of any remaining fleas. Alternatively, take your pet to a veterinarian for a professional flea treatment. You can prevent fleas in the home by using a flea comb every time when your pet has been outside.

Use a Vacuum cleaner on the entire carpet

You can use a vacuum cleaner to remove all stages of the flea life cycle from the carpet. Vacuum the carpet several times. Use a nozzle attachment to get in corners and along the baseboards and upholstered furniture.

Move the furniture around to vacuum the entire carpet. Empty the vacuum cleaner bag in a plastic bag outside in the trash. Empty the vacuum bag every time you vacuum the carpet. Apply a flea powder to the carpet, leave for a few hours, then steam clean your carpet.

How to empty the vacuum cleaner

Just as vacuuming is important, you should empty the vacuum bag after cleaning straight away. If your vacuum has a bag, go outside, remove the bag and place it in a plastic bag and seal it. Then place it in the outside garbage can.

If the vacuum is bagless, take the container outside and empty it into a plastic bag that can be sealed and place it in the outside garbage can. Wash the container in hot water with soap or bleach.

Use a Steam Cleaner to Clean the Carpet

Getting rid of fleas in your carpet with a steam cleaner is effective in killing fleas. Steam cleaning will kill fleas in your carpet along with flea larvae and flea eggs and remove flea dirt. They will not survive in temperatures above 100 F. Ensure when steam cleaning, the water reaches this temperature.

A combination of heat and soap when steam cleaning works not only to kill fleas in the carpet, but a steam clean also works for hardwood floors, furniture, and upholstery.

So, the answer to “what kills fleas in the carpet” = is steam – and will be the same when applied to other furniture.

Sprinkle diatomaceous earth

For removing fleas from your carpet, use food-grade diatomaceous earth. The sharp diatoms in this white powder will kill several types of pests, including fleas. When the tiny insects walk on diatomaceous earth, it attaches to the insect and absorbs all the moisture, and the fleas dry up and die.

Sprinkling diatomaceous earth is very effective in killing fleas, and it is safe for humans and pets. It will kill a flea problem in four hours. However, leave for 48 hours to be certain.

How to Use Diatomaceous Earth

• Wear gloves and a mask.

• Sprinkle the powder over the carpet thinly and evenly.

• Work the powder into the carpet pile with a broom.

• Leave the powder for 2 days.

• Vacuum the carpet to remove the powder and dead fleas.

Repel fleas with home remedies

To repel fleas make a lemon spray treatment; lemon is acidic with a strong smell fleas do not like. Boil a pint of water with lemon sliced up. Allow it to cool, pour it into a spray bottle, and spray your carpet.

A few drops of Essential oils like tea tree oil in a spray bottle with water or a vinegar-based spray will also repel fleas on your carpet.

Liquid Dawn Soap to Kill fleas

A dish soap flea trap is popular for getting rid of fleas; place a few drops of dish soap with water. Place in areas of infestation with a lamp on it. The fleas will jump to the light and fall into the soap and die.

Final Thoughts on Having Fleas in Your Carpet

Always keep up to date with flea treatments on your pets to prevent fleas and further infestations. Vacuum and steam clean regularly. One of the most important things you can do to prevent future infestations is to seal cracks and holes in your house to prevent pests. Even small cracks in the wood varnish can make way for unwanted houseguests.

Here at Pest Resources, we want to make sure that you, your home, and your family are kept safe. That’s why we will always recommend reaching out to your local professional pest control technician. They can give you information on the extent of your infestation and advice for extermination.

If you suspect any other infestations in your home, don’t forget to keep checking our blog, where you can find new information about what lurks in the cracks of your floorboards.

 And, there you have it, our answers to what is the best and fastest way to get rid of fleas on the carpet (and other places, too). We hope you have found our article helpful.

Good luck!