How to Make Your Home Less Appealing to Fleas

Is such a thing possible? Cat and dog owners might well wonder. While we are experiencing much cooler weather than we did at this point last year, the fleas are out there. They are more likely to venture indoors – catching a ride on our pets as they do so – during warmer weather than colder weather.

And we are heading into the summer months very soon. So, how can you make sure your home doesn’t become infested with fleas?

Start with your pet

Make sure your pet is treated against fleas the whole year. Some people only treat their pets when signs of infestation occur. However, by this point, you should be more worried about the signs you cannot see. If you spot fleas on your pet, there will likely be larvae and eggs you cannot see too.

Make sure you purchase a reputable and reliable flea treatment from your vet. This will ensure any fleas that land on your pet will die almost instantly. They certainly won’t be capable of breeding or laying eggs in their fur. Cheaper brands that are available without prescription are often unable to combat fleas in the same way.

Vacuum and clean regularly

Pay close attention to your pet’s bedding and everywhere they sleep. For example, we all know cats have beds, and we all know they prefer to sleep on ours. That would mean regularly washing your own bedding, along with anywhere else they sleep. You should wash everything that will fit in the washing on a hot cycle, as this will kill the fleas.

When vacuuming, always empty the bag afterwards. Vacuuming alone doesn’t kill the fleas, so they can hop right back out of the bag and carry on where they left off. To make sure this doesn’t happen, go outside, remove the bag, and get rid of it in a dustbin. If your vacuum doesn’t use bags, empty it straight into one and put that in the dustbin instead.

For severe infestations – more likely during the summer thanks to us keeping our doors open and our pets going outside more often – you may need to get professional advice. Making sure you have got rid of all the fleas and their larvae is vital if you want to get your home back to normal again. And in future, remember that prevention is better than cure. Keep your pet treated against fleas regularly to make it more likely you won’t be bothered again.