How do you get rid of fleas at your house?

Fleas - I hate fleas and what they are about.  Adult fleas are about 1/16 to 1/8-inch long, dark reddish-brown, wingless, hard-bodied (difficult to crush between fingers), have three pairs of legs (hind legs enlarged enabling jumping) and are flattened vertically or side to side (bluegill or sunfish-like) allowing easy movement between the hair, fur or feathers of the host.
United States
November 5, 2006 12:49pm CST
What's the most effective way to get rid of fleas? Any suggested brands to use?
5 people like this
24 responses
@ChewySpree (1832)
• United States
5 Nov 06
Here are a few things you can do: -Use a monthly flea treatment on your pets such as Frontline -Be sure to wash your pets' bedding in hot water -Put a flea collar inside your vaccuum cleaner bag so that when you vaccuum up fleas and their eggs, they will be killed -Use a bug bomb to treat your house If you can do all these things within a day or so of each other your chances of eliminating the fleas are better.
• United States
5 Nov 06
Interesting about the flea collar in the bedding. I use Frontline on the animals but I can't always get it 30 days later, so it's not always effective in keeping them away. I tried putting a flea collar on my cat and he first started foaming at the mouth. I called the vet they said he probably got a taste of it. Then I got it on him and he somehow got it stuck in his teeth, so I know that month controller is out of the question. But yes, I will definitely do the flea collar thing.
2 people like this
@prue187 (517)
• United States
5 Nov 06
I had the same problem last summer our carpet was infested with fleas. One solution is to shampoo your carpet then vacuum it maybe thrice daily. another one is to bomb your house just read the instructions i think you need to be out of the house for atleast 4-6 hours the smell is real strong, lastly you can buy a flea trap killer from e-bay or other retail stores, It is round and has a sticky suff in it, the light imitates the warm blood of a human that is why fleas are attracted to it. If you want someting more safer just put water in a basin a little soap then put it under the light fleas can be drowned easily. hopefully you can get rid of those nasty fleas.
2 people like this
• United States
5 Nov 06
I have never heard of a flea trap. Kind of sounds like an ant trap. Thanks!
2 people like this
@Timinator (739)
• United States
5 Nov 06
We use Borox Powder at my house. Its just white powder that you sprinkle around on the carpet and when the fleas touch it, it sticks to them and it kills them. It's very simple to use and doesn't require moving all the stuff out of the house.
2 people like this
• United States
5 Nov 06
Simple is definitely what I'm looking for. I really don't want to have to move all my stuff around. Yet, I guess it would still have to be moved around to get like under beds and such. What about boxes I have with items packed. I moved in May and haven't unpacked things that I don't use. Should I be doing something about that?
2 people like this
@macubx (11414)
• Philippines
5 Nov 06
i put foam rubber in my pet's bed.. fleas dont like it
• United States
5 Nov 06
Wow, that's interesting. Thanks.
1 person likes this
• Netherlands
5 Nov 06
Fleas are very hard to get rid of. I think it's very important to keep the flees off your dog by using a fleeshampoo or other products.Camb them is also very good. You also have to clean your house very good even in the winter. Spray to kill the eggs aswell.
2 people like this
@5cakids (25)
• United States
6 Nov 06
advantage or frontline will work. The pet will also treat the house so no need to buy extra stuff.
1 person likes this
• United States
7 Nov 06
It hasn't worked for me yet is the problem. They don't seem as bad as they have been, but Frontline doesn't work for my pets. I put frontline on my cat, and he still has fleas.
1 person likes this
@sbeauty (5865)
• United States
5 Nov 06
We only had fleas once. We tried moving everything and spraying all over the house and bathing the cats with special flea shampoo. After doing all this work, the fleas came back. We ended up calling an exterminator. We still had to move everything out of closets and stuff again, but he managed to kill them completely. After that we always gave our kitties Program every month so that they wouldn't breed fleas again.
1 person likes this
• United States
5 Nov 06
Wow, thanks, I didn't know exterminaters did that sort of thing. That would almost be worth it!
1 person likes this
@Cortney (3980)
• United States
5 Nov 06
I would use a bomber that takes care of fleas. but if you have pets that are staying in the house, then I would ask a vet what they suggest to treat the house with.
1 person likes this
• United States
5 Nov 06
Thanks. I did get ahold of a vet and they recommended a bomb that I have yet to try out.
1 person likes this
@magikrose (5429)
• United States
5 Nov 06
Ewww they are so ugly when you see them up close like that. All I remember my mother doing is getting a flee bomb for every room in the house and even the basement, then taking our cats outside and giving them baths. I dont know whe brand she got but I know it worked. After we had to wash everything even clothes in our dresser drawyers that were clean to get rid of any that tried to hide and vaccume every inch of the rug and furniture. It was grose but well worth it.
1 person likes this
• United States
5 Nov 06
Yucky Fleas - I hate em!  Just look at them, they are gross!
It's so time consuming too, you know? I got down to even moving out of the house to get away from the fleas, but obviously they hang out in funiture and bedding, and all that other stuff.
1 person likes this
@burgoonster (3757)
• Canada
5 Nov 06
Vacumm Daily, Steam You're Couch And Carpet
1 person likes this
• United States
5 Nov 06
I heard the vacuum daily thing but I didn't think about steaming the couch and carpet, thank you.
1 person likes this
• United States
5 Nov 06
I heard from pet store put table salt on carpet then wait hour then vacuum you can aloso leave in carpet it burns them they said
1 person likes this
• United States
5 Nov 06
Wow, that's interesting. I think that would take a lot of table salt lol. I will have to try that, that seems easy enough. Did they say anything about the eggs and such though?
1 person likes this
5 Nov 06
i normally buy special flee stuff that is very good but sorry i can not remember the name of it
1 person likes this
• United States
5 Nov 06
That's okay, thanks.
1 person likes this
• United States
5 Nov 06
They are a pain but they can be gotten rid of. I had tried various rememdies and none were working. I thought about pest control but at the time I didn't want to pay for their services just for fleas. I checked out the do it yourself pest control places and found the following treatment that worked wonders. It is called Permethrin-10. It is mixed with water and put into a sprayer. You can spray your carpets and furniture. Keep pets out of the room you sprayed until the stuff dries. Works great. They should carry a growth inhibitor that works with the above item to stop the cycle. Keeps the eggs from hatching. It was amazing I have not had to deal with them since. It has been two years now. Good luck
• United States
5 Nov 06
Wow thanks, I will have to check that out around where I live and see if they have anything like that around here.
1 person likes this
@ladygator (3465)
• United States
11 Nov 06
we used bombs and that worked well. But I remeber when I was little My dad told me to put a small bowl filled with dish soap and a small light above it. They jump to the light and fall in the water then die
1 person likes this
@Polly1 (12645)
• United States
11 Nov 06
Get some eculyptis oil, put some on cotton balls and put the cotton balls around the house. It really works. Also get some Mule Team borax 20 20, you can find it in the laundry section. Sprinkle that on carpets and leave it there, after you vacuum. It won't hurt the carpet, if it shows on carpet take a broom and work into fibers. You can put some of it in a salt shaker.
1 person likes this
• United States
11 Nov 06
Speak to an exterminator.
1 person likes this
@ladygator (3465)
• United States
11 Nov 06
we used bombs and that worked well. But I remeber when I was little My dad told me to put a small bowl filled with dish soap and a small light above it. They jump to the light and fall in the water then die
1 person likes this
@ladygator (3465)
• United States
11 Nov 06
we used bombs and that worked well. But I remeber when I was little My dad told me to put a small bowl filled with dish soap and a small light above it. They jump to the light and fall in the water then die
1 person likes this
@lbinkley (1075)
• United States
11 Nov 06
I have found that using fronline on your dog or cat seems to help a lot. There were fleas in my apartment before I moved in, and just having it on my cat seemed to make them disappear. It is available at the Vets office, and I think it is only around 10 dollars a month.
1 person likes this
@_hope_ (3902)
• Australia
11 Nov 06
mortein house bombs work well but you will have to repeat them in a few days as to when the eggs hatch out
1 person likes this