How to Get Rid of Fleas in Carpet

Carpet is where a flea problem actually lives. The adults ride your pet, but the eggs drop off into the pile and become larvae and cocoons deep between the fibers, out of reach of a quick pass with the vacuum. Getting rid of fleas in carpet means lifting what you can, treating what you cannot and staying at it while the cocoons keep hatching. Here is the carpet plan.

Why fleas thrive in carpet

A carpet is warm, dark and full of the flea dirt that larvae feed on, so it works as a nursery. Eggs and larvae work their way down to the base of the pile against the carpet backing where the cocoons sit sticky and protected, which is why they survive a light vacuum and a single treatment. The few adults you see are a fraction of what is woven into the pile below. Treating a home where pets and children play means using something you are comfortable having underfoot. (What that means: What pest control products are safe for pets?)

How to get rid of fleas in carpet

Start with the vacuum. Go slowly over the whole carpet, the rugs and the cushions, run it along the edges and skirting where flea dirt collects, then empty it straight into an outside bin so nothing crawls back out. Next, puff a thin, even layer of Dust to Dust over the carpet and work it down into the fibers with a broom, reaching the edges and the gaps under furniture with the Insect Buster. The plant-powered powder works like diatomaceous earth but kills faster: it scratches the waxy shell of the larvae and dries them out where they live. In the carpet, it stays put and keeps working as long as it stays in place and visible, so leave it down. Vacuum every few days to lift newly hatched fleas and trigger the cocoons, then top up the powder wherever it is no longer visible, since cocoons keep hatching for a couple of weeks. For hard floors and thresholds at the edge of the carpet, a mist of Six Feet Under handles the adults you see. (The full routine: How to get rid of fleas)

Clear fleas from the carpet, step by step

• Vacuum thoroughly: cover the carpet, rugs, cushions and edges, then empty into an outside bin. Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter so the fine powder does not slip through and damage the motor.
• Work in the powder: puff Dust to Dust over the carpet and brush it into the fibers, reaching edges with the Insect Buster.
• Keep at it: the powder keeps working while it stays visible, so vacuum every few days for new fleas and top it up where it is gone, for a couple of weeks as cocoons hatch.
• Edge the hard floors: mist Six Feet Under along thresholds and skirting and wash pet bedding hot.

Related: How to kill fleas and Natural flea control.

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