How to Kill Fleas

The fleas you see on your pet are a small part of the problem. For every adult on the animal, dozens of eggs, larvae and cocoons are waiting in the carpet, the bedding and the cracks in the floor. Killing fleas for good means treating the home and the pet at the same time. Here is how to do it.

Why fleas are so hard to kill

A flea infestation lives in two places at once. Adults feed and lay eggs on your pet, and those eggs roll off into the carpet and wherever your pet sleeps, where they hatch into larvae and spin protected cocoons. Those cocoons can wait weeks for a warm body to pass, which is why fleas seem to return days after you thought they were gone. Treat only the pet and the carpet restocks it. Treat only the carpet and the pet reseeds it. (More on the two-front fight: How to get rid of fleas)

How to kill fleas fast

Work the home and the animal together. On the pet, use a flea comb and a vet-recommended flea treatment made for the animal, never a home insecticide. In the house, vacuum every carpet, rug and cushion to lift eggs and larvae and to trigger the cocoons to open, then empty the vacuum straight into an outside bin. Puff a thin, even layer of Dust to Dust into the carpet and along the baseboards and under the furniture where the pet rests, working it into the fibers with a broom and reaching the edges with the Insect Buster. The plant-powered powder works like diatomaceous earth but kills faster: it scratches the waxy shell of larvae and adults and dries them out. In the carpet it stays put and keeps working as long as it stays in place and visible, so leave it down. On hard floors and skirting, a mist of Six Feet Under kills the ones you see and dries clean. Wash the pet bedding hot and keep vacuuming every day or two, because more cocoons will keep hatching. (Safe around the animals: What pest control products are safe for pets?)

Kill fleas, then break the cycle

• Treat the pet: comb and use a vet-recommended flea product on the animal, not a home spray or powder.
• Vacuum first: go over carpets, rugs, cushions and cracks, then empty the vacuum into an outside bin. Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter so the fine powder does not slip through and damage the motor.
• Dust the carpet: work a thin layer of Dust to Dust into the fibers and edges with the Insect Buster, leave it down to keep working and top it up only where it is gone.
• Spray hard floors: mist Six Feet Under along baseboards and skirting and wash pet bedding hot.

Related: How to get rid of fleas in carpet and Natural flea control.

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