Mopping and steam cleaning can help to kill flea eggs, and washing linens, bedding, and pet beds in the washing machine on the hot cycle is also advisable. If possible, declutter your home so it's easier to clean and there are fewer places for flea eggs to hide.
An oral fast-acting tablet that contains Nitenpyram is the safest way to kill fleas on dogs instantly. You can also bathe your dog in hot soapy water with Dawn to kill adult fleas, but this is not a good long-term solution.
Apply a concentrated IGR insecticidal spray.
These types of products are designed to kill the eggs and the “youngins” of fleas and other pest insects, for this matter. It is also said that the main IGR ingredient affects adult fleas, as well. They become infertile and their eggs don't hatch.
Dawn soap is effective at getting rid of adult fleas. However, flea eggs and flea larvae are not affected by Dawn. When you use dish soap to kill fleas in your pet's coat, you are only getting rid of adult fleas. Dawn does not repel fleas.
Use Adams Plus Flea & Tick Spray or Adams Plus Flea & Tick Collars with an insect growth regulator (IGR) designed to kill flea eggs and their larvae. The spray is effective for up to two months, and the collars are effective for up to seven months.
Using a DIY flea spray of apple cider vinegar on a rug or dog bed will not kill fleas of any life stage. That's because the acid in vinegar is not strong enough to penetrate the shell of flea eggs or larvae.
FRONTLINE HOMEGARD® has a fast-acting formula to help you quickly get on top of home flea infestations. It kills fleas, flea eggs and flea larvae in your home. And once you've started the fight, it keeps on working for up to six months to help prevent future infestations.
Fleas have exoskeletons that allow them to float in water, explains Dr. Reeder. “Dawn (and other soaps like it) creates a kind of surfactant, or surface tension, that will compromise the exoskeleton and make adult fleas sink,” he says. So essentially, the soap drowns the fleas.
The eggs of fleas (and other insects) don't easily die in water. However, washing machines do kill flea eggs. They can't survive the detergent, water, heat, and physical tumbling action. It's recommended to wash items at 140°F for ten minutes, and then dry at the highest heat setting.
Wait 5 minutes, then rinse all of the soap off of your pet's fur. Allow about 5 minutes for the dish soap to completely kill the fleas before you begin rinsing. Use a cup of water or a handheld shower head to wash the soap off. Start from the top of your pet's body and work your way down towards the tail.
Salt dries out fleas just like diatomaceous earth, but it's less messy, and unlike diatomaceous earth, it doesn't pose a respiratory threat when used indoors. Borax powder is also effective against fleas and their larvae.
Hot Water. Washing linens and bedding in water that is 140 degrees or hotter will be effective to destroy most flea eggs. Steam cleaning carpets after vacuuming can also help to kill remaining flea eggs.
Be Wary of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) for Fleas
“Flea prevention is about sterilizing or killing the flea eggs and larvae. Without that step, fleas will continue to multiply. Since apple cider vinegar does nothing to address those life stages, it is an ineffective homemade flea spray,” writes Dr. Elfenbein.
Foggers provide a simple way to kill flea eggs (and many other pests). It's recommended to use foggers in combination with sprays or other products that can be used under furniture, where foggers have trouble reaching.
The best homemade flea killer is a simple apple cider vinegar and water mixture (6:4 ratio). Spray the liquid on the dog's fur. Avoid their ears, nose, eyes, and mouth.
Thoroughly bathe pets with soap and water, then comb them with a flea comb. Pay careful attention to face and neck regions, and the area in front of the tail. Soap will act as a gentle insecticide to kill adult fleas.
Fleas generally cannot live in human hair. While most species prefer to live on the furs of animals, they can use humans as temporary vectors.
If you love giving your dog a cuddle in bed or on the couch, launder all bedding and blankets to get rid of fleas and eggs. A normal laundry detergent will be enough to kill any fleas on bedding.
The light attracts the fleas, causing them to jump and land in the water. Adult fleas are positively phototactic, meaning they're attracted to sources of light. Adding a few drops of dish soap to the water reduces the surface tension. As a result, the fleas sink and drown.
Apple cider vinegar Apple cider vinegar is an effective way to ensure that there are no fleas on your hard surfaces. Wash your floors and wipe your countertops and tables with a solution of apple cider vinegar and water, to get rid of fleas [source: Home Remedy Care].
“Dawn has no special properties to kill fleas. Any shampoo or detergent acts about the same in physical removal [of fleas],” says Dr. Sanders. However, she stresses that there are “gentler shampoos that would be just as effective in temporary removal of adult fleas.”
“Egg-Stopper” Collars- Unlike conventional flea collars, these contain an insect growth regulating ingredient (methoprene or pyriproxyfen) which prevents egg hatch for several months.
1) Treat your pets with a quality flea treatment. This will stop them being a host for the adult fleas to feed on and grow. It will also stop fleas from being transported around the property. 2) Wash bedding, toys and clothing in warm soapy water.
Flea eggs on furniture will look like they do on your pet's fur: like small white dots or grains of salt.