Fleas like hiding in crevices. Their populations are more numerous in places where they can feed (like pet bedding and living rooms) and reproduce undisturbed (like lower-traffic areas or in carpeting). They also inhabit upholstery, furniture, and other common household furnishings, especially where they can stay warm.
Flea Eggs Hiding in Carpet
To check for eggs, put on gloves and run your fingers through the carpet. Eggs tend to very small and white. Because they are so small, you may need a magnifying glass. Finding eggs throughout your house means you have a fairly serious flea infestation.
Flea eggs are small, oval white specks that resemble a grain of salt. You'll find flea eggs in any and all places that your cat or dog frequents—beds, bedding, crates, couches, chairs, carpeting, floor cracks or crevices, and corners. Flea eggs can survive for approximately 10 days before hatching.
During daylight hours, House Flies will rest on floors, walls, and ceilings indoors. Outdoors they will rest on plants, on the ground, on fence wires, garbage cans, and other similar surfaces. At night, they will rest principally on ceilings, electric wires, and dangling light cords indoors.
It is a daily common myth that fleas will eventually just go away on their own, but this is far from correct. If you've got a flea infestation, you can't afford to wait for the problem to resolve itself – it won't.
In order to get rid of fleas in all stages of the life cycle, two or more follow-up treatments within 5-10 days after the first application are needed. Additionally, vacuuming and sanitation practices should be ongoing throughout this period to pick up all remaining eggs and juvenile fleas.
Fleas Prefer Areas That are Shady, Moist, and Humid
The other problem is that a lot of wildlife carry fleas. Raccoons, opossums, deer, coyotes, skunks, stray cats, and various rodents all commonly carry fleas and can deposit eggs and larvae in your yard.
Not just carpets, even if you don't have carpets! Fleas can and do exist in homes that don't have carpets, as they like crevices, such as baseboards, gaps between floorboards, as well as carpet flooring, ventilators, under furniture, and anywhere else, fur and lint accumulate.
At What Temperature and How Quickly Do Fleas Die? Adult fleas die at temperatures colder than 46.4°F (8°C) and hotter than 95°F (35°C).
In most cases, it takes three to four months to completely get rid of a flea infestation since it takes fleas this long to go through their life stages, according to the American Kennel Club.
The most common way for fleas to get inside your home is on your pet. Fleas live outside, often clustered together in the tall grass. They are attracted to the body heat, carbon dioxide, and vibrations that mammals emit as they move around.
When it has a host, an adult flea can live about 100 days. But how long can they live without a host? Those fleas typically live only one to two weeks. The entire lifespan of a flea, from egg to adulthood, can last a few weeks or even a few months.
Although there's no particular number that indicates an infestation, even a few fleas could signify there are many more hiding in your dog's fur and your home. With fleas, it's better to take action sooner rather than later.
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.
During the day, fleas avoid the sun so they are most active at sunset and least active at sunrise. At dusk, the pests would lay more eggs, respire more, and move around in the yard more. Although the fleas are not completely inactive at any time of the day, they have increased activity at dusk and night.
Green and yellow light attract twice as many fleas as other light wavelengths, with other wavelengths like red light not attracting fleas at all.
Both thrive in warmer climates and fleas are particularly favorable to humid conditions. Fleas are most active in the early spring, summer, and fall.
Fleas may also nest in carpets, rugs, pet beds, or upholstered furniture where they can stay warm. Fleas and bedbugs are considered nocturnal creatures, which means they are mainly active at night. However, they can bite you at any time of the day or night. Fleas are most active at dusk and least active at sunrise.
Fleas can live on hardwood floors. They develop in cracks and crevices, which create a suitable micro-habitat for larvae. Tile floors are a poor habitat. Linoleum is even worse for supporting fleas, due to the lack of cracks.
Can Vacuuming Kill Fleas? Can Vacuuming Kill Fleas? According to extensive studies conducted at Ohio State University, vacuuming is indeed an effective way of getting rid of fleas! Through these studies, scientists discovered that vacuuming killed 96% of adult fleas from carpets and 100% of the flea pupae and larvae.
The first step is always treating the source of the problem as soon as possible. It makes no sense to treat the entire house if your pet is going to keep bringing fleas in. Start with a flea comb, paying extra attention to the neck and tail of your pet since these are a flea's favorite areas.
Most successful flea treatment programs require at least 2-3 treatments at 14-day intervals using both an insecticide for the adult fleas and an Insect Growth Regulator (IGR) to prevent immature stages of fleas from developing into breeding adults.