Even if you do treat the environment but only use treatments on your pets intermittently, you won't be able to eradicate the fleas, as they will be able to feed and lay eggs, some of which will survive and go on to develop into a new generation of adults.
Fleas go through a life cycle of egg, larvae, pupae and adult. Most flea treatments just kill adult fleas, but fleas can continue to emerge for months after you think an infestation has ended. When a newly emerged female flea finds a host, she can lay eggs within one day.
Control the environment – Adopt control strategies including: Vacuum the carpet 2-3 times a week to remove eggs, wash pets blankets weekly (in the washing machine), spray the house, kennels and yards with an adult flea killer, fog the house to prevent larvae developing.
95% are in the environment as flea eggs, larvae and pupae.
Seeing fleas after treatment isn't really about how long it takes for flea treatment to work or for fleas to die. It's about the number of life stages in the pet's environment that develop into new fleas and jump on a pet.
Even when treated with a suitable flea control product such a Frontline Plus, Advantage etc it is still possible for your pet to pick up new fleas from the outside environment or other animals. Flea eggs and larvae can also be brought into the home on shoes or clothing.
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 real battle against fleas comes down to killing those that aren't on your cat or dog,” said Cooley.
Your pet often brings the fleas in from outside. Once you notice the fleas, you can assume you already have an infestation. Because fleas go through a four-stage life cycle (eggs, larvae, pupae and adult), you must kill every stage to get permanently rid of the fleas. Vacuum and mop every floor in your home.
It can take up to 3 months to fully resolve a flea infestation (or even longer in some cases) - see “What is the best way to resolve a home infestation?” for advice on eradicating a flea problem as quickly as possible.
They also hide around decks, porches, sheds, and pet houses. One place fleas cannot survive is in standing water. Fleas innately sense the movement, body heat, and breathing of a potential host, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Flea bombs are not an effective method of flea control. The pesticides released do not penetrate the carpets or other fibers where the flea eggs and larvae are likely to be hiding. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln recommends an Integrated Pest Management approach, instead of the use of insect bombs.
You might be asking yourself will fleas eventually go away? While some could last 2 – 3 weeks, they could also live for up to 12 months on the host it finds, so it is unlikely they will go away on their own. Fleas can also reproduce very quickly by laying eggs in carpet, bedding, or garden prolonging the infestation.
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.
Use heat from a steam cleaner
The only caveat: your steamer needs to be able to heat the water to at least 212ºF (100ºC) for this task. Thanks to the combination of high heat and soap, the fleas will be eradicated with minimal fuss. A steam cleaner can lift dirt and get rid of odors from furniture as well.
Inside homes fleas use their small size and mobility to avoid danger. Even if you treat your living areas for these pests, they can still hide inside your walls where they can live up to 100 days without a blood meal.
And for many, it's now a year-round concern. Summer is typically thought of as peak “flea season,” but milder winters, along with central heat and carpeting, have led to more fleas, more often.
The worst time of the year is during late summer to late fall, from September through November. 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).
As eggs hatch and develop, you might find fleas reappearing 10-14 days after treatment - this is quite normal and provided the insecticide remains in place it will kill them. This is why it is important not to carry out cleaning which might remove insecticide.
Peak Flea and Tick Season
Summer is one of the most active times for fleas and ticks, with some of the worst season being fall, in September, October, and November.
The known safe answer is to wait the period of time the product is supposed to work, typically 30 days, before reapplying. An alternative is to bathe the pet in a detergent shampoo (meant to strip off skin oils) and reapply after 24 hours.
Depending on the level of infestation, it can take anywhere from a few hours to an entire day to clean your home. And you'll need to keep up this routine for at least two weeks or up to a month—and possibly keep using insecticides for a year to prevent fleas' return.