Don’t let the next generation of fleas settle down in your home
If your dog or cat’s fur has become the latest venue for an actual flea circus, you should know that those little jumpers aren’t the only thing you should be concerned about. You can see fleas if you look closely enough, but the real problem is what you can’t see—their eggs. Where there is evidence of black, brown, or reddish-brown adult fleas, you can bet that their offspring are somewhere, waiting to hatch and join the fun. Here’s our DIY guide for how to get rid of flea eggs before they hatch and wreak havoc on your household.
Fleas are tiny yet mighty creatures that feed off the blood of both humans and pets. Most often, they’ll travel into your home on your pet as adults. But they also lay dozens of eggs per day that will often fall off your dog and land in your house. Then, the four-stage life cycle of the flea begins, as does your home’s infestation.
Professional flea extermination costs between $75 and $400, and that includes getting rid of flea eggs. The true cost will likely depend on two factors:
The size of the affected area
The nature of the infestation
Prevention is everything when it comes to proper pest control, but when flea prevention for your pet fails, early intervention is the next best thing. To reduce costs—not to mention your anxiety over a house full of unwanted company—it’s best to call in a local insect control specialist sooner rather than later.
Keep in mind, too, that the life cycle of fleas is such that you may have to have more than one appointment with the exterminator to ensure that you’ve not only gotten rid of flea eggs, but also any adults, pupae, and larvae, too.
Here’s where things get a little tricky: We can tell you how to identify them, but you might not be able to actually see them. That’s because flea eggs are microscopic in size—about 2mm, to be more precise. You’ll likely be able to see adult fleas crawling and jumping around in your pet’s fur, but you’ll probably be better off with a magnifying glass (or indeed, a microscope) when hunting for flea eggs.
At any rate, flea eggs look like tiny, white ovals. Under a microscope, they resemble rice grains.
There are a number of at-home remedies for dealing with a flea egg infestation.
Use a flea-repellent shampoo to kill off the adult fleas and wash off the eggs. Keep in mind that a bath won’t kill the eggs, but it can wash them down the drain.
Your washing machine’s hot setting can reach upwards of 140 degrees, which is ideal for destroying flea eggs. Load in affected items and run a wash. If you can dry them on high heat without damaging them, do so.
Perhaps the only good thing about a flea infestation is that it will force you to keep on top of your housekeeping duties. Especially if you have carpets and upholstered furniture, you should vacuum often and be sure to dump out the dust bin and clean the filter after each use.
Here’s another “incentive” to keep that vacuum handy: The vibrations of the vacuum encourage fleas in the pupae phase to hatch into adults. While this adds to the problem for sure, it also makes it easier to get rid of fleas, as the pupae are usually immune to any type of DIY and even professional pest control treatments.
You should vacuum surfaces thoroughly to remove flea eggs that might be hiding out in corners, floorboards, and other cracks and crevices.
Salt is a natural remedy for drying out flea eggs. It’s easy to apply on your own, plus it’s safer for the pets in your household—though you’ll still want to keep them from licking up any salty surprises.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommend taking the following precautions to help your dogs and cats stay flea-free:
Discuss with your veterinarian which flea prevention products are right for your pet and apply them as directed.
Reduce the time they spend outdoors.
Prevent contact with stray or wild animals.
Brush, bathe, and groom them carefully.
Examine them for fleas. Hot spots for fleas include:
Around the neck and collar
Near the tail
At the groin and belly area
On the back of their rear legs
If you suspect that your pet has been afflicted with fleas, call your vet for guidance. Flea bites can trigger allergic reactions in pets, so you’ll want to know your fur babies will be OK while you work on ridding your house of these pests.
You might relish a DIY project like painting an accent wall or restaining your deck. If you mess up a little, perhaps you won’t mind as much because of the money saved doing it on your own.
DIY pest control, however, is a different story. While you can certainly get started on the DIY remedies listed above, it’s better to hire a professional pest control service for their industrial-strength steaming methods.
Hiring professional pest control costs between $75 and $400 to treat fleas. Your actual cost will be determined by the size of your affected space and the extent of your infestation. Early action is key, but keep in mind that it might take more than one visit to completely destroy the fleas.
Flea eggs can’t take heat, so use that information to your advantage. Take any affected clothes and linens and wash them on a hot setting (140℉ or higher) to kill them off. You can also rid carpets and furniture using heat. After vacuuming all surfaces thoroughly, use a steam mop or cleaner to get rid of the remaining flea eggs and residue.
Flea eggs also can’t handle extreme cold. You could seal affected linens and store them in a freezer.
The same heat treatment that’s effective on flea eggs will also destroy the adults. There are four stages of the flea life cycle—egg, larva, pupa, and adult—and you’ll have to keep all of them in mind when taking on a pest infestation in your home.
Dawn detergent does much more than clean germs on your dishes. It can also help remove flea eggs from your pet. Give your pet a bath using a few squirts of Dawn in warm water—be sure to keep it away from their eyes—to wash away those flea eggs. Note that Dawn doesn’t actually kill the eggs, nor can it help you with any eggs that have already fallen off your pet and taken up residence in your household, though.
There are several ways to dry out flea eggs. Diatomaceous earth (DE) is a natural ingredient that can dry out fleas, but it’s messy to apply and can also cause respiratory issues for members of your household if inhaled. Salt is safer and easier to apply, so shake it liberally over affected areas. Boric acid is another way to get rid of fleas and other insects, but this, too, can cause respiratory issues and health problems if inhaled or ingested.
