How to get rid of fleas in an apartment
The content of the article:
- Why fleas are dangerous
- Where do fleas come from in the apartment
- How to remove fleas from pets
- How to get rid of fleas in an apartment
- How to get rid of fleas in an apartment with folk remedies
- How to prevent the appearance of fleas in the apartment
Getting rid of fleas in an apartment can be difficult, since the lifestyle of these insects is different from cockroaches, bedbugs and lice. To successfully combat parasites, it is also important to understand where they come from.
Fleas belonging to the order of bloodsucking are found everywhere.
Fleas are a squad of blood-sucking insects, which includes 200 genera, which are combined into 15 families. These insects are found everywhere. A female flea can lay up to 500 eggs in the crevices of the floor in apartments, in attics, in basements. The life span of fleas reaches 513 days. The insects are 1.5–3.2 mm long, and they can jump up to 50 cm in length and 30 cm in height, which contributes to their rapid spread. The body of a flea is smooth and narrow, has thorns and bristles that help the insect to stay in the fur or between the feathers of the host animal, in the folds of human clothing. In addition, insects have strong limbs, which provide rapid movement over the surface of the host's body, as well as the ability to hold at any angle on rough surfaces. Oral apparatus of the piercing-sucking type,both females and males suck blood, and the act of bloodsucking itself can last from a minute to several hours. The main hosts of fleas are mammals, and insects can also parasitize on birds.
Why fleas are dangerous
Fleas are carriers of pathogens of many diseases of humans and animals, including especially dangerous infections (plague, typhus, anthrax). In addition, fleas carry salmonella, pathogens of encephalitis, mycoses, as well as tapeworms (rat tapeworm, pumpkin tapeworm, dirofilaria), etc.
Flea bites can cause allergic reactions and pulicosis
Flea bites often cause allergic reactions (up to anaphylactic shock), including pulicosis. Pulicosis refers to entomoses (entomoses - diseases of animals and humans, which are caused by insects) and is characterized by lesions of the skin in the form of petechial rashes at the site of flea bites. The elements of the rash are surrounded by a rim of erythema. Their appearance is accompanied by itching, swelling. The central nervous system may be involved in the pathological process.
Where do fleas come from in the apartment
Insects enter the home from the outside in many ways. It is not uncommon for cats and dogs to bring fleas into the apartment from the street, which is the most common way for insects to enter the house.
Most often, fleas are brought into the house from the street by cats and dogs
In the absence of pets, rodents may be the cause of fleas in the apartment. Fleas that parasitize mice and rats living in basements of houses can enter an apartment through cracks or ventilation (including from neighboring apartments), the joints of water supply and heating pipes. The eggs of the parasites are carried into the house on the soles of outdoor shoes and clothing. Fleas are especially common on the clothes of plumbers and hunters. Insects can enter apartments located on the ground floor, as well as private houses, from the street directly, from the courtyard or from the front garden through the front door, as well as jumping through the balcony and windows. Fleas and their eggs can be brought into the house with flower pots, furniture, bags, and other household items.
Fleas often inhabit carpets (especially natural materials), woolen items, in crevices, behind baseboards, between floorboards, in beds, stuffed animals, kitchen sinks and other furniture, as well as on pets and their bedding. Fleas usually live in apartments at a height of no more than 1–1.5 m above floor level.
How to remove fleas from pets
To get rid of fleas in an apartment, first of all, it is necessary to process the warm-blooded animals living in the house. There are several ways to rid an animal of parasites:
- collars impregnated with anti-flea drugs. When choosing a collar, it is necessary to take into account the weight of the cat or dog in order to avoid poisoning (at the first signs of intoxication, remove the collar and show the animal to the veterinarian);
- special shampoos, gels;
- medicines for parasites in the form of drops that drip onto the withers.
Medicines for fleas in the form of drops are applied to the animal on the withers
It should be borne in mind that the drugs intended to kill fleas in dogs and cats may differ - sometimes what works for dogs is not good for cats, or vice versa. For example, permethrin-based products are not used for treating cats because they can be dangerous to them. Therefore, before using this or that flea remedy, you should carefully read the instructions for use, or consult a veterinarian before buying the drug.
How to get rid of fleas in an apartment
Next, the apartment must be prepared for pest control. For this, a thorough cleaning is carried out (including wet cleaning), with special attention paid to corners, cracks in the floor, furniture, since when treating animals, fleas often jump into the room, all food is removed, the aquarium is closed (with the compressor turned off), from pets are removed from the treated apartment.
A vacuum cleaner can be used to treat threads and fluffy surfaces on which flea eggs can be found, which must also be processed after cleaning to prevent insects from breeding in the dust bag.
If it is not possible to completely clean one or another thing from fleas (for example, if a large number of insects and their eggs are found in the mattress), you can use the services of an organization that deals with specialized cleaning, or throw this household item away.
In addition, it is necessary to wash all fabric products (clothes, bedding, soft toys, etc.) at a temperature of at least 60 ° C, knock out blankets, pillows and mattresses, and then hang them out in the sun or treat with a steam generator. Due to the fact that flea eggs or adults of insects can enter the apartment on outdoor shoes, and also be carried around the house on the sole, it is necessary to wash all used shoes, including house slippers.
To get rid of fleas in the apartment, you can call pest control specialists
It is necessary to carry out disinfestation in rubber gloves and a respirator (you can replace it with a cotton-gauze bandage), since preparations for the destruction of insects often have an adverse effect on the human body as well.
To get rid of fleas in an apartment, insecticides are often used in the form of an aerosol. The drug is sprayed in places where insects are supposed to live up to 1 m above the floor. Corners, skirting boards, furniture backs, crevices, carpets, bathroom and toilet are especially carefully processed. When processing a room, all windows are closed, as well as doors to the rest of the apartment. After 2-3 hours after spraying the insecticide, the room should be ventilated for half an hour, after which all work surfaces should be wiped. The next wet cleaning of the premises should be done 1-3 days after disinfestation. The advantage of aerosolized flea repellents is that it can kill adults and larvae in one go.
Insecticides in powder form are less convenient than aerosols. They should be scattered in places where insects are suspected (usually near animal beds, beds, along baseboards, next to trash bins, etc.), finding such places with special care, since powder preparations destroy fleas only if they get on the body of the parasite. This method is more laborious and time-consuming, which explains its less frequent use.
Getting rid of fleas in an apartment can be difficult, as these insects settle in hard-to-reach places and multiply quickly. In this case, it is advisable to use professional pest control services. If it was decided to get rid of fleas in the apartment with the help of an organization specializing in this, before the arrival of its representatives, it is necessary to move furniture from the walls, remove linen from beds, bedspreads, and also remove clothes from wardrobes and prepare all the necessary devices for cleaning the apartment after disinfestation.
With good planning, the preparation of the apartment and the subsequent treatment of the premises from fleas can be done in one day. After that, preventive measures must be followed to prevent the reappearance of insects in the house.
How to get rid of fleas in an apartment with folk remedies
Some plants cannot be tolerated by fleas. So, you can get rid of these insects with the help of wormwood, Persian chamomile (pink pyrethrum), tansy, eucalyptus, mint, turpentine, a mixture of garlic and brewer's yeast.
To get rid of fleas in the apartment, these plants are laid out near the baseboards. In addition, you can make an infusion of wormwood and tansy (1 cup of wormwood herb and 0.5 cup of tansy are poured with boiling water and insisted for 0.5–1 days). The resulting infusion is used to wipe baseboards, corners, furniture and (if possible) walls to a height of 1 m above the floor level. Pine sawdust and / or shavings can be used to fill pet bedding. The filler should be changed frequently.
Apple cider vinegar can be used to remove fleas from upholstered furniture and carpets, as well as to treat pet hair. An aqueous solution of apple cider vinegar is prepared at the rate of 1 glass per 1 liter of water, the animal's hair is treated with the resulting composition, the solution is left for 10 minutes and washed off with warm water. To treat an apartment, a solution of apple cider vinegar can also be sprayed in places where insects are likely to live.
You can also get rid of fleas in an apartment using a mixture of baking soda and rock salt (taken in equal parts), which is sprinkled on carpets, rugs and rugs. The mixture is left on carpets for a day, after which they should be thoroughly vacuumed and / or knocked out on the street.
You can remove fleas using a solution of soda and salt, taken in equal parts
Flea carpets can be treated with a kerosene solution. To do this, dissolve 100 ml of kerosene in a bucket of water, spray the resulting mixture over the coating, after which you should leave the room and close all doors leading into it. After a few hours, the carpet is damp-cleaned or washed to remove dead insects and mortar residues. When working with a kerosene solution, wear a mask (respirator) and protective gloves, as well as observe fire safety rules, since kerosene is flammable.
Carpets can also be cleaned of fleas with borax powder or borax water. To do this, a powder or an aqueous solution is sprayed over the carpet, left overnight, after which the carpet is thoroughly vacuumed. If there are children and / or pregnant women in the home, this method should be used with caution, they should avoid visiting rooms with treated brown carpets.
How to prevent the appearance of fleas in the apartment
To prevent the appearance of fleas in the apartment, it is recommended to take a number of measures:
- carry out wet cleaning in the apartment at least once a week, avoid accumulation of dust and debris;
- regularly check pets for fleas and promptly treat them if parasites are found;
- walk or let pets out into the street only with flea collars;
- monitor the cleanliness of outdoor shoes;
- avoid contact with stray animals.
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Anna Aksenova Medical journalist About the author
Education: 2004-2007 "First Kiev Medical College" specialty "Laboratory Diagnostics".
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