How to get fleas out of the apartment: ways, methods and practical tips

There are a lot of ways and methods of getting rid of fleas. Some of them are designed to destroy insects on animals, others - to poison them indoors. However, individually they are ineffective, since fleas can be removed from an apartment only with the use of complex control measures. In this case, certain processing rules developed specifically against this type of insect must be observed. Otherwise, after a temporary lull, fleas will appear again, and disinsection will have to be repeated.

Ways to get rid of fleas

The destruction of fleas in the apartment can be carried out using special chemicals or through physical exposure. All methods have their pros and cons. Let's consider each of them separately.

Chemicals

Processing an apartment from fleas using chemicals is the most effective way to get rid of this type of insect. Sometimes one day is enough to forget about them forever. The insecticide, which is part of the drug, provides effectiveness, as a rule, the following substances act as it:

• pyrethroids
• pyrethrins
• organophosphorus compounds.

Pyrethroids are synthetic poisons of the contact mode of action. Once in the body of an insect, they paralyze the nervous system, thereby causing its death. Pyrethroid insecticides do not act immediately. It will take at least a couple of days before a clear effect is noticeable. However, they have a long validity period sufficient to completely destroy the entire flea population in the apartment. Pyrethroid group insecticides include:

• pymethrin
• fenotrin
• etofenprox.

Pyrethrins are poisons of natural origin with a neuroparalytic effect on parasites. They are low toxic to humans and kill insects almost instantly. Their minus is a relatively short duration, since they are not durable in the environment and decompose under the influence of light. 6 types of pyrethrins are used as insecticidal poisons, the most famous of them is feverfew. Organophosphorus compounds are powerful, but, unfortunately, toxic poisons for warm-blooded animals. They are mainly used in agriculture and in production. However, if you need inexpensive, but at the same time, effective flea remedy in the house or an apartment, then organophosphates will do just fine here. It is only necessary to observe safety rules and remove all residents and pets for the duration of the treatment. Substances of the organophosphorus group:

• malathion
• dichlorvos
• chlorophos.

Interesting fact! In the Middle Ages they struggled with fleas in the room as follows: a rabbit skin was laid on the floor, on which fleas hopped to hide, at the end of the day it was destroyed. Also, the stuffed animals that the court ladies wore over the dress were used as bait.

Physical methods

Physical methods of struggle are based, first of all, on intolerance by insects of critical temperatures - cold and heat.Traps and mechanical methods are also used, including cleaning the premises, as well as catching insects from the hair of pets. High temperature is one of the main ways to deal with fleas. The best for them are 36 - 38 ⁰C. With an increase in the thermometer, the life of the parasites is reduced, and at 50 ⁰With they do die. The destruction of fleas in the house with the help of high temperature is carried out by means of a steam generator. You can also use the following methods:

1. Hang out carpets and expose things in which parasites nest in the sun.
2. Wash clothes in a washing machine at high temperature.
3. Iron the fabric.

Such measures will help get rid of not only adult insects, but also their larvae, as well as eggs and pupae. Cold is another common method of struggle. The people in whose house this misfortune appeared must have noticed that in the summer fleas in the apartment multiplied by the day, but by the hour, giving rest not only to pets, but also to their owners. With the onset of cold weather, their activity decreases markedly, and they completely disappear from unheated rooms. When studying the survival threshold of these insects, it turned out that the temperature below zero is fatal for them. Moreover, not only adult insects die, but also their larvae, as well as eggs. Short-term frosts can withstand only the pupa. Traps and other mechanical methods of catching insects are effective only with a small number of insects. The hunting devices are a small vessel with a wide neck. A solution is poured into it, into which any contact insecticide enters. You can also use soapy water or saline. Fleas from them also die. Plates are placed throughout the apartment, and as they fill with insects, the solution in them is changed. You can also use thick sheets of paper, one side of which is coated with glue. They are also laid out on the floor of the apartment, and burned after use. Another method of machining is combing insects from animal hair with the help of a frequent scallop. It is ineffective and takes a lot of time. They resort to combing out if small puppies and kittens are affected by fleas for up to a month, as well as pets during pregnancy and lactation.

Stages of struggle

The fight against fleas in the apartment is carried out in several stages. The first of them is to find out the source of infection and its elimination. The second includes direct processing of the room and its subsequent cleaning. Let's look at how to get fleas out of an apartment in stages.

Elimination of the source of infection

Fleas in the house do not start by themselves. Also, adult insects, as well as their larvae, do not know how to fly, because they do not have wings. Accordingly, they cannot get into the apartment through the window, like mosquitoes. How then do they penetrate the home? Sources of infection are most often:

• Pets;
• basements and attics;
• neighboring apartments in which antisocial personalities live.

If pets brought the flea to the house, then first of all it is necessary to destroy the insects on them, as well as take preventive protective measures. These include vaccination against insects, as well as special collars, which include an insecticide. The animals themselves are treated using formulations specially formulated for this purpose. If there are no pets, and there are fleas in the apartment. What to do in this case? How to determine their source? First of all, try to find out if there are insects in other apartments. If so, then the basement or attic are most likely the source of infection. Fleas can also migrate from an apartment that has not been cleaned for years. Under these conditions, insects reproduce with incredible speed and spread throughout the house. The basement or attic can be checked and called SES to fight insects. With dysfunctional neighbors is a little more difficult.It remains only to secure your apartment as much as possible, covering all the cracks and doing wet cleaning as often as possible. You can also bring fleas into the house on shoes and clothes from the street. In this case, we can advise you to review those places where you could pick them up and try to avoid them in the future. In extreme cases, you can arrange a kind of disco carpet at the front door with a solution of salt and shake out clothes on the street before entering the house.

Advice! When processing cats, carefully read the composition of the drug. Permethrin is toxic to them! The thing is that in cats it is not excreted from the body, but accumulates, as a result of which poisoning can occur.

Room processing

Processing the apartment is the second mandatory stage of the struggle. Without it, all your efforts will go down the drain. The bulk of insects is in the crevices of the floor, under the baseboards and rugs, in the folds of upholstered furniture and other similar places. In addition, there are still larvae that feed on organic debris. They spend the entire development period on the floor, in the pile of carpets, in dusty corners. There you can find eggs and pupae of insects. You can clearly see this with a sheet of white paper coated with glue. Put it on the floor and after a while small black dots will appear on it.

Processing of an apartment from fleas for greater efficiency should be subject to the following rules:

1. The entire area of ​​the room is subjected to pest control, since fleas do not have a specific habitat, and insect larvae and eggs can be everywhere.
2. Walls are processed at a distance of at least 1.5 m from the floor. It is at this height that these insects jump.
3. Carpets and other fleecy surfaces are thoroughly vacuumed in order to collect eggs and pupae of insects on which the sprayed insecticide may not work. The garbage bag is burned after cleaning.
4. For the best effect, it is advisable to carry out a full cleaning of the room no earlier than in 2-3 weeks. Before this period, a new batch of bloodsuckers may hatch from the eggs, which will quickly populate the apartment again.
5. During processing, protective measures are applied: respirators, gloves, gowns are put on. It is also better to cover the face and other exposed areas of the body with clothing. Dishes, food, personal items are removed. Aquarium and electronics must be covered with a piece of polyethylene. Animals and residents are removed during treatment.
6. Repeated treatment, if necessary, is carried out no earlier than 1-2 weeks. During this time, not only all adult fleas in the room should die, but also larvae newly hatched from eggs.

Immediately after disinfestation, a partial cleaning of the apartment is carried out. The room is ventilated, all work surfaces with which contact is possible are wiped with a damp cloth. Carpets and upholstered furniture are thoroughly vacuum cleaned, and garbage is burned. You can completely wash the apartment after 21 days.

Interesting fact! In the days of knights and noble ladies, there was a custom to keep a small dog with you. They performed not only a decorative function, but also an important mission of the flea market.

Flea Remedies

An effective flea control is not possible without a good insecticide. However, they are released in such quantities that it is very difficult to figure out which one will work best. Each of them has its pros and cons, in addition, some of them are intended for use on animals, and others for processing the premises.

Flea preparations for animals

The following drugs are used to treat flea animals:

• sprays
• shampoos
• drops at the withers
• flea pills
• powder.

Sprays are the most effective and fastest way to remove fleas in animals. They are applied directly to the skin of the pet, excluding the area of ​​the muzzle. In long-haired breeds, the hairline is extended apart by hand, and the preparation is rubbed in with light circular movements. The spray lasts 30-40 minutes, after which it must be washed off. The disadvantages of this type of drug include high toxicity to animals and humans.Shampoos are one of the safest means for animals. In addition, many manufacturers add to their composition substances that care for animal hair. The drug is applied to wet hair for several minutes, and then washed off. Stunned by poison insects comb out a frequent comb. Shampoos also have a residual effect, therefore, they also act on insects that attack the pet after bathing. Drops - perhaps the most convenient and relatively safe remedy for fleas. They are applied to the withers of the animal with a dashed line. After that, no further action is required. The insecticide itself spreads over the surface of the skin of the animal and begins to act. You should not expect an immediate effect, like from sprays, but fleas disappear for sure for a long time. The residual effect persists for several months. Flea tablets are extremely rare. The principle of their action is based on the entry of an insecticide into the blood of an animal along with food. Biting a pet, a flea dies from poisoning. Thus, it is possible to get rid of the insect population. The lack of tablets in their slow action and increased danger to animals. For puppies and kittens it is not recommended to use them. Powder is mainly used on young animals. It is rubbed into the skin of cats and dogs and left for some time. After the expiration date, it is washed off or simply combed out with a comb.

Advice! Before treating the animal with an insecticide, check for an allergic reaction. To do this, rub a little preparation into the hairless area of ​​the skin. If after 10 minutes if redness, itching or swelling is detected, then the product can not be used.

Insecticides for room treatment

As preparations for fleas in the room are used:

• aerosols
• powders
  
• solutions.

Aerosols act quickly and are effective against adult insects and their larvae. With rare exceptions, they do not act on eggs and pupae. Complete destruction of fleas in the apartment using aerosols is possible only after repeated processing after 6-8 days. The drug is sprayed according to the instructions for the entire area of ​​the room with the windows closed. After that, the room is left for several hours. Upon return, the apartment is aired and wet cleaned. Powders are also designed for adult fleas and larvae. They are scattered behind skirting boards, under carpets, upholstered furniture and the like. On jumping parasites, they have a contact effect, dropping through chitinous integuments. In addition, they poison the larvae through the intestines. The advantage of powdered preparations is a long period of residual action. Minus - a long wait for the result. Fluids against fleas act at all stages of the development of parasites, except for pupae. They are applied over the entire area of ​​the room, including the walls and floor under the furniture. Wet cleaning is carried out no earlier than 2-3 weeks. Flea preparations in the form of a solution is the most optimal option if for some reason it is impossible to carry out aerosol treatment, and the result is needed as quickly as possible.

Folk methods of struggle

Alternative methods of struggle are based on the deterrent effect of certain plants and household substances. Of the herbs most commonly used:

• sagebrush
• tansy
• geranium
• garlic
• peppermint
• Persian daisy.

They are laid out fresh on the floor of the room, bunches of herbs are placed in vases. You can also hang bags with dry plants everywhere, hang a bunch of onion and garlic heads. Of household substances from fleas, they help well:

• vinegar
• ammonia
• camphor
• laundry soap
• salt
• soda
• kerosene.

They wipe all surfaces in the house. They are also added to water during wet cleaning.

Prevention

Prevention is the final step in the fight against fleas. It helps to consolidate the achieved result and prevent further insects from entering the house. As preventive measures, the following actions must be periodically performed:

1. Wet the room.
2. Keep order and prevent clutter.
3. Dry wet items and ventilate the apartment as often as possible.
4. Treat animals periodically or purchase an anti-flea collar for them.

In order to prevent neighboring fleas from entering the house, you can use insecticidal chalk. They are surrounded by a doorway along the contour, as well as ventilation ducts and baseboards. Existing through slots must be repaired.

Additionally, we recommend that you get acquainted with a review of modern means by which you can clean your home from fleas. And from this video you can learn interesting facts about fleas, as well as ways to get rid of them: