How To Remove Fleas From Wood Floors

Fleas are one of the most popular insects in most of the houses owning pets. They bring a lot of annoying health problems for both humans and pets such as itching and infections. Therefore, eliminating fleas is a very important task. You might know a lot of ways to get rid of fleas on your dogs and cats but what about removing fleas from wood floors? If you do not know the treatment, keep following our tips below.

What you should know about fleas

Most fleas live on sucking the blood of mammals. Just with small amounts of blood from the host, fleas can feed themselves for a long time. The most favourable condition for fleas to multiply is from spring to summer when the climate is warm and humid. The life cycle of a flea consists of four stages: egg, larvae, pupae and flea adult. The pupae are covered with small cocoon which can stop functioning for up to 2 years without any movement. Fleas live on many different animals so there are also different names for each species such as dog fleas, cat fleas or rat fleas. However, all fleas have the same dangers. They feed on human blood and transmit dangerous diseases such as plague (lymphadenopathy, lung disease, septicemia) or typhus.

Best ways to remove flea from wood floors

There is no doubt that your wood floor is an ideal place for fleas because it is spacious and has cracks and crevices of which the adult female can lay its eggs. Of course, the fleas cannot survive on the floor’s surface. They can hide in any nooks and crannies. Also, if you let your pets play on the floor, the fleas on their hair can easily drop out. So, let’s consider these measures to make sure your floor flea free.

Vacuum your floor thoroughly

Vacuuming must be the first and easiest step to get rid of fleas on your floor. It helps remove not only fleas but also fleas eggs before they become flea adults.  Remember to pay attention to every corner of the room and the soft furnishings. When vacuuming, place a flea collar in the mouth of the vacuum cleaner bag. Throw away the vacuum bag and put it in the trash outside of your house when finishing to avoid fleas coming back to your house.

Use borax

One of the most popular ways to kill fleas is borax. It is a mineral that is widely used as the wood preservative, detergent and insecticide which can cause gastrointestinal toxicity to fleas. This mixture can help avoid fleas developing from the larvae stage. You should use masks when using this chemical in your house. All you need to do is to place borax on the floor for about 24 hours. Be careful not to inhale the borax.

Lemon juice

Lemon juice is a natural way to kill fleas your wood floor. You cut lime into thin slices and boil in 500 ml of water. To have the best result, leave the mixture overnight. Then pour it into a sprayer and spray on the floor.

Use cedarwood

Fleas hate the odour of cedarwood so they will run away from it. Cedarwood can be found it pet shops or household shops. You just need to place cedarwood on your floor to get rid of fleas. Make sure your dog is not allergic to cedarwood.

Use salt

Salt has many useful usages in your daily life and it can be used to eliminate fleas on your wood floor. Salt is a desiccant which can desiccate and dry thigs. When attached by salt crystal, the fleas will be rubbed and scratched and bleed to death if they move. It’s better if you use smooth salt which can stick to the flea. After a week, vacuum thoroughly the floor to make sure fleas removed. You should repeat this cycle once or twice.

Use flea traps

Flea trap is a wonderful way to get rid of fleas. You can easily make the trap yourself at home with simple things including a large bowl/ tray and dishwashing liquid. Put one or two tablespoons of dishwashing liquid to water and stir the soap to dissolve evenly. Fleas will drown in the trap when jumping into it. You should place the trap on the floor overnight and take your children and pets away from it. Check the trap in the next morning and place new traps for several days. To have a better result, you should use a lamp to attract fleas. Place the lamp next to the trap and when fleas jump to the light, they will land on the trap because they are lured to light and warmth.

Spray insect growth regulator

Insect growth regulator is a suitable choice for homes with kids and small animals such as hamsters, reptiles or fish because it is not toxic to mammals. IGR can prevent fleas from developing by breaking their reproductive cycle. You should spray at least twice and repeat after three and a half weeks.

Use foggers

Foggers will be the fastest way to get rid of fleas on your wood floors. Some flea foggers recommended for your house are Precor Plus fogger, Adams Plus Flea and Tick Indoor fogger, FMC Residual fogger and Raid Flea Killer Plus Fogger.

Treat fleas for your pets

Bathing your pets or using medicines is also a good way to reduce fleas on the floor.

Some important notes:

• Before bathing for pets, you should wash your hand with flea soaps to prevent fleas from jumping on you and returning to your pets. You had better take a bath right after bathing your pets because some flea soaps can irritate the skin. Some products from lavender or mint aroma are also excellent flea repellents.
• Limit using insecticides. You should look for alternative natural methods. Exposure to insecticides can harm your health.
• Fleas have a long lifespan, so you may need two or three methods to completely remove fleas from your home.

Hope that with our suggestions above, you can choose the most suitable ones to remove flea from wood floors and make your home flea free. Do not forget to share with us if you have further ways. Thank you!