How to get rid of fleas in the house

Click Here to shop Flea and Tick Prevention!

A flea infestation is nothing to mess with! If left untreated fleas can grow significantly in numbers over the course of a few days and weeks. It is very important that you start taking action against fleas as soon as you see the first couple since they multiply so quickly.

It can be a pain to take out a large infestation since fleas will find so many places to hide in your home. The most important thing to do is make sure to treat your pet as soon as possible – killing the fleas in the house will never work if they are still attracted to your dog!

When I moved into my apartment we found out very quickly the second bedroom was covered in fleas – we couldn’t walk in there without them jumping on us or our cat. We were able to clear them out entirely within a couple weeks so just remember, there is an end to it!

Treating Your Home

Treating your home is truly the hardest part of this whole ordeal. The first thing you need to do after treating your pet is to vacuum or sweep and mop all your floors. Make sure you take out any vacuum or garbage bags right away!

After that we used foggers – you may be reluctant to do so, but they really get the job done. We used 3 in our 2/2 duplex apartment: one in the living room/kitchen doorway, one in the spare bedroom (the biggest problem area in the house) and one in the master bedroom.

From there you will want to wash all your pets bedding – and depending on how bad the infestation is, your bedding as well. (Especially if your dog sleeps in your bed or your room often.) Be sure to wash plush toys as well!

It said to leave the house for 2 hours but we ended up spending almost 4 over at a friends with my terrified cat in tow. Once we got back we opened up the house and waited a bit.

Since then we’ve had roommates with a dog and my cat has been here for nearly four years – both with flea protection – and we haven’t had another infestation since.

Treating Your Dog

Before you can even consider treating your home you need to be sure to treat your dog as a first step. After all, you can kill all the fleas you want, but if they are still coming in on your dog you will never see an end to it.

There are many different methods that you can use for flea prevention – some of the most common being spot-on treatments such as Frontline or Advantage, though these are more long term – you may be interested in other products if you are looking to kill fleas right away.

What Sprays Might Work?

There are several commercial flea sprays out there for use in both dogs and cats. There are commercial sprays from brands that produce other flea prevention medications (Frontline for example) and there are also natural sprays available such as those using essential oils.

Using a spray may not be as effective as using a spot-on or oral medication for killing fleas – though for people looking for a more natural way of treating the problem this might be a good way to go.

If you would like to know more about sprays you can use in killing or preventing fleas, you should check out our other articles.

Click Here to try a Frontline Flea Spray!

Will a Flea Collar Do It?

A flea collar may be a good way to go if you don’t have too many fleas. Many flea collars are extremely effective and they can last several months, which is great. However as far as a quick method, this may not be the best course
of action with a large infestation.

Choosing your flea collar wisely is also very important – some of the least expensive brands have actually proven to be harmful to many pets. When buying a product with any sort of medication on it you should always be sure you
do your research before using it on your dog.

If you are considering using a flea collar either short term or as a long term flea preventative you can read more about different collars, pros and cons and more in our other articles.

Click Here to see if you would like to try a Flea Collar!

What Medications are Available?

If you have a serious infestation on your hands, a flea treatment medication is probably your best bet for fastest relief for both your dog and you. The most common medication used to kill fleas immediately is called Capstar.

Capstar is one of several chewable or pill formed medications that will kill all fleas within 24 hours. It is important to know that once you have used Capstar you will need to follow up with a preventative such as a collar, spray, shampoo, spot-on or chewable tablet.

If you are interested in reading more about flea medications that are in chewable tablet or pill form like Capstar you can take a look at some of our articles on the subject.

Products to use in your home:

Zoecon Precor 2000

Zoecon is a spray used to treat your home for fleas – it is a water based spray with two active ingredients that are proven to kill and prevent fleas in all stages of the life cycle. This spray is easy to use and reported to be extremely effective in most cases.

Almost every user who followed the directions in the entirety were able to rid their homes of fleas in only one use – some more intense cases did require a second treatment. There are even some people who use it twice a year as a preventative measure to flea infestation.

This product will not work very well if you do not keep up on the cleaning however. Once the fleas die you need to be vacuuming every two days or even more often depending on how bad the flea problem is.

If you do not keep up on this step you may quickly see a re-infestation within weeks. If you do not think you can keep up on the cleaning then this product is not likely to work well for your situation.

This can is likely to cover around 2000 square feet – so depending on where you live it may take 1-2 cans on average for two treatments.

Click Here to purchase Zoecon Precor 2000 from Amazon!

Ultracide-flea Tick Professional Pest Control

Ultracide-flea Tick Professional is a spray similar to Zoecon though much more potent. This particular spray is called a professional pest control and they aren’t joking – many reviewers have claimed a very potent smell that comes with using this product.

Video: How to get rid of fleas in the house | Solving a flea infestation

It is best if you use this product while the home is empty and can be left empty for a couple of hours after to let the spray dry. You may even want to air out your house afterwards – not so much for dangerous chemicals but for the strong scent.

When it comes to fighting fleas, this definitely does the trick. It is said to cover a 2100 square foot home – however some reviewers claimed to have used the entire can in 1600 square feet or less.

This product is supposed to be effective for up to seven months, though you should apply it at least twice in the initial treatment of the home for best results. You should vacuum or sweep and mop regularly during and after treatment to help keep your home flea-free.

Click Here to give Ultracide a try!

Virbac Knockout E.S. Flea/Tick Spray

Virbac Knockout is yet another spray that can be used to treat your home for a flea infestation. You should clean your home entirely prior to spraying. The good news is that this one is reported to have little-to-no smell at all
– much better than the Ultracide-Flea/Tick.

This particular can of spray is meant to cover around 2100 square feet and most reviewers agree that it easily treated a 2-4 room home within 1-2 applications. You may need to reapply since this product kills adult fleas, flea eggs and larva – but not the pupa.

The fleas you will see afterwards were in the pupa stage when the house was treated – treating your dog along with the house is the best way to keep these fleas from living. (As well as treating a second time – which in most cases is necessary.

On the other hand, if you are not thorough enough on your cleaning or spraying (being sure to get under furniture such as beds and spray base boards as well. If these steps are skipped then you will probably not see the results you are expecting.

Click Here if you would like to get some Virbac Flea Spray!

Fleabusters RX for Fleas Plus

Fleabusters is a product that has been around for decades, previously only available by having a visit from Fleabusters themselves. However now they have this product available for those of us who would prefer to do it ourselves.

This is a very find powder that will be used over your entire carpet. One container is supposed to easily cover a 5 room home and most reviews pointed to that being accurate. A little can go a long way with this stuff.

It works by settling in your carpets, attaching to fleas, eggs and larva and then dehydrating them. It may take up to a month to no longer be seeing fleas, however this is clearly stated on the product itself so should come as no surprise.

If you are not fond of the idea of using a spray throughout your home this may be a better option. Especially since this medication does allow pets and children to enter the room immediately after the application.

Click Here for Fleabusters RX!

The Best Course of Action

When it comes to treating your home for fleas there are a few very important steps to take: treating your pet, treating your home and treating your environment. If you have indoor/outdoor pets then it may be difficult to treat the home without treating the yard.

As long as you are persistent in cleaning your home as well as the treatment of your home and pet, those nasty little fleas will be gone in no time.

Back to Best Flea Medicine For Dogs

Reviews & Comments