Get Rid of Pesky Fleas in Your Home with These Tricks

Get Rid of Fleas with Ease

If you have a pet or you spend a lot of time around animals, chances are you are likely to come in contact with fleas at least once in your lifetime. When this happens, there is a high chance they will make it back to your place. Fleas are known to jump further than any insect known to man, and they are parasites that feed primarily off animal blood.

In some cases, however, they have been known to feed off humans whenever an opportunity presents itself. The following are some of the ways in which you can identify and get rid of fleas in the house.

Salt and Rosemary

Salt and rosemary are some of the most common natural flea repellents you can use. The beauty of these two is that they are readily available and are also quite inexpensive. They can be used separately, though combining them yields better results. To use this remedy, you will need a mortar and pestle. Place the rosemary in the mortar with some salt and crush it into a powder.

You may add some peppermint or wormwood, depending on the kind of scent you would like in your home. When this is done, sprinkle the powder around the home, primarily on the carpets and other areas where the fleas are likely to reside such as your pet's bedding.

Lemon Spray

Lemon is used as a cleaning agent in most homes; therefore it is no surprise finding it on this list. Like salt and rosemary, lemon irritates fleas; this makes it a good home remedy for an infestation. All you will need to do is make a citric spray using lemons and water.

To do this, cut a lemon into three slices and put them in some water. Next, heat the water until it boils, and then allow it to cool overnight. This will blend the elements together more easily and increase the volume of the spray. When this is done, put the solution in a spray bottle and spray all over the house. As mentioned earlier, be sure to pay attention to areas with the most activity.

Baking Soda

Vacuuming is a method that has been used in the past to get rid of fleas, but on its own, it is not very effective. This is where baking soda comes in. Baking soda has been known to eliminate fleas. If it is used together with a vacuum cleaner, it may solve your problem.

For this remedy, grab some baking soda and rub it onto the different fabrics in your home with a brush. This will mostly be on the couch and carpets. After that, you can proceed to vacuum the house. Be sure to seal the vacuum bag and dispose of appropriately.

Using Flea Repelling Plants

This method is particularly advisable for new pet owners. During this time, it may be difficult to keep up with the pet's grooming since it is a new addition to the family. This increases your chances of getting fleas; therefore a few precautionary measures are in order.

You can buy a number of different plants and place them in different parts of the house. These plants can also be planted outside, provided that they are close to the house to make the process more effective. They have qualities that are known to act as flea repellents; therefore you will reduce your risk with a little gardening. Examples of these plants include:

• Spearmint
• Penny Royal
• Lavender

Hiring a Professional Exterminator

Although the results of some of these home remedies can be quite satisfactory, there is a chance they won't completely eliminate the problem. Fleas reproduce quite fast, therefore some of the home remedies will not deal with their offspring.

By hiring a professional exterminator, you will be able to get professional advice about some of the risk factors that lead to a flea infestation as well as a comprehensive flea extermination. You will have to incur a higher cost when dealing with professional exterminators, but in the long run, it will be worth the expense. The process is ordinarily done in two cycles that are about three weeks apart to make sure that it is effective and the problem has been dealt with conclusively.

Taking some of the steps mentioned above should be able to give you some relief and eliminate the flea problem. It is important to make an unbiased assessment of the problem to be able to determine which strategy to use. A majority of the home remedies will be effective when dealing with the adult fleas, but the larvae left behind are likely to leave a window for a repeat infestation.

For this reason, it is always best to seek professional advice from a pest exterminator.