How to remove bed fleas from a sofa, bed, linen? How do they look?

Bed fleas: what are they?

This popular nickname was given to insects that live near humans, whose blood is the main source of nutrition for small parasites. The appearance of these pests causes a lot of inconvenience and poses a danger to the health of people and domestic animals.

Fleas are small insects, the size of an adult does not exceed 3 mm. The scientific name of these parasites is translated from ancient Greek and means “pump” and “wingless”. Linen fleas belong to the order of blood-sucking insects and cannot fly. But the lack of wings does not prevent them from moving rapidly.

The locomotor system of these insects consists of 6 limbs, the hind ones are the most powerful, thanks to them the fleas are distinguished by their jumping ability. Moving in this way, the parasites easily find a victim and attach to it with the help of bristles that cover the insect’s abdomen.

The flea's powerful hind limbs allow it to make rapid jumps.

The height of a flea's jump can reach 50 cm, and its length can be up to 1.5 meters. Small pests move quickly and are almost impossible to catch.

Pros and cons of using folk remedies

Folk remedies have both undoubted advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages:

1. They are completely safe for children, adults and pets, which cannot be said about chemical products.

They are available. Most of these products are already available in your home; you can buy them in a store or your nearest pharmacy.

2. They are affordable. Such products will not empty your wallet.

Minuses:

1. The main disadvantage is that they are not as effective as chemical insecticides. If a folk remedy does not help after 2-3 times of use, it is better to try something else. It is possible that it will still be necessary to supplement its action with a chemical insecticide.
2. They are not persistent. This especially applies to herbs, essential oils, and citrus peels. They dry out quickly and their active substances evaporate.
3. Their effect is weaker and not as persistent as that of chemical insecticides.
4. You may be allergic to herbs and essential oils.

Reviews of traditional recipes

Lilia, 37 years old:

I regularly place bags of mint, wormwood, and tansy around the house. Despite the fact that I have two Labradors, I have not yet encountered fleas.

Why are they dangerous?

Bites are characterized by manifestations of allergies.
Feeding on the blood of humans and small animals, fleas leave painful wounds on the body that are easily distinguished from the bites of other insects.

Petechiae appear on the skin - small hemorrhages. These red spots with a dark spot in the middle are painful and very itchy.

Flea bites cause an allergic reaction, especially in children and people with sensitive skin.

Victims may experience pulicosis or sarcopsillosis. These parasitic diseases cause swelling, pain, itching, and in severe cases, damage to the nervous system.

But the main danger from bed flea bites is the transmission of infectious diseases through the blood:

• hepatitis types B and C;
• bubonic plague;
• tularemia;
• typhus;
• encephalitis;
• tuberculosis.

Fleas can reproduce quickly, rapidly increasing their population indoors, so it is necessary to immediately respond to their appearance in order to prevent the consequences of the activity.

Danger to humans

• Fleas pose a very great danger to humans, since they can transmit infectious diseases through their bite, which include hepatitis, encephalitis, salmonellosis and anthrax. The child's body reacts to the attack of parasites in a rather difficult way, and severe allergic reactions can develop.
• There are many reasons why residential premises can become infected. They live in basements and attics, from where they come into apartments. Infection can also occur from animals that carry them into the house on their fur. The person himself may be the culprit of the infection, since it is very easy to bring an adult or larvae from the street on clothes and shoes.
• Once in an apartment, they actively reproduce and lay offspring. On surfaces in the room you can notice small black specks, which are the excrement of parasites. It takes 2 weeks for new offspring to emerge from a clutch of eggs.
• The first sign by which you can understand that a flea infestation has occurred is, of course, bites. A person may not feel the bites themselves, since they attack at night, when people are sleeping, but it is simply impossible not to notice the consequences after the attack. The affected areas become red and inflamed, and itching appears. You can also spread a white cloth or sheet of paper on the sofa; if fleas are present, black dots will appear on the surface; these can be larvae, excrement, or the adults themselves.
• When pets live in an apartment, you can tell from their behavior that an infection has occurred and urgent measures need to be taken. Animals will itch and behave restlessly. You will see the same black grains in the wool.
• Quite often, fleas are confused with other parasites, such as lice and bedbugs, since these parasites also attack people and cause a lot of inconvenience. But it is quite easy to distinguish them visually, except that fleas are very jumping; an adult can jump in height to a distance of 2 meters.

How to find them

Fleas can appear not only under unfavorable sanitary conditions in the room. Many people wonder where these insects come from. Maintaining cleanliness does not always save you from the invasion of blood-sucking pests.

The following factors can contribute to the spread of parasites:

• uncleaned entrance;
• unscrupulous neighbors;
• rats and mice living in the basement of buildings;
• dampness in the toilet room;
• pets.

Linen fleas do not live in beds or sofas. They live in dark corners, trash cans, behind baseboards, and on pet bedding. Here fleas have a resting place, lay eggs and shelter. Parasites climb into bed only in search of food.

You can find out about the presence of fleas in a house or apartment by the characteristic bite marks, especially on the legs. Unlike other insects, fleas do not have an anesthetic enzyme in their saliva. Their bites are painful and itchy.

It is easy to detect only dead fleas, for example, on the bedding of an animal after it has been treated.

You won't be able to see what fleas look like. These jumping parasites disappear at lightning speed. To make sure of their presence, you need to look in the house or apartment for traces of their vital activity. It is worth carefully inspecting the bed. Flea excrement in the form of small black grains of sand may remain on the mattress. The appearance of pests in a room is indicated by white hard balls that can be found in dark corners, behind cabinets, near trash cans.

How to detect couch fleas

Fleas are miniature insects with an elongated body up to 5 mm long. Juveniles are light brown in color, while adults are quite dark. The lifespan, depending on the habitat, varies from two months to one and a half years. Insects are nocturnal, and during the day they hide under furniture upholstery.

Fleas are dangerous to humans because they carry infectious diseases:

• hepatitis;
• salmonellosis;
• anthrax;
• encephalitis.

In young children, parasite bites can cause a severe allergic reaction in the form of a red rash over the body. Insects enter human homes from basements, attics, neighbors and animals. Anyone can bring parasites into a living space on clothes or shoes.

The question of whether fleas can live in a sofa can be answered in the affirmative. Parasites often settle in upholstered furniture and immediately begin to multiply rapidly, marking places of accumulation with their droppings in the form of black dots. Within two weeks, full-fledged adults grow from the laid eggs.

Having discovered small itchy redness on the body with a black dot in the middle, sometimes located in a chain, you should immediately sound the alarm. To finally make sure that parasites have appeared, you need to put a sheet of white paper on the sofa or cover it with a white sheet. If after half an hour black dots appear on a light background, and these could be excrement, larvae or the insects themselves, then the presence of parasites will be confirmed.

Restless behavior of pets can also be an alarming signal of the appearance of blood-sucking parasites. Infected animals become nervous, constantly scratch and rub against the bedding. Black dots found on their skin during examination will confirm the diagnosis.

Fleas are often confused with bedbugs or lice. But a flea is always easy to identify by its characteristic bites and incredible mobility. An adult can jump up to 2 meters in height.

Chemical flea control products

If blood-sucking parasites are found in the house, it is necessary to promptly begin to destroy them. The most common way to control insects is with special chemicals. But before using them, it is necessary to thoroughly clean and ventilate the home: inspect the closet, wash the bed linen in hot water and iron the bed linen. Hanging your laundry out in the cold in winter will also help.

If you have pets, you must take them to the veterinarian. The doctor will select an effective and safe product (drops or shampoo) for them to remove fleas.

After completing these activities, you can begin the main stage of the fight - treating the apartment with insecticides. Modern chemicals will help quickly rid your home of parasites.

"Cucaracha"

A potent product of domestic production. It contains melation and cypermethrin. The drug is available in the form of gel, powder and emulsion. When used correctly, it is harmless, has a low level of toxicity, and the drug is economical and accessible. The chemical has an unpleasant odor that can persist for a long time.

It should not be used to treat children's bedrooms and hospital wards. The drug "Cucaracha" acts only on fleas and is harmless to their eggs.

"Ziper"

This insecticidal agent is intended to combat insects closely associated with human habitation (bugs, fleas, cockroaches). “Ziper” is used for sanitary treatment of residential and commercial premises, public transport, and waste accumulation. Affects all stages of insect development.

It has a long-lasting effect and remains effective under intense external influences (sunlight, rain).

The drug is safe for humans.

"Delta Zone"

A modern insecticide with a good effect on parasites, practically odorless.

This gives the Delta Zone product an advantage over other preparations for treating residential premises. The active ingredient is deltamethrin, which causes nervous paralysis in parasites.

One 50 ml bottle is enough to treat a small one-room apartment.

The Delta Zone is safe for humans. Even if accidentally ingested, it quickly disintegrates and is excreted from the body.

"Cifox"

A strong acaricidal-insecticidal agent. The main substance – cypermethrin (25%) has a paralyzing effect on insects, which die 20-30 minutes after contact with the drug.

The Zifox solution is used to disinfect not only houses and apartments, but also summer cottages. If you follow safety precautions, the product can be used independently, but it is mainly used by exterminators.

The product is safe for animals.

"Combat"

This insecticide comes in spray, gel and trap forms. It contains cyphenothrin and imiprotrin.

These substances paralyze the nervous system of parasites, which leads to their death. “Kombat” is minimally toxic; it can even be used to treat clothes and linen. After the first cleaning, the insects die.

The drug is safe for humans and pets.

Despite its effectiveness, it has a number of disadvantages:

• smells unpleasant;
• harmless to parasite eggs;
• can be removed by wet cleaning;
• high price.

To treat premises with Combat, you need to stock up on a respirator, gloves and a protective suit.

"Raid"

One of the most commonly used means of combating parasites. It is produced in the form of an aerosol and has a nerve-paralytic effect. “Raid” kills both the adult and its larva, but the drug does not immediately affect the pest eggs, so the aerosol disinfestation procedure must be repeated.

The product should be used to treat furniture, beds, carpets, floors, baseboards, walls, all cracks and openings. All windows and doors must be closed during the procedure.

After disinfestation, it is necessary to ventilate the room for at least 3 hours. The effect of "Raid" lasts for a month.

How to kill fleas on a couch using insecticides

In order to completely get rid of fleas, you will need to treat not only upholstered furniture, but the entire apartment. To combat insects, any aerosol insecticide is suitable - “Raptor”, “Combat”, “Raid”, “Dichlorvos”. The product should be sprayed on wooden furniture elements, on walls (at least 1.5 m high), and on the floor. If fleas appear from the basement, pay attention to the baseboards; it would be a good idea to pour insecticidal powder there; then you can remove it from there using a vacuum cleaner.

Neostomazan dries very quickly and does not leave stains on furniture. It must be diluted in water according to the instructions and poured into a spray bottle. Don’t forget to also treat the entire apartment. After using the product, vacuum the sofa.

If you do not want to use aerosols and emulsions, purchase products in microcapsules. Advantages - long period of action, environmental friendliness, absence of odor and marks on the upholstery of the sofa. Disadvantages - insects will not die as quickly as we would like. The fact is that the toxic substance will enter the flea’s body only through direct contact. A flea can jump for some time without even touching the drug; you will have to wait a little to kill all the insects.

Folk remedies against bed fleas

In addition to specialized chemicals, folk remedies are widely used for a comprehensive effect on pests. Fleas have a peculiarity - they cannot tolerate strong odors. By taking advantage of this weakness of insects, you can quickly survive them from your home and protect yourself and your pets from the invasion of parasites for a long time.

Strong odors will help get rid of insects.

Wormwood tincture

This plant takes root almost everywhere. Among its 400 varieties, only wormwood is the most common and useful herb. It is an excellent remedy for domestic parasites. Wormwood has a specific smell and is used to repel fleas. Insects are afraid of it and quickly leave places where they smell a bitter smell.

The fresh plant must be placed in the favorite places where pests live: under the carpet, behind the sofa, bed, closet, near the baseboards.

To protect pets, wormwood is hidden in their beds and bedding, and hung in cages.

The tincture of the plant is used to wipe the floors, especially near the front door and in the corners. A decoction of wormwood can be sprayed indoors.

Sprigs of pine needles

The smell of pine needles in the house creates not only a festive mood. With the help of thorny branches you can protect yourself from bed fleas. Pine needles and cones with their aroma will repel parasites for a long time. Using sawdust, they are placed in corners and on pet bedding.

A decoction should be made from pine branches and sprinkled in living rooms. The needles are poured into fabric bags and hung around the apartment.

Citrus

The bright, strong smell of citrus fruits repels blood-sucking parasites. The aromatic peel of lemons, oranges, limes, and grapefruits will help get rid of harmful insects. Dried crusts are laid out in places where fleas may live: behind furniture, near baseboards, behind cabinets and bedside tables.

Citrus fruits should be used with caution if there are cats in the house. Their sense of smell may be impaired by the strong smell of the aromatic peel.

Essential oils

These products have a strong odor due to the volatile substances in their composition. Essential oils are an effective natural insecticide. They do not destroy insects, but scare them away from places where pests live.

Essential oils repel fleas due to their strong aroma.

Bed fleas cannot tolerate the smell of the following oils:

• tansy;
• peppermint;
• lemongrass;
• thyme;
• wormwood;
• tea tree;
• pine trees;
• anise

Essential oils are used only to control fleas indoors. These aromatic products should not be used on pets. They can lick oil from their fur and become poisoned.

To prepare a solution for treating a room, add a few drops of the product to water and spray it. Caution is advised for people with asthma and allergies.

Tar soap

Tar is a natural antiseptic that helps fight pathogenic bacteria and fungi. The phenol contained in birch tar is toxic to the nervous system of blood-sucking parasites.

Pet hair is treated with tar soap. Use a soapy solution to wash floors, especially in hard-to-reach places. Thanks to its antiseptic effect, tar soap not only gets rid of fleas, but also promotes the speedy healing of bites.

How to get rid of parasites

In fact, there are quite a few methods that are used to combat fleas. You can use specialized tools, use traditional methods, use physical methods, or seek help from specialized services. Each method has its own characteristics, advantages and some disadvantages; let’s consider each of them in more detail.

Specialized means

To remove sofa fleas, you can use specialized products that can easily be used to treat your apartment. Raptor, Raid, Dichlorvos, Karbofos, Combat are quite popular. They are highly effective and allow you to quickly remove parasites.

The products are available in different forms, these are sprays, emulsions, concentrated substances that are used for preparation as a solution, etc. Depending on the active substance used, as well as its concentration, the degree of toxicity depends. Modern drugs often do not have unpleasant odors. Regardless of the degree of toxicity, they always pose a danger to people and animals if used incorrectly.

Remember that you should work with the products according to the instructions; you cannot increase the permissible dosage. When using them, there should be no people or animals in the apartment, since not only contact with them is dangerous, but also the toxic fumes that are released when applied to surfaces.

It is mandatory to use protective equipment when working with pesticides. It is required to wear protective overalls or clothing that completely covers the body. Use rubber gloves, safety glasses and a respirator. After treatment, the room must be left. Upon return, ventilate well and carry out wet cleaning and wash those surfaces with which people and animals come into contact.

Products are applied to carpets, baseboards, cracks, corners, and furniture. Please be aware that re-processing will be required. This is due to the fact that the active substances do not destroy egg laying, so after 2 weeks a new young generation appears in the apartment.

Traditional methods

Quite often people prefer these methods and there are several reasons for this. When small children, pregnant women, allergy sufferers, and asthmatics live in the apartment, the use of toxic substances is prohibited. Therefore, harmless folk recipes are an excellent alternative.

It is worth mentioning the effect of these methods. Unlike insecticides, which kill furniture parasites, folk remedies only have a repellent effect. The fact is that fleas perceive pungent odors as a threat to life and try to quickly leave the dangerous territory.

Such products that have a pronounced and rich aroma include tansy, wormwood, eucalyptus essential oil, citrus fruits, and garlic. In addition, chamomile is very popular, which contains a natural insecticide; it acts like a poison on parasites; you can buy it at any pharmacy.

The use of these funds is possible in any form and variations. The main thing is to achieve the desired effect, namely to influence the parasites with the help of smell. For example, herbs can be used in dry form and placed in different places around the apartment. You can also prepare a tincture or decoction and do a wet cleaning. They are very effective when used on upholstered furniture.

Before using traditional methods, it is recommended to clean. Vacuum carpets and upholstered furniture thoroughly to remove most of the eggs and larvae.

Physical methods

When the apartment is not subject to severe infection, physical methods can be used. These insects cannot tolerate high or low temperatures. In winter, it is very effective to ventilate the room, and also take carpets outside.

In the summer, they can be affected, on the contrary, by heat, by taking contaminated things outside. A steam iron has an excellent effect, but here it is worth considering the possibility of its use, since some surfaces cannot be treated this way.

Specialized services

Contacting the sanitary and epidemiological station or private service often occurs when apartments are severely infested. Also, when the cause of infection is basements and attics where flea populations live. Of course, a professional approach will ensure the most effective result.

Room treatment

To clean the room from blood-sucking pests, it is necessary to carry out a general cleaning of the room. It is necessary to clear the walls and floors of carpets and furniture and clean them thoroughly. Collect and throw away all trash.

Treatment is carried out after general cleaning of the premises.

Treat the room with chemicals, especially at the joints of the floor and baseboards, near the furniture. Close the room for 2-3 hours for the drugs to take effect. After disinsection, thoroughly ventilate the room.

Facilities

Today there are many products that are used to exterminate fleas in a sofa or bed. Sprays, powders, solutions are used.

You can destroy furniture fleas using store-bought products, traditional methods, or physical force.

Use of store products

Special aerosols are used to get rid of insects. They are designed to treat sofas against fleas. The following methods are popular:

The first two remedies are considered the most common. "Dichlorvos" is available only in aerosol form. Karbofos is sold in different forms. But their use is not recommended, as they contain toxic substances. Today there are a number of products that are safer for killing fleas living in the sofa.

“Dichlorvos”, produced under the brands “Neo” and “Varan”, is odorless. However, it is toxic and inhalation of vapors leads to poisoning.

When using aerosols, you must follow the instructions and safety requirements.

Many drugs do not have a distinct odor. But they are also harmful to health and their inhalation leads to poisoning.

“Neostomazan” is popular. Sold in pharmacies. The advantage of the drug is that it can be used to treat animals against fleas. Sold in ampoules.

To treat the room, purchase a 5 ml ampoule. Its contents are diluted with a liter of water and rubbed on the baseboards, floor and bedding where the animal sleeps. After treatment, the room is closed for 3 hours, after which it is ventilated.

Dust is popular. But experts do not recommend using the product, as it is toxic. The substance can accumulate in the body. It is used only for floors and baseboards. You cannot use dust to treat a sofa against fleas.

Tips for choosing a disinfection service

The most reliable method of getting rid of bed fleas is the help of a professional disinfection service.

Specialists will quickly deal with parasites. This will save time and eliminate the need for contact with insecticides.

When choosing a disinfection service, you should pay attention to:

1. The drugs used by the organization must be safe for humans and animals.
2. The time for the procedure is chosen by the customer, not the company.
3. The service clients are explained in detail the disinfection process, the chemicals used, and safety measures.
4. Conscientious organizations work without prepayment.
5. If the cleaning is unsuccessful, the customer does not pay for this event.

Services whose employees care about their reputation provide quality services, after which they receive only positive reviews.

How to find out if fleas live in the sofa

The presence of fleas in upholstered furniture can be checked in the same way as it is done on the carpet or floor. You can put a white sheet or any white fabric on the sofa, also use white sheets of paper. Wait a while, if dots appear on the surface that disappear after slightly moving the fabric or paper, then these are fleas. Do not confuse them with bedbugs; most often, bedbugs still live where a person sleeps.

Lift the mattress and check for flea feces, and check other areas as well. Insects prefer to live in the folds of furniture. Fleas bite everywhere; any part of the body can be affected. The bite looks like an irritation, with a black dot in the middle, the bite area burns and itches a little.