Effective remedies for fleas in an apartment or house

How fleas get into an apartment

Parasites enter the premises:

• together with domestic animals returning from the street (the latter, in turn, become carriers of insects due to the fault of street dogs and cats);
• together with a person (it is enough to pet a stray cat or dog or walk along the entrance where a neighbor’s animal was recently walked, the parasite clings to clothes and shoes and in this way enters the apartment);
• from the basement (if stray animals live in the basement, then parasites will soon appear in the entrance and in apartments on the first and even second floors).

All types of parasites pose a danger to humans, including dog, cat and human fleas.

Flea neutralization where to start

First of all, it is necessary to determine the factors for the penetration of fleas into the residential sector. This will help to correctly adjust measures to eliminate them. Cats and dogs are often carriers of parasites.

Therefore, it is important to periodically carry out the procedure for their neutralization by using special veterinary drops, tablets, suspensions and solutions. The health safety of their owners depends on the hygiene of pets.

Among other reasons for the appearance of fleas, the most common is the “emigration” of insects from the basement. This is especially true for apartments located on the first floors of high-rise buildings. Rat fleas that enter a house from the basement pose a particular danger to residents, as they can cause a number of infectious diseases.

Determining the “place of residence” of parasites will help to carry out disinfestation of the premises as efficiently as possible and eliminate foci of their reproduction in a short time.

The habitat of earthen or household fleas is limited to a height of no more than one and a half meters from floor level

It is important to pay attention to the main culprits of harmful insects, pets. Often they are the ones who determine the “place of settlement” of fleas

The most common furnishings for their reproduction are carpet, stuffed animals, slippers, crevices and baseboards. Often the place where fleas are concentrated is relocated to upholstered furniture and bedding.

What harm do fleas cause to humans?

Parasites are extremely dangerous. They provoke the development in humans:

1. Pulicosis. Skin lesions caused by human flea bites. The bite site swells, sometimes ulcers form around the mouth and throat, and the body itches. Due to the constant stress experienced by the body, the central nervous system is involved in the process, which negatively affects human health.
2. Tungiasis. The disease is characterized by the appearance of inflamed skin areas at the site of the bite. The body itches and hurts, the skin peels. Most often, the disease occurs in tropical regions.

In addition, parasites carry:

• plague;
• leprosy stick;
• Marseilles fever;
• brucellosis;
• mouse and rat tapeworm.

The degree of danger depends on the type of parasite. Apartments and private households are most often inhabited by human, dog and cat fleas. But there are many other varieties of these insects in the world. Thus, the Tien Shan flea, settling in the fur of domestic animals, mainly cattle, often causes emaciation and even death of the individual on which it parasitizes. The penetrating flea, which lives in Haiti, Brazil, India and Guiana, penetrates under human nails, causing tetanus and blood poisoning. The limb affected by the parasite is amputated or the person dies. Let's talk about how to treat an apartment for fleas in more detail.

Why are fleas dangerous?

Fleas feed on blood like real vampires. People react to their bites differently: some do not notice what happened, others leave marks on their skin in the form of small scarlet or sometimes white spots. It's worst for allergy sufferers, especially if the victims are children. The consequences range from relatively “harmless” itching to anaphylactic shock. The danger is also added by the instinct to scratch the wound left by a flea; as a result, a person can get an infection.

For this reason, in addition to knowing how to kill fleas, it will be useful to learn about the first actions after a bite:

1. Apply disinfectant to the bite site.
2. Apply ice to avoid inflammation.
3. Treat the sore spot with calamine solution for itching.
4. Coat the wounds with a healing cream (for example, Hydrocortisone) and wrap with bandages.
5. Allergic reactions occur to flea saliva. You can get rid of mild allergies yourself; camphor alcohol, lemon juice, potassium permanganate or special gels that can be found in pharmacies will help with this. The most popular purchased product is Fenistil-gel.

They also cause allergies in animals; riding on wool, they mainly end up in human homes.

Flea bites on humans have characteristic symptoms, thanks to which their cause can be determined without even detecting the parasites themselves.

It's not just flea bites and allergies that cause inconvenience. Insects carry diseases, the list of which includes deadly ones, such as plague, typhus, encephalitis, and anthrax. Because of the “cute” creatures, medieval Europe was swept by a plague that took the lives of 60 million people.

Effective flea remedies

Effective remedies against parasites are considered to be drugs that contain one or more of the following components:

1. Pyrethrin 1, Pyrethrin 2 or Pyrethrum. A natural substance extracted from Dalmatian chamomile flowers. Safe for humans and pets.
2. Permethrin. It is a synthetic analogue of Pyrethrin, found in most modern means for combating harmful insects.
3. Fipronil. Most often found in products for treating animal hair against parasites. It is a contact or intestinal insecticide. The destruction of fleas in an insect apartment building occurs quickly. The drug is not safe for humans and animals, but a single contact with it will not have negative consequences.
4. Benzyl benzoate. The substance is part of an emulsion for external use. Effective in the fight against fleas and ticks.

The room at home is treated with Dichlorvos, Karbofos or Diazine. But after such treatment, it is better for people and animals to leave it for a while. These drugs are toxic and therefore should be used to get rid of insects only when other substances fail to achieve the desired effect.

The best traditional methods

In the fight against such annoying pests as fleas, it is more advisable to use folk remedies, which are less safe for human health. But if they cannot cope with the problem that has arisen, then they will have to turn to the ubiquitous chemistry.

The top best folk remedies for fighting small insects include:

1. Persian chamomile is a harmless and at the same time good remedy for the specified problem. Dry chamomile should be crushed, poured with boiling water and left to cool completely in the dark. This decoction can only be used to wash baseboards, corners and secluded places, but also to bathe animals.
2. An excellent remedy is the well-known tar soap. From time immemorial, it has been fighting insects and their eggs; you just need to rub the soap on animal fur or flea habitats, and after ten minutes rinse with warm water;
3. A popular folk remedy is table salt. It must be poured evenly onto paths, carpets, and baseboards. The effect is to corrode the insect's body. You can also use a mixture of salt and soda.
4. In winter, cold will be a wonderful method, since fleas are heat-loving creatures, you just need to open the windows for a couple of hours - the eggs and larvae will die, and the adults will leave your room.
5. Pine sawdust will cope with the problem with a plus , because fleas cannot tolerate the aroma that comes from this evergreen tree. It is recommended to use them as litter for animals. A sprig of wormwood will have the same effect .
6. The pleasant smell of citrus fruits (orange, grapefruit, lemon) will help you one hundred percent. And it’s nice, and there are no small “guests”. Dry crusts are convenient to use in hard-to-reach places and ventilation holes.

How to choose a flea remedy

High-quality preparations for treating premises against parasites contain several insecticides simultaneously. If the apartment has already been treated with some kind of preparation, then there is a high risk that the same remedy for treating premises against fleas will no longer work the second time. Insects quickly develop addiction. It is better not to use drugs with the same toxic substances. Resistance is shown to Pyrethrum and Cypermethrin.

When purchasing, pay attention to the form of release of the poison. Manufacturers offer:

• concentrated solution of insecticide (emulsion concentrate) for dilution in water;
• aerosols in finished form (cans of spraying agents);
• insecticide in the form of a powder or pencil for treating hard surfaces (floors, baseboards, cabinet doors and headboards, etc.).

It is cheaper and more profitable to purchase a concentrated solution. Even a small amount is enough to cover the entire apartment. After using them, an unpleasant odor remains in the room; it will have to be well ventilated. Concentrates produced in the form of microcapsules have almost no odor. It is most convenient to use aerosols. They are much more expensive than concentrated solutions, but do not require prior dilution. There are no traces left after them.

Powders and pencils are used to destroy larvae left behind by parasites. They can be used to treat rooms or the animal itself. Pencils are ineffective against adult fleas, since sexually mature insects do not feed on anything other than blood.

About fleas

General information

Each individual lives 2 years. The female lays only 500 eggs. Within two weeks or even earlier, legless larvae hatch and develop rapidly. The larvae become adults after 14 days. Fleas can come into an apartment from the basement or attic. Sometimes pets and rodents bring insects into the house. If the basement is damp, dark, there is a lot of garbage, there is no ventilation, a colony of insects appears there. They are small, so they will fit into the cracks. They prefer to live closer to the floor. These insects can be found in carpets, they live in upholstered furniture, on parquet floors, in piles of clothes or toys. They crawl out at night to find food - animal or human blood.

Kinds

More than 30 species of fleas live in the house, but these individuals are more common:

1. Earthen ones. They live in the soil and its upper layers. They attack everyone who lives in the house. They leave behind bite marks: a red spot with dried blood in the middle.
2. Sandy. They are similar to earthlings, but live in the sand.
3. Feline. They live on cats, but if there are too many of them, they also hunt humans. Cats bring them into the house. Fleas need their blood.
4. Canine. They look like cats, but prefer dogs.
5. Bedding or linen. There are other similar parasites - lice. But bed fleas are different insects. They settle where people like to relax, i.e. on the sofa, bed. They come out of hiding at night.

Most types of fleas are not attached to any one host: they can easily feed on the skin of different animals and birds

Cleaning

A dirty house is a breeding ground for insects. Therefore, before using insect repellents, clean up the mess.

1. You need some spring cleaning. Remove the piles of clothes and toys that are lying on the floor. Wash the floors thoroughly, adding substances with strong odors to the water. Insects do not like them, so they will go to another room. What substances are these? Essential oil, ammonia. Insects live on the floor and do not climb higher than 1 m. Don't forget about the baseboards. Go through the carpets with a vacuum cleaner, clean the upholstered furniture.
2. Wash all your clothes.
3. On a hot summer day, take the mattresses outside and beat them out, placing blankets and pillows in the bright sunshine. They will drive out insects from their usual habitats.
4. If there are fleas on an animal, remove them. Buy flea sprays, drops or collars. Talk to your veterinarian and choose what's right for you. Pay special attention to the rugs on which the animals rest. They should at least be vacuumed, or better yet, washed or even boiled.
5. If there are bed fleas, wash and boil all bedding. Take the remaining bedding out to the balcony or outside if you live in a private house, where low temperatures or sunlight will drive away and destroy parasites.

Cleaning the house is necessary, it will improve the situation, but you won’t be able to get rid of them at home. You need to either call special services, or buy effective flea repellents.

Even if you don’t know how to get rid of fleas in the house, then additional wet cleaning of the room will not hurt.

Folk remedies against fleas

Let's look at how to treat an apartment for cat fleas or how to treat an apartment for soyaca fleas at home, without resorting to purchased medications. So, to combat insects it is not necessary to purchase special insecticides; it is enough to use:

1. Salt. It destroys the outer coverings of insects, which leads to their death. Salt is sprinkled on paths and carpets, pressing the salt into the pile. Windows and doors in the room are tightly closed, carpets are left sprinkled for 3-4 days. At the end of the allotted period, the salt, along with insects, is removed from the carpets using a vacuum cleaner.
2. Soda. Using soda, flea larvae and eggs are destroyed. The principle of use is the same as with salt. To disinfect a room, cover the carpets and floor of the room with baking soda, leave for 24 hours, and then remove with a vacuum cleaner.
3. Leaves and flowers of wormwood. Bunches of freshly picked wormwood are hung in each room and covered the threshold with it, preventing insects from re-entering the house from the street. You can also use wormwood tincture, decoction or oil. Wormwood should be used with caution as it can cause an allergic reaction.

Classification by type of active components

Determination of pyrethroids.
The following groups of toxic substances are distinguished:

1. Pyrethroids are synthetic analogs of pyrethrins (natural insecticides). Substances of this group affect the nervous system of parasites, resulting in paralysis. Insects lose the ability to breathe, internal organs cease to function. Parasites in this state cannot reproduce. Death soon follows. The most effective substance in this group is cyhalothrin. Other insecticides often used are permethrin, deltamethrin, cypermethrin, tetramethrin.
2. Organophosphorus compounds. These are substances containing a phosphorus-carbon bond. Insecticides belong to the group of nerve-paralytic poisons. After treating the premises, the death of insects occurs within the first hours. When poisons enter the body, they help replace enzymes involved in the transmission of nerve impulses. This leads to the development of paralysis. The parasite cannot reproduce, breathe, and soon dies. The organophosphorus insecticide differs from its analogues in its ability to penetrate the respiratory and digestive systems and the outer integument.
3. Pyrethrins are natural insecticides. They are obtained from plants of the aster family, genus Pyrethrum. The most powerful remedy is made from Dalmatian chamomile flowers. This is a conditionally safe substance; it is better tolerated by the human body in case of poisoning. The disadvantage of these compounds is their ability to act on parasites only through direct contact with the outer integument. In this way, the poison enters the body, disrupts the functioning of the nervous system, and provokes paralysis. Another disadvantage of pyrethrins is their low efficiency.
4. Selamectin is a broad-spectrum agent that has an effect on various types of parasites, including fleas. Refers to semi-synthetic insecticides.
5. Neonicotinoids. From this group, imidacloprid is often used. The mechanism of action is based on the ability to bind to nicotinic receptors of the nervous system. As a result, paralysis develops, fleas lose the ability to reproduce, breathe, digest food, and soon die.
6. Phenylpyrazoles. Fipronil is isolated from this group. This insecticide also destroys the nervous system of insects, which is achieved by blocking GABA-gated and glutamate-gated chloride channels.

Professional home cleaning

If there are a lot of fleas in the apartment, then it makes sense to call professional disinfectors to your home. They know everything about how to treat a room for fleas; they use products that are not commercially available and pose a particular danger to insects. Disinfectors use special protective equipment - masks, suits, gloves, goggles, and expensive equipment for spraying disinfectants and insecticides.

Professional flea treatment of premises takes no more than 1 hour, it all depends on the area affected by insects. Self- treating your home for fleas will take more time, it is less safe, but it is effective if there are no large numbers of parasites.

Sanitation of the premises from fleas by SES specialists

Recently, the best SES in Moscow have been certified by the state. Their employees regularly undergo professional retraining, advanced training courses and take exams. The pest control industry is constantly evolving, new products are appearing on the market, and more effective methods are being invented to combat unwanted insects. Specialists always stay up to date with the latest developments and are the first to introduce innovative developments from leading research centers and companies into use. Many years of practical experience of experts allows us to carry out any processing, even in the most difficult conditions, quickly, efficiently and effectively.

Sanitation of a premises against fleas always begins with an assessment of the situation and clarification of all the circumstances of the upcoming work. After this, the specialists carry out all the necessary manipulations with the premises and give detailed recommendations for its further operation. The final outcome of the entire procedure depends on their compliance. After treatment, the apartment should remain mothballed for some time so that the drug sprayed with a fog generator settles and penetrates even the most inaccessible corners. Afterwards, you need to carry out a thorough wet cleaning to remove chemical residues from the surface of walls, furniture and equipment. If you don't want to do this yourself or are afraid that you won't be able to handle it, contact a cleaning service. Some of them have a special cleaning service after sanitization.

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To prevent the reappearance of fleas in the apartment, monitor the integrity and safety of the walls, ceiling, communications and ventilation, and make cosmetic repairs as necessary. It is better to immediately provide pets with anti-flea collars and periodically wash them with special shampoos. If parasites are found, immediately contact health services for help. This is the only way you can quickly protect yourself, your family and pets from diseases that can be carried by fleas and other blood-sucking insects.

Housing processing sequence

Before you treat your house for fleas , you need to understand the procedure. Treatment begins from the place where the animal sleeps, then:

• treat beds and sofas (shake out mattresses, go over all hard-to-reach surfaces with a vacuum cleaner);
• clean out the closets and process each item;
• Clean the carpets and wash the floor.

You can sprinkle insecticide in powder form under mattresses, paint over areas along the baseboards, under the arms of sofas and behind cabinets with a pencil containing a toxic substance.

All rooms in the apartment are treated at the same time, starting from the back rooms and ending with the corridor and bathroom.

How to prepare an apartment for processing

Disinfection of fleas is carried out after preliminary preparation of the apartment, for this:

• all furniture is moved away from the walls;
• floors, baseboards and upholstered furniture are cleaned with a vacuum cleaner;
• all bed linen is washed and packed in plastic bags and containers;
• wash or wash children's toys and objects that the animal has used;
• cabinets, cabinets, tables and drawers are wiped with disinfectants;
• food products are placed in sealed containers;
• all clean clothes and small household appliances are packed in bags;
• paintings, figurines and other interior items are packed in separate containers;
• drawers and shelves of cabinets must be cleared of contents;
• baseboards and jambs are dismantled.

Disinfectors must have access to water, so the taps must not be turned off . Independent disinfection of fleas in an apartment is also carried out taking into account the listed features of preparation for it.

Possible habitats of fleas in the house

Fleas live in large numbers:

• under and on carpets;
• on the bedding of domestic animals;
• in upholstered furniture and bedding;
• on clothes;
• in hard-to-reach places - baseboards, internal non-demountable parts of upholstered furniture.

Fleas prefer natural carpet pile. They live mainly on the floor, not rising higher than 0.5-1 meters above the floor. Insects can be found in soft children's toys and fur products. The warmer the apartment, the greater the chance for an increase in the flea family. Insects live in the folds of bed linen and mattresses. Any crack located a short distance from the floor can become a home for a flea colony. It is important for owners of apartments on the ground floor to remember that the basement can serve as a source of fleas, so this room will also have to be treated.

How to determine if there are fleas?

It is quite difficult to notice the appearance of fleas right away - the insects are very small and prefer secluded places. But their number is growing very quickly and traces of their presence are becoming more obvious:

• pets begin to behave restlessly, eat and sleep poorly, and often itch;
• Bite marks appear on people’s legs;
• By placing a sheet of white paper on the floor, after a short time you can find black dots on it; once in the water, they turn it brown (these are parasite excrement).

Itches

Sometimes you can see the jumping fleas themselves on the white sheet.

Pet handling

Pets are treated against fleas in accordance with the instructions issued along with the purchased drug. To kill insects on a cat or dog, use special shampoos, oils and powders for sprinkling the fur. The infected animal is first bathed. This will kill most of the fleas. After drying the fur, the animal is treated with powder or another substance against fleas, and a special collar is put on.

The treatment is carried out in accordance with the age of the animal, so it is better not to treat small kittens and puppies with anything, it is enough to bathe them with the cat. All animals in the house are treated, and if possible, then those that constantly live on the street.