Essential Flea Season Hacks

Photo by Brian Blum via Unsplash.

A common nightmare for every pet owner is going about your day in your nice clean apartment, only to find a flea pop up from out of nowhere. You thought your place was free of fleas and then all of a sudden it becomes apparent you’ve got a problem. It may not be a major flea infestation, but the goal is to a have zero flea household. With warmer weather on the horizon, it’s time to get rid of those little buggers and here are some essential hacks to keep them out of your house.

Wash your pet regularly and use a flea comb – Maybe you don’t consider this a simple hack, but if you want to keep fleas out of your house, it’s essential. Especially if you’re taking your pet outside on walks, hikes or around other animals and exposing them to fleas. Wash your pet once a week and use the flea comb as needed during flea season. It can be time consuming, but it’s super effective at keeping fleas at bay.

Dish soap bowl to attract fleas – More along the lines of a simple hack, if you have a flea problem in your home and are looking for a an easy way to be rid of them, fill a bowl with soapy water and place it near a light. A light is not required, but can help attract fleas to the bowl of water which subsequently drowns them. Keep the bowl out of reach from pets so they don’t drink the soapy water. This can also be done with Lysol and water.

Citrus and lemon scents to deter fleas – Use citrus scented sprays around the house and carpet to encourage fleas to hit the road. While it doesn’t kill fleas, it does deter them from sticking around. However, pets can have a negative reaction to citrus as well, so it’s best to keep them away from any area you’re using this spray in. And definitely don’t use any sort of citrus spray or essential oil directly on your pet.

Vacuum to kill and prevent flea eggs – If you have carpet you’ll definitely want to using the vacuum to prevent flea eggs from hatching in your carpet. Yes, it sounds as gross as it really is – so vacuuming regularly is a necessity. Luckily, vacuuming is super effective at preventing flea issues from getting worse.

Using Dietomaceous Earth to kill fleas – This environmentally friendly natural chemical gets rid of fleas and other pests by drying them out and eventually killing them. Not very pleasant to think about, but if you’ve got a flea problem on your hands it works wonders. Vacuum first and then sprinkle the DE onto the carpet. It’s recommended to wait a week before vacuuming to make sure the fleas bite the dust  literally. Although it’s considered safe to use around pets, always use food-grade DE in your home and do not use it directly on your pet’s fur or skin.