Can Fleas Live In Carpet? What Is The Flea Treatment For Carpet?

Carpet fleas are very common when you have pets and they don’t even need them as a host! Fleas will find their way indoors through cracks in the floor and open windows before they develop within your carpet pile. This can quickly become an issue as fleas can be a health hazard with the potential for spreading infectious diseases. 

Can fleas live in carpet? What is the flea treatment for carpet? Find out more here… 

Frequently Asked Questions 

What do fleas look like?

Adult fleas are only about 2mm in size. They’re wingless with legs designed for jumping. They have a colouring that’s red-brown. Flea bites can cause irritation around a central bright red spot – sometimes resulting in a nasty reaction.

How do I find fleas in my carpet?

Inspection – this is the first stage as you need to identify where the fleas are hiding. Fleas are tiny and have brown vertically flattened bodies with six legs and no wings. You can tell if your pets have fleas as they’ll start to scratch vigorously and their skin will have tiny black droppings like black pepper which is flea dirt. This can then progress to irritated, red patches.

If fleas bite you you’ll notice red welts on your legs and ankles which itch profusely. Fleas tend to hang around sofas, beds, and carpeted areas where they enjoy nestling in the fibres. Look for active adult fleas and their faeces and collect a few samples on a paper towel. Add a couple of drops of water and if the specks turn red you’ll know this isn’t just dirt.

Fleas can typically live up to three months in your carpet if they have a host, survival is much less without. Flea eggs live for two to three days before hatching which can take up to 12 days. Adult fleas will hide in the carpet until a suitable host becomes available.

 How do fleas develop? 

Female fleas lay eggs on their host and as they dry, they fall off. They accumulate where pets sleep and feed – and in a warm living room and bedroom climates. Particularly in the carpets where they’re hidden from view within the deep fibres. 

The flea larvae need plenty of food – and they get that from the adult faeces which easily gets trapped in the carpets. After hatching the larvae tend to stay in the same place – concentrated in carpeted rooms. 

During formation, the mature larvae spin a cocoon and become camouflaged within the carpet, and they become hard to remove by vacuuming only. Adult fleas will stay in their cocoons until a suitable host becomes available – jumping on them from the carpet.

 

 

How long do fleas live in carpet?

On average, a flea can live for two to three months in the carpet. But without intervention, they can stay in the carpet without end if they have a host. If a blood meal isn’t consumed the flea may only survive for a few days. 

Flea eggs live for two to three days before hatching. And eggs hatch in up to 12 days.

 How should I clean my carpet?

Once you’ve located the flea infestation you need to vacuum the carpet thoroughly using the attachments to get behind and underneath furniture. To be sure you’ve eliminated all the fleas a steam-clean is your best option.

After you’ve vacuumed remove the cleaner bag or empty the contents into a sealed bag and take it outdoors straightaway. Leaving the bag indoors will allow the fleas to get back inside. Clean the vacuum to ensure fleas haven’t attached themselves to the collection area.

A flea carpet spray that’s pet-friendly can help remove stubborn fleas and help prevent future infestations.

Are there home flea remedies?

Home flea treatments for carpets include:

• Warm water and soap: mix and place in a bowl by the flea activity to catch them as they jump.
• Baking soda: sprinkle over affected areas and brush into fibres before vacuuming thoroughly.
• Lemon spray: slice a lemon thinly and add to a pint of water and bring to the boil. Let it sit overnight and then transfer to a spray bottle and spray on infested areas.

How do I get rid of fleas in carpet?

How to get rid of fleas in carpet – through cleaning is your first option. You’ll need to vacuum the carpet really thoroughly, using the nozzle attachment to focus on skirting boards, corners, and upholstery. 

It’s important to empty and throw away the vacuum bag immediately as the fleas can jump out and re-infect the carpet if you’re not careful.

 Clean any bedding that your pet sleeps on too. You should choose a hot wash and dry cycle on a daily basis to ensure the flea infestation has gone.

 

 

Natural Flea Remedies

Natural treatments include sprinkling diatomaceous earth on the affected areas after vacuuming. This is a natural insecticide that you can buy from most health shops. You can try boiling the juice of a lemon in a pint of boiling water and spraying it onto the carpet, or adding essential oils such as rosemary – the oils and citrus are a flea deterrent. 

Fine-grained salt and borax sprinkled all over the carpets and around the areas where your pet spends the most time. Letting it sit overnight before vacuuming will ensure it penetrates into the carpet fibres. remember to keep pets and children away from the treated areas. 

Flea traps can be simply made by filing a small bowl with water and a few drops of washing up liquid. Put the bowl on the floor close to the wall, and next to a lamp that you can switch on at night. Fleas will jump towards the light and fall into the water – the soap will prevent them from jumping back out. Keep pets and children out of rooms with flea traps in them.

 

 

Other Flea Treatments 

Flea treatment for carpet includes steam cleaning your carpets, upholstery, and furniture. The extreme temperatures used by effective hot water extraction cleaning techniques will ensure both flea adults and eggs will be eliminated. A trusted professional carpet cleaning company will carry out this service for you. 

Flea carpet spray works with the use of a pet-safe insecticide that you spray onto the carpet – and wait for it to dry. You then vacuum and continue to vacuum every few days for up to two weeks. The insecticide kills any adult fleas. And the vacuuming manages the infestation. 

Professional pest control may be your only option if you have an uncontrollable flea infestation. A residual insecticide will be applied to all floor surfaces either as a liquid or spray powder. And will need to be left for two weeks for the treatment to be a success.