sarah asked 6 years ago
Hi there,
We have a pet who got a lot of fleas and infested the whole house. She’s been removed temporarily while we clean and get her treated and cleaned. We only have hardwood floors – no carpets – and there doesn’t seem to be a lot of information on how specifically to clean them.
Should we bring our pet back in now that she’s been treated? And what do we do about hardwood floors? What do we do about our clothes so that we can go to work without worrying about bringing fleas with us? And what specifically should we do with our furniture?
Adam Retzer Staff answered 5 years ago
Hi Sarah,
First of all, I am sorry I took so long to get to your question. I know these questions benefit from timely responses and regret when I get too overwhelmed to answer quickly.
I recently published an article about fleas in hardwood floors. To briefly summarize, flea eggs and flea dirt will fall from infested pets, primarily in areas where they groom themselves. On hardwood floors, the flea debris accumulates in cracks in the floor, crevices around baseboards, and other places where detritus collects (e.g. floor corners). Area rugs, pet beds, and cat trees are also hot-spots in homes without carpets. Dark locations beneath furniture may also harbor fleas.
Once hot-spots have been identified, hardwood floors can be treated with an IGR flea spray. When vacuuming, use the vacuum’s nozzle attachment to get in the cracks, crevices, and corners.
Once the pet has been properly treated, she can be re-introduced into the home. This can actually speed up eradication. She will return to her favored spots, which will also be flea hot-spots. New adult fleas will jump on her and succumb to the insecticide before they can lay eggs. Residual insecticide will also rub off of her and into the environment, helping suppress fleas.
Fleas generally shouldn’t be on clothing. They aren’t attracted to these kinds of items. The exception would be if the pet rested on clothes on the ground, and flea eggs fell on them. Laundering the garments will kill any potential fleas if you are worried. Fleas may jump onto your shoes, socks, and pants when you are walking around. You should be able to brush/shake them off fairly easily when you are leaving the house. You can also use permethrin insect repellent for clothing to deter them from jumping on you in the first place.
Furniture can be treated with an IGR flea spray. Also, use a vacuum’s nozzle attachment to thoroughly clean upholstered furniture. Flea larvae avoid light after hatching. So, ensure you lift up the cushions, and focus on folds in the fabrics as well as any other dark locations where fleas may be living.
I hope this was helpful.
Warm regards,
Adam
