How to get rid of fleas at home

As a doggie mom of two who lives in community that used to be an open field, I have gone to battle with some fleas.

When I moved into my house in January, I immediately realized there was an ant infestation. After buying traps and spraying the yard, their presence decreased, but never disappeared altogether.

Also, when I went to feed the dogs one day, I found a cockroach and a spider in the food. I am from the country, so it takes a lot to shake me, but after that I made the decision to do a basic bug bomb in the near future.

But, then the fleas happened.

I am sure all doggy moms hate fleas, but I feel like I am at war when they arrive at my home. My poor doggies were itching, and I had bumps all over my body.

I put on my armor, and I mass murdered the crap out of those fleas.

If you are going through the same thing and are ready to be flea free, here are the steps I took to get rid of fleas without an exterminator. If you follow these step by step, you will get the best results.

FLEA PILLS

The first thing you need to do is cut off your fleas feeding supply – your pet.

There are a number of different flea pills, so you need to contact your vet. I have used Triflexis for years, but I have recently switched over to Comfortis. Triflexis tackles way more than just fleas, so if you are looking for an all-in-one product, that is the one for you.

SEND YOUR PETS AWAY

After they have been treated for the fleas, it is good for them to not be around while you go on a flea murdering spree. I was lucky enough to be able to leave them at my parents for a week, but if you could just board them for a day that would be enough.

VACUUM

Vacuuming is so essential in getting rid of fleas. I now vacuum my whole house, including hardwood and tile, 1 to 2 times a day. Before you start putting out chemicals, make sure everything Is vacuumed.

SPRAY FURNITURE

When killing fleas, you are dealing with two demons – the fleas themselves and larvae. Larvae is hard to kill than actual fleas. I bought a flea spray from Hartz for putting on bedding and furniture, and I sprayed all of the cloth items in my home.

SPRINKLE CARPET

After I sprayed my furniture, I sprinkled a flea killing powder on the carpet. The one I used was also from Hartz. I let this sit in the carpet for hours.

When you get down

FOGGING YOUR HOME

After you are done prepping, it is time to bomb the house. My house is close to 2,000 sq. ft., so I used 9 foggers. I bought 3 bug foggers specifically for fleas and bed bugs and 6 of the regular fogger from Hot Shot.

First, I put the foggers for fleas and bed bugs in rooms that I knew the dogs frequented. I knew the fleas were rampant in my bedroom, the living room and the utility room where the kennels were.

Then, I put the other foggers in all the other rooms in my home. I went to work and let the foggers work their magic for 9 hours.

When using foggers, be sure to follow directions on the box! When I returned home, I washed and wiped down all surfaces while my house aired out.

WASH, WASH, WASH

When the house has aired out, it’s time to wash everything. I washed my sheets, bedding, pillows, towels, clothes on the ground – literally everything that was exposed to the fogger.

This is also great because it’s a little spring cleaning, so everything is fresh.

OUTSIDE

The last thing you need to do is spray the outside. I like to use the brand Seven, my family has used it for years. I use the container that has its own sprayer, and I sprayed every inch of my front and back yard. It is good to focus on high grass or brush because that is usually where fleas gather.