How to Get Rid of Fleas in Carpet

By: Jaceson Maughan

When your dog or cat brings in fleas from outdoors, the pests can quickly infest your home. Learning how to get rid of fleas is time consuming task but one that is necessary for the safety and health of everyone in the house.

Vacuuming is one of the first things to do to get rid of fleas in the caret. Every inch of carpeting needs to be vacuumed. Take special care to vacuum under furniture, behind furniture and over area rugs. Even the angle between the carpet and the floorboard should be thoroughly vacuumed with an attachment. Vacuuming picks up flea eggs, larvae and pupae. After every time you vacuum, dispose of the vacuum bag in a plastic bag and take it directly outside to the garbage. You should plan on vacuuming several times a day for the first few days of an infestation.

Set a flea bomb to infuse your home with substances toxic to fleas. Whether you choose a flea bomb or a fogger, or simply apply a flea spray, make sure to cover all floor surfaces, including carpeted areas. Continue to vacuum regularly after the treatment, especially in areas where pets spend a lot of time.

There are carpet sprays and powders specifically designed to deal with adult fleas in the carpet. These sprays or powders are put directly on the carpet, where they are toxic to the pests. After leaving the spray for a certain period of time, you should vacuum again to capture the substance and the dead fleas. However, because flea pupae are resistant to water and other outside contaminants, they are also resistant to carpet sprays. Applying a spray in conjunction with foggers makes it more likely that you are getting as many adult pests and eggs as possible.

Flea larvae stick to carpet fibers and are harder to eliminate by vacuuming. You can have expert carpet cleaners come in to shampoo and treat the carpet with hot water and a borate-based solution. This mixture is toxic to flea larvae but won't harm people or pets. This is the final step in eliminating fleas and their eggs, pupae and larvae from the carpet. 

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