You must act fast if you have a flea infestation. The sooner you act to get rid of fleas, the safer it will be for your pet, your family, and your home. Let me tell you how to get rid of fleas without pesticides — this is a simple, easy, cheap, and safe way to get the job done.

Just treating your pet for fleas is not enough. Fleas hide in your carpets, furniture, bedding, clothing. Fleas hide everywhere.  You must take a more holistic approach and treat the environment if you want to eradicate fleas.

Fleas are nasty parasites. A single flea can feed off your pets and you for months before dying off. That said just think of the problems a flea infestation can cause.

They can cause a host of problems including spreading bacterial diseased and tapeworms.

So how do you get rid of fleas without pesticides?

Simplest Way To Get Rid of Fleas Without Pesticides

Okay, so you wanted to know the simplest, easiest, and cheapest ways to get rid of fleas without pesticides?

I call this the dish detergent flea trap method.

For this method, you will need a desk lamp, dish detergent, plate, and water.

• Desk Lamp – you will need a heat source to attract the fleas. Joe uses a desk lamp and we have found this works best and is easy to set up.
• Dish Detergent – You need some dish detergent. Joe uses Dawn, however, we have found any dish soap will work. Just use what you’re currently using to wash your dishes.
• Plate – you will use the plate to hold the water and dish detergent.

To set this method up, squeeze some dish detergent onto the plate. Add some water and stir until the water and dish soap are mixed well. You’ll want to add enough water so that it doesn’t overflow while you stir.

Move the plate to the area of your home that has a flea problem. Set the desk lamp so that the light and heat source is directly over the plate. Turn on the lamp and let this method do its work.

The fleas and attracted to the light and warmth of the desk lamp. When they jump in the water they are trapped and drown.

Get Rid of Fleas with Salt

Most people don’t know this, but table salt will kill fleas. It’s one of the safest treatments I know of.

Finely ground salt works best for getting rid of fleas. Sprinkle table salt evenly over your carpet.  Use a broom spread and drive the salt deep into the carpet. Leave it there for 24 to 48 hours, then vacuum your carpet thoroughly.

You might be wondering, how exactly does salt work to kill fleas?  The easiest way to explain what happens is the fleas become dehydrated and die.

Now I know this method sounds too simple and unbelievable. But trust me, the salt will really work.

A word of caution.

Salt does attract moisture. You could end up with wet salty carpet if you try this method when it is hot and humid outside. Especially if it gets so hot in your house that your carpet sweats.

How to Vacuum Fleas Out of Carpet

“You can kill fleas with a vacuum”.

I have heard this said a thousand times. But does vacuuming really work? I’ve often wondered myself and have finally found evidence to support killing fleas with a vacuum cleaner.

Two researchers from Ohio State University “found that vacuuming adult fleas from carpeted floors killed 96% of them and 100% of pupae and larvae“. This finding is significant. It means vacuuming kills fleas in all stages of their life cycle.

These researchers also determined what was actually responsible for the flea deaths. It wasn’t the vacuum bags or the act of sicking the fleas into the bad. The fleas were killed as the passed through the vacuum cleaner brushes. As they passed through the brushes they were crushed and thrown around so violently resulting in death.

Now you may be thinking, what is the best way to vacuum fleas out of the carpet? Do I need a special unit to do this or will my family vac work?

Use Diatomaceous Earth To Get Rid Of Fleas

Have you heard of diatomaceous earth? Diatomaceous earth – DE for short, is a natural remedy that is effective at killing fleas in your home. DE is a fine powdery substance, that is non-toxic to humans and pets when used as directed. However, diatomaceous earth does a fantastic job at killing fleas without having to resort to toxic insecticide and pesticide products.

Sprinkle the DE powder around your home in areas you have seen pest that you want to get rid of. Fleas and other insects like ticks, ants, and bed bugs that come in contact with diatomaceous earth will die within a few hours.

If you have fleas in the carpet, you can sprinkle DE on the carpet too. Let it sit for a few hours and then you vacuum it up. This way you can kill fleas, eggs, are larvae. You can also treat your pet’s bedding with DE to remove fleas.

Our Best Approach To Flea Control Without Pesticides

We believe the best approach to killing fleas is to use our dish detergent flea trap method along with vacuuming. No one method works best, but when combined you can totally eliminate and eradicate any flea problem you might have.

You should continue to repeat the process of setting out your flea detergent trap and vacuuming until all fleas are gone. In our experience, this will only take a few times.

This recommendation is based on my first-hand experience.

On a few separate occasions, my friends and family have tried a single method and didn’t get the overall results they were looking for — no fleas.

Each time I told them to try both methods together and the outcome was always the same. They got rid of their flea problems.

Related Questions

How long can fleas live in a house? Fleas can live up to 100 days, however, the average life span is 2 to 3 months. The life span of the flea is increased if it has plenty of food, water, and a taste of blood from a human or pet.

How do I keep fleas from biting me? The first thing you want to do is get control of your flea problem. Treat your dog or cat safely for fleas, vacuuming your carpets, and placing out dish detergent flea traps are your best bet. Do all these things and you should not have to worry about flea bites.

Can fleas survive the washing machine? No, fleas cannot survive the washing machine. Machine washing in an effective way to control fleas. Wash your flea-infested items in hot water and cycle them through a hot dryer.