How to get rid of cat fleas in an apartment: effective ways to combat parasites

Fleas in an apartment are a nightmare for residents of some regions, because parasites carry dangerous diseases. These insects appear regardless of whether there are animals living in the house. To get rid of this scourge, it is not necessary to call exterminators. You can treat the apartment yourself.

The main thing is to choose an effective means for killing fleas and strictly follow the rules.

How fleas get into an apartment

In Russia, cat fleas are the most common. Despite the name, they parasitize not only cats. These insects bite dogs, rodents, birds and people.

Flea infestations become common in the summer. This especially applies to residents of the first and second floors, as well as private houses. However, jumping insects can climb much higher.

Cat fleas enter an apartment in the following ways:

With pets. Cats and dogs that walk outside on their own can pick up parasites from other four-legged animals.
From the basement. Stray animals often gather in such places. Cat fleas jump off them in search of a new host and penetrate into entrances and apartments.
With old things. Fleas can choose a mattress, carpet, or upholstered furniture if infected animals have been in contact with them or they have been in places where there are parasites.
From the neighbors. Insects move along the ventilation ducts and crawl into the smallest cracks.
With rodents. Cat fleas live on mice and rats. If the apartment is attacked by these pests, insects may appear along with them.
With a person. Insects cling to clothes and shoes. It is enough to walk where an infected animal has recently walked, or pet stray kittens.

You need to get rid of cat fleas in your apartment as soon as possible. Parasites are extremely dangerous - they can infect a person with helminths and other diseases, and provoke severe allergies.

Insect habitats indoors

To quickly get rid of cat fleas in the house, you should carefully treat their favorite habitats: baseboards, any cracks, carpets.

If there is a cat in the house, fleas can be found on his bed. Parasites also prefer to be in mattresses, upholstered furniture and toys.

Insects choose places where people visit most often for “hunting”, and secluded corners for breeding.

If you find cat fleas, you should immediately begin exterminating them. If parasites begin to multiply en masse, it will be much more difficult to get rid of them.

On a note. Sometimes fleas bite only one family member. Parasites choose the person who has the most attractive odor to them.

When is professional pest control necessary?

If there are a lot of fleas and self-treatment does not bring lasting results, you need to contact a professional. Exterminators use powerful products that cannot be found over the counter. In addition, specialists have special equipment that ensures the supply of insecticide to all cracks and hard-to-reach places. There is no need to be afraid of furniture damage; there will be no traces left after such a procedure.

Flea development cycle

It will be much easier to get rid of cat fleas on your own if you know the stages of their development:

The flea lays eggs, which are covered with a smooth and slippery shell, so they spread freely. For example, in places where an infected animal walks.
After about 2 weeks, a larva about 1 mm long appears. This worm can move. It feeds on the feces of adult fleas, skin scales and other organic debris.
Over the course of two weeks, the larva molts three times, after which it turns into a pupa.
After 14 days, an imago emerges from the pupa - an adult insect.

Eggs are very difficult to get rid of. They do not need nutrition and can remain viable for months. As soon as it gets warm, the larvae hatch from them. The most favorable time for the development of cat fleas is summer. It is then that their development cycle becomes as short as possible.

To get rid of cat fleas in an apartment, it is necessary to disrupt the cyclical nature of their development. That is, regularly destroy adult insects and larvae. Then they will not be able to reproduce.

Important. The higher the temperature and humidity, the faster new generations of parasites appear. Therefore, in hot weather, products to combat cat fleas should be used as often as possible.

Choosing a method to control insects

There are 2 ways to get rid of cat fleas in an apartment:

physical – hot steam treatment;
chemical - the use of various drugs that destroy insects.

The first method is more gentle. It is suitable for families with small children and people who cannot leave the apartment during treatment. Steam is safe and does not harm the environment or the inhabitants of the home.

Chemicals act radically. To get rid of fleas, you will have to not enter the apartment for 2-3 hours, remove all animals from it, and hide food. Also, some products have a pungent odor, but it usually disappears quickly.

Symptoms and characteristic signs

Cat fleas leave the faintest marks on the human body. After an hour, the affected area is no longer itchy, and the redness goes away within 2-3 days. Typical symptoms and signs of a bloodsucking bite are as follows:

When the skin is bitten, the man experiences acute pain, which feels similar to an injection from a medical syringe.
A noticeable itching appears, stronger than after a mosquito bite.
As a rule, insects bite a person up to the knee, but if fleas attack while sleeping, they can reach the armpits.
Characterized by a series of punctures on the skin, the insect bites in several places at once with a distance of 1-2 cm from each other.

Chemical method

The range of products for killing cat fleas is quite wide. There are various aerosols, sprays and concentrates made from natural and synthetic components on sale.

To get rid of cat fleas in apartments, use the following insecticides:

Pyrethrin is a natural insecticide obtained from plant materials. Forces parasites to leave the apartment, and the remaining insects die after a few days from suffocation. Safe for people and animals.
Permethrin is a synthetically reconstituted pyrethrin that has a more pronounced effect. Causes paralysis in insects.
Benzyl benzoate is an ester of benzoic acid. Insecticide safe for humans.
Fipronil is a synthetic substance with a powerful insectoacaricidal effect.
Piperonyl butoxide and chlorpyrifos are auxiliary components that enhance the effect of the main substance.

Cat fleas can develop resistance to one or another insecticide. To get rid of these insects forever, it is better to periodically change the medications.

Aerosols and sprays

Aerosols act locally and allow you to locally get rid of cat fleas in your apartment. Massive death of insects can be noticed already during treatment. These products are easy to use and contain flavorings - you don’t have to suffer from a pungent odor.

The disadvantage of sprays and aerosols is their high consumption. To get rid of cat fleas in a 1-room apartment, you will have to spend 2-3 cans. And if you consider that you need to destroy parasites regularly, it turns out to be quite expensive.

To get rid of cat fleas, use the following means:

Pair Stop;
Raptor;
Raid;
Leopard;
Dichlorvos;
Canina pharma;
Frontline;
Beafar;
Battalion commander

Important. A cat or other pet should not be treated with a flea killer in an apartment. The concentration of active substances in it is too high - the animal can be poisoned.

Processing method

To get rid of cat fleas in residential areas, the Para Stop aerosol is most often chosen. It destroys adult insects, larvae and pupae. If the instructions and safety precautions are followed, the aerosol does not harm people or pets.

Before treatment, the apartment is wet cleaned, all family members, animals, terrariums and aquariums are evacuated. Food products are placed in sealed containers.

The product is available in the form of an aerosol generator, which ensures uniform spraying. Before use, shake the can vigorously, then turn it upside down and point it at the surface to be treated. The product is sprayed from a distance of 50 cm.

To get rid of cat fleas in an apartment, spray furniture, the space under beds and carpets, as well as all hard-to-reach places: crevices, cracks, baseboards. To treat 1 m2, it is enough to spray the product for 5 seconds.

After application, the apartment is left closed for 3 hours, then ventilated for at least 30 minutes.

The home is vacuumed daily for a week - with this measure you can quickly get rid of parasites. Vibration and warm air currents accelerate the removal of cat fleas from pupae, and Para Stop continues to destroy them.

Important. The dust container is always emptied outside the home to prevent re-infestation by parasites.

Concentrates

They are a liquid with a high content of active substances. Such products are not used in their pure form. A working solution is first prepared from them - diluted in the proportion specified by the manufacturer. These are the drugs that exterminators most often use.

To get rid of insects, concentrates are used to treat all surfaces in the apartment, not just hidden places. Typically, cat fleas die en masse 5-7 days after use, but some brands of products work faster. After disinfestation, the drugs continue to act for about another month.

Butox is recognized as one of the most popular and effective remedies. From 1 ml of concentrate, 500-750 ml of working solution is obtained. The only drawback is the rather strong specific smell.

You can also get rid of cat fleas in your apartment using the following means:

Ektosan - diluted in the same concentration as Butox. The product does not smell so strong and does not leave marks on furniture, carpets and other coverings.
Neostomozan - to prepare a working solution, dissolve 1 ml of concentrate in 1 liter of water. The protective properties last for about a week. The disadvantages include a very pungent odor.
Delcid concentrate is diluted at the rate of 1 ml per 800 ml of water. Insects die within a couple of hours after using the emulsion. The drug has a weak specific odor that quickly disappears.
Tsifox – 1 liter of water will require 2 ml of the drug. Effective only against adult insects. Causes paralysis in cat fleas after 30 minutes. It continues to repel insects for 3-4 months. It has a weak odor that does not linger on surfaces.
Executioner – 1 bottle of 5 ml is designed to prepare 0.5 liters of working solution. The effect appears within 2 hours. The unpleasant odor goes away quickly when aired.
Get – diluted in a ratio of 1 to 10 (100 ml per 1 l). Does not have a pronounced odor. All insects die within a week. The effect lasts for six months. The manufacturer claims that cat fleas do not develop immunity to this product.
Tetrix – 50 ml of concentrate is dissolved in 1 liter of water. The composition contains potent poisons, so not only adult fleas and larvae die, but also eggs. However, the drug is also toxic to humans. Do not allow it to enter the respiratory tract, mucous membranes or skin.
Cucaracha - 2.5 ml of the drug is diluted in 1 liter of water. Has a long-lasting effect: the active substances continue to work for 30 days after application. The disadvantage is an unpleasant odor that lasts for quite a long time.
Agran - to prepare 1 liter of working solution you will need 3 ml of concentrate. The composition includes 2 poisons (chlorpyrifos and cypermethrin). There is no information yet about insects with immunity to these substances. It has a pungent odor.
Tsifox - if there are few parasites, it is enough to mix 0.4 ml of concentrate with 1 liter of water. Otherwise, 2 ml will be required. Cat fleas begin to die 30 minutes after treatment. The drug continues to act for 3 months.
Biorin - 1.2 ml of concentrate is diluted in 1 liter of water. Within 15 minutes after treatment, 50% of fleas are destroyed, the rest die within 24 hours. The duration of protection is 6-8 weeks.
Sinusan - working solution is made in a ratio of 5 ml per 1 liter of water. Duration of exposure is approximately 1 month. The product has a weak specific odor.
Chlorpyrimark - used at the rate of 5 ml per 1 liter of water. Residual activity appears over 1.5-2 months. Contains fragrances that neutralize unpleasant odors.
Empire-20 - diluted in a ratio of 1 to 50. That is, to prepare 1 liter of working solution you will need 20 ml of the drug. Initial signs of poisoning appear in insects 2-4 hours after contact. The death of parasites increases over the course of 3 days. The duration of residual impact is more than 30 days.
Eslanadez – add 4 ml of concentrate to 1 liter of water. The action lasts up to 45 days. The smell is weak and disappears quickly.
Averfos – 5 ml of concentrate is required for 1 liter of water. The effect lasts for a month. It has a specific smell, but after airing it disappears.
Taran - working emulsion is prepared at the rate of 1.25 ml per 1 liter of water. The drug begins to act within 15 minutes. In insects, activity first increases, then paralysis and death occur. The residual effect lasts for 4-8 weeks.

To get rid of fleas in an apartment, use only freshly prepared working solution. During storage, it erodes and loses its properties.

Processing method

You can get rid of annoying parasites for a long time only if you treat your apartment according to certain rules.

Pre-clean the room:

wipe off dust even in the most difficult to reach places;
vacuum, capturing all the cracks and furniture;
washing the floor.

The cat's bedding is boiled, and bedding, bedspreads, blankets, toys, curtains and other things that may contain cat fleas are washed at temperatures above 60°C.

After this, the working solution is applied.

Important. Before treatment, you need to check whether the anti-cat flea product stains wallpaper and fabrics. Otherwise, you can damage the walls and upholstered furniture.

To spray the chemicals you will need a spray bottle. You can buy it at a hardware store or use the one left over from another product. For example, for washing windows.

The insecticide in the apartment is treated with:

carpets;
baseboards;
upholstered furniture;
doors and walls (approximately 1.2 m from the floor).

If the cat often climbs onto bookshelves, cabinets and other “high places”, then you will have to spray them too.

100-200 ml of working solution is sprayed onto 1 m2. After applying the product to all surfaces, close the apartment and leave for about 2 hours. You cannot be inside at this time - inhaling toxic fumes is harmful to health. If there are other pets in the house - hamsters, parrots, snails, they are given to relatives or neighbors.

After the specified time, the room is well ventilated. Places with which apartment residents are constantly in contact are wiped with a damp cloth. There is no need to wash other surfaces.

To completely remove parasites, the apartment is treated every 10-12 days.

Security measures

When working with chemicals, take minimal precautions: wear gloves, safety glasses and a respirator, and do not allow the product to come into contact with mucous membranes.

During treatment, smoking, drinking and eating are prohibited. At the end of work, you must thoroughly wash your hands and face with soap and rinse your mouth with water.

In case of contact with skin, wash off with plenty of water. If the drug is swallowed, drink 2-3 glasses of clean water and 8-10 tablets of activated carbon or other sorbent. If weakness, nausea, or dizziness occur, consult a doctor.

Why are flea bites dangerous?

When the parasite feeds on blood, it injects saliva into the wound, which contains a substance that prevents clotting. After penetration into the body, the enzyme causes an allergic reaction in the body, which is aggravated by feces and undigested blood that gets onto the surface of the dermis during the insect’s feeding. Skin lesions caused by flea bites are called pulicosis. One attack does not pose a threat to human health, but systematic flea bites can lead to serious consequences:

A noticeable, severe itching appears at the affected areas. If bitten scratches the skin and increases the risk of infection.
With severe allergic reactions, difficulty breathing occurs, body temperature rises, hives, intestinal upset, and severe swelling of the skin appear. Children are especially prone to allergies due to weak immune defenses. If these symptoms develop, you should consult a doctor.
Dermatitis may develop.
Infection with endoparasites: worms, worms.
Parasites carry dangerous bacteria, for example, plague bacillus, encephalitis virus, salmonella, typhus, and hepatitis. There are about 25 pathologies that can affect a person when bitten by an insect.
Psychosis develops, the person imagines that he is constantly being pursued by insects, they are crawling over his body.

Body reaction and skin sensitivity

After puncturing the skin, the insects immediately cover the bite site, preventing blood from flowing out. A pinpoint hemorrhage remains under the skin itself, so a small hemorrhage forms. The first few hours a blister is noticeable, which quickly resolves. Only microbleeds persist for a long time; they disappear after 2-3 days. Some people develop an allergy to flea bites, the severity of which depends on the body's sensitivity to the anticoagulant from the parasite's saliva. The combination of symptoms forms the disease pulicosis.

Signs of an allergic reaction

The most common consequences after a skin puncture are itching, burning and other allergic manifestations. This is due to the penetration of an enzyme into the blood from the blood-sucking saliva. The severity of the reaction and symptoms depend on the characteristics of the human body; as a rule, it manifests itself:

rash;
swelling, blisters;
itching of varying severity;
lethargy, weakness, headache;
hair loss at the site of the bite.

In severe cases, a person may develop anaphylactic shock. Cases of severe allergic reactions began to occur frequently, so doctors invented a special drug called “flea antigen.” It helps prevent allergies or significantly reduce them. If a person has a tendency to such reactions, then after an attack by a parasite he should immediately seek medical help.

Physical method

To get rid of cat fleas, you can treat your apartment with a steam generator or steamer. Insects, their eggs, and larvae do not tolerate strong heat. At temperatures above 45°C they die.

Steam treats carpets, upholstered furniture, floors and baseboards. Activities are carried out every 10 days until the cat fleas are completely eliminated.

For your information. You should choose steam generators that operate in a horizontal position. Some models do not have this feature.

It is not possible to get rid of all parasite eggs at once. They may be in some secluded corner of the apartment where steam does not reach. After some time, larvae will appear from them, and the fleas will begin to reproduce again.

Pest control tactics

Proper treatment of your home against ectoparasites requires careful preparation and time. First of all, you need to put all the textiles in the house into the washing machine. It is necessary to wash all sheets, curtains and blankets, as well as beds and pillows on which the pet sleeps. Dry cleaning must be done first. You need to wash at a temperature of at least 60 degrees, preferably 90.

The best means and preparations for treating apartments against fleas

Next, the carpets and furniture are cleaned using a vacuum cleaner. Particular attention should be paid to rugs near the front door and in the bathroom. Wet cleaning is also necessary. Floors need to be carefully treated not only in publicly accessible areas. It is recommended to treat all spaces behind furniture, cabinets, and under radiators.

Important! An important point when treating your home for fleas is the careful treatment of outdoor shoes. It is better to wash it with laundry soap or wash it in a washing machine at 60 degrees. This will prevent re-infection of the apartment with parasites after careful treatment.

Preventing fleas indoors

It is important not only to get rid of cat fleas, but also to prevent their reappearance in the apartment. To do this you need:

Every 10-14 days, spray the ventilation openings, stairwells, door mats, and when living on the 1st-2nd floor, window sills and balconies with anti-parasite agents.
To get rid of fleas from an animal, treat it with antiparasitic agents that provide long-term protection (Bars Forte, Beafar, Celandine, etc.), or buy an anti-flea collar.
Vacuum your apartment at least once a week. This measure allows you to get rid of pupae and larvae in a timely manner. The dust container must be emptied after each cleaning.
Wash clothes and bedding at the highest possible temperature.
Residents of private houses should regularly mow the lawn. Short grass warms up well in the sun and becomes unattractive to cat fleas. Along the perimeter you can plant plants with a strong smell: tansy, lavender, geranium, mint. Insects don't like them very much.

These measures should be taken during the warm season, when cat fleas are most active.

On a note. If parasites appear despite all preventive measures, you should contact the sanitary and epidemiological station. Specialists will treat not only the apartment, but also the basement and the entire entrance.

To get rid of cat fleas in an apartment, it is enough to carry out regular treatments. And timely prevention will avoid the invasion of these parasites.

Folk recipes

In the first stages after an insect attack, provided that a severe allergic reaction has not developed, you can fight the bites using home medicine. The following folk remedies are used for flea attacks on humans:

Dilute apple cider vinegar with water in a ratio of 2:1, apply cotton wool to the affected areas 3-4 times a day.
Use a soda solution for wiping: a teaspoon per 1 glass of water.
Squeeze the juice from a fresh dandelion and apply it to the affected areas of the skin 2-3 times a day.
You can apply aloe pulp (a mushy state) to the bite site or rub it with the juice of the plant.
Dilute lemon juice with water in a 2:1 ratio, wipe 2-3 times a day.
Apply ammonia to a cotton swab and wipe the punctures 2-3 times a day to reduce the likelihood of infection and relieve itching and inflammation.