Fleas are blood-sucking, rapidly spreading parasites that cause a lot of trouble when they appear in a home, such as itching, skin irritation and the risk of transmitting various infections. Pets can become their carriers, or insects can get into the house directly from the street. Most chemical compounds against parasites are toxic, while folk remedies, such as salt and soda for fleas, are much more economical and safe.
Salt crystals, once on the flea's body, quickly corrode it. Sometimes it is enough just to rub grains of salt into a woolen carpet and both adult insects and their larvae die in its pile. Flea soda acts in a similar way, and a mixture of these two components allows you to get rid of such “uninvited guests” much faster. In addition, this method is absolutely harmless to humans and their pets.
How to get rid of fleas using baking soda and salt
The easiest way to get rid of fleas in the house using salt and soda is to use the products in their pure form (mixing the ingredients in equal proportions).
The resulting mixture of salt and soda should be sprinkled on all carpets and any fleecy surfaces. Then you should wait for 24 hours and thoroughly vacuum the living space, removing non-viable pests along with the bulk materials. The cleaning will have to be repeated for two more days.
The story on the topic “How to get rid of fleas in the house using folk remedies (salt and soda)” does not end there. There is another way to use homemade raw materials. The recipe for an effective solution is no less simple.
Important points
- When fleas appear in the house, it is very important to understand the cause of the infestation. After all, infection does not always occur due to domestic animals. If the cause is not eliminated, then repeated infections are likely, which means that all actions taken during treatment will be ineffective.
- Remember that if pets are infected, be sure to treat them. Now you can buy shampoos, sprays, drops that will quickly get rid of parasites. In addition, since parasite infection occurs on the street, it is better to take care of protection in order to prevent infection than to deal with the consequences later.
- It is also worth knowing that traditional methods are effective only when the room is not heavily contaminated. The fact is that there is no harmful effect when using the above means; with their help you can only scare away parasites. In cases where there are a large number of them, such a deterrent effect is ineffective. It will be necessary to use specialized drugs to help get rid of large populations.
Preparation of the solution
Before preparing the solution and using the product for its intended purpose, experts recommend carrying out several preparatory measures:
- The premises should be isolated from pets.
- All food and utensils should be moved to another location or sealed.
- The idea that the product kills fleas is false. This is why it is so important to carry out regular cleaning after pest poisoning.
Now it’s worth moving directly to the method of preparing the saline solution. The steps are the same: you need to mix salt and soda in equal quantities, then add water until the bulk ingredients are completely dissolved. The solution is infused for 8-10 hours and used as directed.
The composition must be sprayed with a spray bottle onto the entire fleecy surface; when treating carpets, it is important not to skip individual areas of the coating.
In order for baking soda and salt to really help get rid of the problem, in addition to using folk remedies, you should adhere to several hygiene rules:
- Clean the apartment regularly and thoroughly. Particular attention should be paid to hard-to-reach areas and upholstered furniture;
- when living together with pets, wash pet bedding in a timely manner;
- ventilate the apartment more often during the cold season;
- regularly take soft toys, pillows, blankets, etc. out into the sun to dry.
Salt
Table salt for fleas is used exclusively in combination with soda. Pure flea salt is not used. It is possible to combine the component with ash and other raw materials in the fight against ants and onion flies.
Soda
Despite the fact that a soda solution with table salt is the most common “weapon” against fleas, another effective ingredient can be used with soda.
So, a mixture of soda and tar soap will help perfectly in the fight against fleas. To prepare the product, rub a little soap into the vessel and add the same amount (by weight) of soda ash. This composition should be used when washing floors, washing bedding, etc.
The list of other components combined with the solution in a 1:1 ratio is presented in the table below:
Means | Parallel use |
Garlic (not tolerated by fleas due to its pungent odor and bactericidal, anti-inflammatory effect) | 1. Place garlic cloves around the apartment and change them regularly. 2. Grind the component and scatter it on the floor. After ¼ hour, do general cleaning. 3. Pour boiling water over 100 g of garlic and leave for 60 minutes. Use the infusion with a spray bottle (spray over fleecy surfaces) |
Coniferous shavings | 1. Spread pine sawdust around the room, leave for 48 hours, then clean. 2. Hang a bag of sawdust in the pet’s habitat or fill the animal’s bedding with raw materials. |
Essential oils | 1. Oils of eucalyptus, cloves, peppermint, lavender, etc. can be dropped onto a rag for cleaning. 2. Any type of oil is used for its intended purpose in an aroma lamp |
Pyrethrum or Persian chamomile (dry components of the plant repel fleas and other pests due to natural insecticides) | 1. Crushed raw materials (in powder form) are scattered throughout the apartment, left for 24 hours, and cleaned. 2. Dried flowers of the plant are poured with boiling water and left for a day in a dark, cool place. The infusion is filtered and used for washing floors and bathing pets. |
Boric acid | The product in dry form is scattered throughout the apartment, left overnight, and a general cleaning of the room is carried out a day later. |
Brewer's yeast | The ingredient is mixed with chopped garlic and placed in local areas. After 24 hours, the remaining composition is removed with a vacuum cleaner. |
Citrus | Fruit peels (orange, tangerine, grapefruit) must be scattered around the apartment (house) in local places and left until it dries |
All of the above pest control products can be successfully used in tandem with the basic “weapon”, the components of which are table salt and soda.
Video
Soda Against Mosquitoes and Fleas
Cleaning the premises
It is recommended to clean the room before any treatment, regardless of what product will be used. A few words should be said about the parasites themselves in order to understand why and how important these actions are.
The fact is that fleas do not constantly parasitize animals, which leads to infestations in residential premises. They not only need food to survive, they need it to reproduce. Therefore, when the female is completely satiated, she leaves the animal and lays eggs. She does not require any special conditions for this procedure. Most often, the offspring are found in the carpet pile, on the pet's bedding, or upholstered furniture. But besides this, fleas can make nests behind cabinets, baseboards, in cracks and other hard-to-reach places.
Carrying out cleaning makes it possible to get rid of part of the future generation, which will significantly increase the efficiency of the treatment itself. It is necessary to thoroughly vacuum the carpet and all floor coverings and upholstered furniture. Remove all dust and cobwebs and carry out wet cleaning.
How does it work on fleas?
A tandem of salt and soda is a win-win option for pest control in a house where small children live. To explain the reason for such widespread use of a simple method, it is worth finding out what salt and soda do to fleas.
The components of the product damage the integument of the insect, the latter harden and crack - the pest becomes unviable. A day after the “weapon” begins to act, immobilized pests should be removed with a vacuum cleaner. Cleaning carpets with a brush is not the best option in this case.
Fleas in the house - what danger does such a neighborhood pose?
Fleas are dangerous because they leave punctures at the bite sites, and this can cause a number of external skin lesions:
- dermatitis;
- redness, burning and itching of the skin;
- allergic reaction;
- swelling;
- in rare cases, suppuration of the bite site and enlargement of the lymph nodes are possible.
Fleas are also carriers of infections; infection is easily transmitted through birds and animals:
- A person can become infected with the plague through rats.
- Fleas after birds transmit salmonellosis.
- You can become infected with typhoid, hepatitis C and B, and tularemia.
- The likelihood of helminth infection increases.
As you can see, blood-sucking insects are very dangerous for humans, so you should not neglect safety measures, especially if there are children in the house.
Natural
As you know, fleas do not tolerate the smell of wormwood. If possible, pick a whole bouquet and place individual branches throughout the apartment. Be sure to tuck them under the carpet, under sofas, under tables if you can - even between the wall and the baseboard. If you can’t get fresh wormwood, you can buy an infusion of wormwood at the pharmacy, dilute it with water and spray it around the apartment with a spray bottle - it works just as well, although for a more limited time.
In general, the smell of wormwood is not the most pleasant in the world, and for a day or two it can even smoke you out of the house. However, let it be a consolation to you that you will definitely return home, but fleas are unlikely.
Which product to choose to combat fleas
Modern flea remedies are varied, but the simplest and most necessary is a vacuum cleaner. It is with its help that fleecy and thread surfaces on which harmful larvae live are treated. Remember that its treatment after disinfestation is mandatory so that the vacuum cleaner does not turn into an egg incubator.
Important! Before starting treatment, be sure to prepare mops, rags, a bucket of water, rubber gloves and the disinsection preparation itself.
Use of aerosols
In order for fleas to disappear in the apartment once and for all, remove all pets, children and other people from the room for half a day, spray all baseboards, the insides of cabinets, furniture, bedside tables, bedding and clothes without exception. After treatment, close all windows and doors and wait a few hours. The following options are considered good:
- Gett is a household aerosol. For the area of a one-room apartment, 2-3 cans are enough.
- Sinuzan is a drug based on chlorpyrifos. It has an unpleasant, pungent odor; you need to dilute the drug with water as indicated in the instructions, and you need to spray a ready-made solution.
- Raid is a highly effective spray that effectively kills fleas.
- Raptor is a German, odorless product that, unlike dichlorvos, is highly effective. You may not leave your home during processing.
With the help of chemicals, you can fight insects if washing and folk remedies in a hurry do not cope.
Using solutions
The following anti-flea chemicals must be diluted with water and treated with solutions.
- Get- 100 ml per liter of water. This solution is enough to care for a large room with furniture.
- Tsifoks - it contains cypermethrin. A 50 ml package will allow you to treat an area of 100 sq.m.
- Cucaracha is a powerful insecticide. 50 ml per 100 sq.m.
- Executioner - for a 2-room apartment you will need 20-25 bottles. Dissolve each of them in half a liter of water.
- Tetrix - 30 ml dissolves in a liter of liquid. The solution is rubbed or sprayed onto the surface.
- Butox 5-10 liters of water, combine 30 ml of the drug, and treat the surfaces with this mixture.
- Medilis is based on the pyrethroid cypermethrin. For 1 sq. m, 50 ml of emulsion is consumed.
Folk recipes
Is it possible to get rid of fleas using folk remedies? Let us answer that sometimes traditional methods are more acceptable than chemistry, because they are absolutely harmless to the body.
- Take tansy, wormwood and eucalyptus in proportions of 2:2:4 teaspoons. Pour a glass of boiling water over the herbs. Stir the solution and let it sit for 10 hours. After this, pour the liquid into a spray bottle and spray the room with it. The same herbs can be placed in rag bags and hung around the rooms.
- Combine baking soda, water and salt in equal parts. Let it sit for 10 hours. Pour the solution into a spray bottle and spray the floor surfaces. After 8-9 hours, vacuum.
Processing rules
Once the premises have been prepared, working there is much easier. Knowing which algorithm to follow, getting rid of insects will be easy and quick.
- Treat fleecy and fabric items - rugs, towels, curtains, toys, etc. Wash your linens and clothes.
- Shake blankets, pillows and mattresses thoroughly, hang them on the balcony or in the yard, and treat them with a steam generator.
- Wash all surfaces - window sills, floors, furniture using disinfectants.
- Vacuum lint items to catch eggs and fleas.
- Touch every nook and cranny.
- Close the apartment hermetically and leave it for several hours.
- Upon return, thoroughly ventilate your home and wipe all surfaces.
Important! Inspect the skin of your pets. If necessary, treat animals with special flea repellents.
From time immemorial, our ancestors dealt with pests, passing on the secrets of the fight to subsequent generations. Thus, you can use simple recipes to forget about the presence of fleas in the house once and for all.
Folk recipes to protect home comfort
Many housewives have no idea that those products, spices and food additives that are in every home’s kitchen can become indispensable assistants in the fight against blood-sucking insects, and will also help rid your home of harmful insects.
To prepare the product you will need ingredients such as salt and soda.
- Mix them in equal volumes.
- You can use the mixture dry or add water to the ingredients if desired.
- Let it brew for eight to ten hours and get the required solution.
If you want to use the product in powder form, then sprinkle all carpets, floors and fleecy surfaces with the components listed above. And after a day, thoroughly vacuum the entire apartment, removing dead larvae and adult fleas along with salt and soda. Repeat cleaning over the next two days to ensure that no dying insects remain in the treated items.
If you prefer to use the substance in liquid form, spray the salt-soda solution with a spray bottle on all fleecy and carpeted surfaces, including children's soft toys and bedding. The next day, thoroughly vacuum the treated areas and items.
Please note that flea control must begin immediately after they are discovered.
Salt and soda against fleas in an apartment are one of such effective means in the unequal fight against “uninvited guests.”