If you’re having problems with fleas in your home, you might be wondering, can replacing a carpet get rid of fleas? How do you tackle these problematic insects?
Replacing or removing the carpet is often an important part of treating a serious flea infestation, although it won’t be enough on its own. Carpets provide fleas with an excellent spot where they can hide and jump on and off your animals, so getting rid of them will help to eradicate these pests.
In this article, we’re going to explore how carpets help fleas, whether you should get rid of your carpets, and what else you should do to tackle a flea infestation.
Do Carpets Harbor Fleas?
Most people deal with fleas by treating their animals, which makes sense – because it’s the animals that the fleas live on. However, the fleas can also jump off your cat or dog and live in your carpets for several weeks without feeding again. That means that by the time they need another meal, your pet’s flea treatment may have worn off.
The carpet is warm, often slightly damp, and will hide the fleas from cleaning efforts that would otherwise kill them. It is sometimes possible to remove fleas from carpets without getting rid of the carpets, and things you can try include:
- Vacuuming very consistently to remove fleas and any eggs that might later hatch
- Using flea powders on the carpets, especially in corners and low footfall areas
- Using borax on the carpets, as this kills fleas too
- Steam cleaning your carpets
- Natural remedies, such as baking soda and vinegar (but be careful not to discolor the carpet)
However, if you have a large house, lots of soft furnishing, multiple pets, or just a really stubborn flea infestation, you may not be able to get rid of fleas even with the above methods – and that might mean that you need to get rid of the carpets. Many homeowners come to this conclusion after months of battling fleas.
Why Does Getting Rid Of The Carpets Help?
Getting rid of the carpets can make it much easier to get rid of fleas because carpets provide a large expanse of space where the insects can hide. Fleas can wriggle in among the fibers of the carpet, and it will keep them safe from many of your efforts to eradicate them. Carpets also give them a surface on which they can lay their eggs.
If you have a lot of carpets, this essentially gives fleas an enormous amount of safe space where they can hide while your pet is not available for biting (because of flea treatments). When the treatments start to wear off, the fleas can jump back on the cat or dog for another meal.
When you strip the carpets away, you eliminate a lot of hiding spots for them, and make it much easier to keep on top of them. For example, if the fleas could previously live in the carpet and the couch and you take the carpet away, you will only need to keep on top of cleaning the couch.
The fewer spaces the fleas have to hide in, the easier it will be to get rid of them. Carpets are probably the biggest and easiest hiding spot that you can remove – so if you’ve got a really serious flea infestation that you simply cannot get rid of, this may be the best way to handle it. However, if you’re going to lay more carpet, be aware that the problem may re-emerge.
Should You Remove The Carpet?
Removing the carpet is considered a fairly drastic measure when it comes to getting rid of fleas, so it shouldn’t be your first choice. Most people are able to get on top of a flea infestation without getting rid of the carpet, although regular and consistent cleaning will be necessary in most cases.
However, if you have a really bad flea infestation in your home and you are not managing to address it using any of the methods mentioned above, it may be necessary to get rid of the carpets.
Before doing so, you should make an extended effort to vacuum and/or steam clean them, and keep treating your pet for fleas as frequently as is safe. If this does not eliminate the problem after a few months, the carpets will probably need to go.
How Many Carpets Need To Be Removed?
Fleas cannot travel very far on their own, but unfortunately, they will use your pet or even you for transportation from room to room. That means that they can very quickly spread throughout your house. Taking the carpet out in one room may help the situation, but it probably won’t solve it, because the fleas will simply move to another carpet.
Fleas are notoriously good jumpers, and they will leap onto you or your pet if they feel they are in an unsafe location (e.g. an uncarpeted room). They will then hop off again when they reach a better spot, meaning that they can infect a room that your pet never goes into simply by clinging to your clothes.
You should be aware that just getting rid of one carpet may not be sufficient, therefore. However, you can try this if you want to, and take other carpets out later if the problem persists.
FAQs
Q: What is the fastest way to get rid of fleas in carpet?
A: Fleas should be treated with multiple methods: try vacuuming, steam cleaning, and pet-safe insecticides. Repeated treatments will be necessary in most cases, as some fleas will survive each treatment and continue breeding.
Q: Do fleas lay eggs in carpet?
A: Fleas generally lay eggs on your pet, but these can fall off into the carpet and immature fleas will live there very happily. Flea eggs tend to accumulate anywhere that your pet sleeps.
Conclusion
A really bad flea infestation can be tackled by stripping out and replacing the carpets – but make sure you deal with the infestation before you put new carpeting in, or the problem will simply reoccur.
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