A flea infestation is already a hard enough problem. But it becomes even harder when the fleas have reached your bed. You may not be their host as parasites, but they will bite you nonetheless. So, how do you get rid of the fleas in your bed?
How fleas get into your bed
You may be wondering why you have fleas in your bed in the first place. Remember that fleas don’t just thrive in your pets. They can thrive in your home too. Usually, you will get fleas around your home because your flea-infested pets leave them behind.
Fleas can thrive in your pets’ bedding, your carpets and rugs, and furniture such as sofas and beds. If you are a person who lets their pets go unattended in and around the house, you are more likely to suffer from a flea infestation at home.
How fleas are different from bed bugs
If you have pests in your bed, you have to confirm what kind of pest they are before even trying to get rid of them. If you use the methods for the wrong kind of pest, your methods may prove to be ineffective.
Bed bugs and fleas can both thrive in beds. But they have major differences. Bed bugs are generally larger, with a size of 1.5 mm to 5 mm. They leave carcasses, fecal matters, and blood stains all over your bed. Fleas, on the other hand, are about 1.5 mm to 3.3 mm in size. They appear like small clusters of particles in your bed.
There is also a difference between bed bug bites and flea bites. You won’t feel the pain and itchiness of bed bug bites immediately. This is because bed bugs inject an anesthetic into you as they bite. You will only feel the pain and itch once the anesthetic wears off. Bed bug bites are also usually found in a straight line.
Flea bites are the opposite. You will feel the sting immediately as fleas bite you. Flea bites also don’t have a distinguishable pattern in your body.
How to get rid of the fleas in your bed
If you have finally confirmed that you have fleas in your bed, it’s time to get rid of these pests.
1. Wash the bedding
No, you shouldn’t just brush off the pests from your bed. You have to remove your bed’s blanket, comforter, sheet, pillow cases, and other bedding.
Fleas are vulnerable to heat. They can die on consistent exposure to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s best if you use hot water in washing your bedding. Once they have been washed, dry them in a hot setting in your washing machine as well, just to be sure that you have killed the fleas thriving in your bedding.
If you consistently change your bedding, removing and washing your flea-infested bedding can solve your flea problem. But if you don’t change your bedding regularly, the fleas may have already started to thrive on your mattress.
2. Kill the fleas in the mattress
There are a lot of ingredients you can sprinkle on your mattress to get rid of fleas. You can go natural with diatomaceous earth, salt, or boric acid. Boric acid can bleach your mattress if you leave it there for too long, and salt just has an uncomfortable texture.
Diatomaceous earth may be the best natural remedy for your flea problem. Just sprinkle the diatomaceous earth on your mattress, not ignoring the crevices and corners. Leave it for a few hours or as indicated in the label. Some even leave the ingredient for a full day.
If you don’t like natural remedies, you can go with flea sprays. Just use the flea spray directly onto your mattress. It will kill fleas and eggs on contact. Make sure to follow the instructions on the label. After all, they may also have harmful ingredients that can be dangerous to you if you don’t use the spray properly.
You can also use both flea spray and diatomaceous earth. Use the flea spray first and then follow it up with diatomaceous earth to ensure that you are killing all the fleas in your mattress.
3. Vacuum them up
After killing the fleas in your mattress, it’s time to use your vacuum cleaner. Suck up all the dead fleas and eggs. Throw the content of your vacuum bag in a trash bin outside your home. If you throw the content in a trash bin inside your home, you may suffer a re-infestation on the unlikely case that some fleas have survived.
If you can steam clean your mattress, that will be great too.
How to prevent fleas from getting into your bed
You can get rid of the fleas in your bed successfully, but your efforts will be wasted if you don’t actively prevent fleas from getting into your bed again. Here are some quick tips to prevent fleas from getting into your bed.
- Solve your pets’ flea problems. You have fleas in your home most likely because your pets have a flea problem. Your bed will always be vulnerable if your pets have fleas. There are many ways to get rid of fleas on your pets. You can use flea collars, powders, spot-on treatments, sprays, and tablets. Consult a veterinarian if necessary.
- Clean your surroundings. Clean your home, especially your pets’ bedding, your carpets and rugs, and sofas and beds. Also clean the outside of your home. Fleas may be thriving there. In fact, your pets may have contracted the fleas outside. For example, do you know that fleas can thrive on the debris on your yard? They thrive on shaded areas too, such as under trees and leaves.
- Avoid bringing your pets to your bed for the meantime. If your pets are scratching more than usual, avoid bringing them to your bed for the meantime. They may have fleas. If you suspect that your pets have fleas, act immediately before the flea problem becomes worse and harder to deal with.