Do fleas live in things? Where do fleas come from in houses and apartments: the main reasons for the appearance of parasites. Where do fleas in the apartment come from?

Where do fleas come from in an apartment and how to get rid of them are quite complex, but completely solvable questions. The appearance of fleas causes a lot of trouble and difficulties. Their bites take a long time to heal, accompanied by severe itching, pain, and an allergic reaction. Complications occur quite often. Fleas are carriers of many infections, and in addition, they themselves cause some diseases. Often the consequences are extremely severe.

One individual is enough to infect an entire apartment. Fleas lay eggs very quickly and in large numbers, from which larvae emerge, and then adult insects. At first they are invisible, but at the moment of detection we get the effect of surprise. To understand how to remove fleas from an apartment, you need to find out where they came from.

They get into the apartment very simply:

1. With pets - cats and dogs.
2. City birds can also bring fleas into apartments - these are pigeons, swifts, and swallows. Especially if the nest is made near a window or balcony.
3. In the warm season, they move from damp basements of houses to apartments. Therefore, residents of the first, second, and third floors most often suffer. They also settle in ventilation ducts and wall cracks.
4. We ourselves can bring them home with shoes, a bag, even vegetables bought at spontaneous markets.

How to get rid of fleas yourself?

So, if you still have fleas in your apartment, don’t panic, you can easily cope with unwanted guests on your own. It is necessary to immediately begin the fight against blood-sucking insects. We urgently treat pets, then move on to a thorough wet general cleaning of apartments.

How to treat your apartment and pets:

1. Pets need to be treated with special shampoos and flea drops, and wear a flea-repellent collar. All this can be bought at any pet store or veterinary pharmacy. Bedding and rugs must first be filled with boiling water and washed well. Throw away old animal toys; there may be larvae in them.
2. Vacuum the entire apartment, paying special attention to corners, baseboards, pipes, radiators, cabinets. After cleaning, shake out the bag from the vacuum cleaner and fill it with boiling water. The apartment must be cleared of dust and cobwebs. Carpets, runners, pillows, blankets hang outside, if possible, for a day, beat thoroughly and dry. It's best to wash it. Don’t forget about curtains and drapes, they also need to be refreshed and ironed.
3. It is advisable to wash bed linen, blankets and bedspreads using the boiling setting.
4. Raise all boxes and toys one meter above the floor.
5. All furniture in the house needs to be thoroughly cleaned, especially folds, crevices, and joints.
6. Wash and dry indoor shoes.
7. Don't forget to wash front door, vestibule, staircase.

After cleaning, start processing the apartment. Flea products, many of which are odorless, can be purchased at any specialty store. Do not forget that they all have different chemical contents, so they cannot be mixed with each other. Taking precautions is very important in this situation. Read the instructions for use carefully.

Chemicals for fleas in the apartment:

1. Spray "Raid".
2. Spray "Raptor".
3. Trademark “Clean House.
4. "Combat".
5. "Dichlorvos", etc.

Aerosols, sprays, pencils, suspensions, powders will help you quickly get rid of fleas. You need to treat baseboards, corners, cabinets, bedside tables, ventilation, radiators, pipes and all hard-to-reach places. The duration of action of each drug is different, ranging from one day to three.

After treatment with a special product, you must leave the apartment, closing all doors and windows. Don't forget to remove pets, cover aquariums. When you return home, be sure to ventilate your apartment. After three days, it is necessary to carry out wet cleaning. After two weeks, you need to re-inspect the apartment to detect new individuals.

Folk remedies to fight fleas

Also, in the fight against fleas, many housewives use folk remedies. The strongest and most effective is wormwood. The branches of this plant are torn off; the roots are not needed. They are laid out in all corners of the apartment, under beds, sofas, under carpets and runners, cabinets, bedside tables, under washbasins. In a week you need to clean up and renew the wormwood branches. The downside to this method is the specific smell of the plant in the apartment.

Infusions of wormwood and tansy, which can be bought in pharmacies, work effectively. The infusion is easy to prepare at home: take plant leaves in equal proportions, pour boiling water over them, close the container tightly with a lid, and place in a dark place to cool. In a day you can treat the entire apartment. You can bathe cats and dogs in this infusion. Cold, frosty air is also very effective at removing fleas from the apartment.

Freezing is also one of the ways to fight fleas in an apartment. Prolonged ventilation at low temperatures leads to the death of insects. And taking carpets, pillows, blankets, rugs, and bedspreads out into the cold will lead to the death of their larvae.

The fact that a flea is indeed a troublemaker and a creator of discomfort can be confirmed by its characteristic signs.

• Itchy bites appear on the legs (feet, ankles, knees), where the insect can jump. While absorbing blood, it is difficult for an embedded flea to chicken out onto the floor.
• Black dots the size of a poppy seed, instantly disappearing and appearing, are especially noticeable on light-colored clothes and on sheets.
• The bite itself is a reddened spot with a dot of blood caked in the middle.



Such insects hide in secluded places, periodically going on a “bloody hunt”

Fleas in the house: what to do?

Destruction of fleas, compared to bedbugs and cockroaches, is much easier. Despite the fact that they also have a durable chitinous shell that protects a small body, about 2.5 mm in length, the flea is a very vulnerable bloodsucker. If the cause of the bites is discovered, you need to develop a comprehensive algorithm for solving the problem of how to remove fleas from the apartment. If you decide to fight on your own, get ready for the fact that it is unlikely that you will be able to do it once, because... effectiveness depends on many conditions:

• precise implementation of disinfestation technology;
• quality of drugs and methods of their application;
• characteristics of the premises (dry, wet);
• degree of infection;
• presence of animals in the house;
• the emergence of new populations from eggs that did not die during the initial processing, requiring repeated treatments.



Juveniles and adults

There is a certain sequence of actions on how to get rid of fleas in an apartment yourself.



Ideally, disinfestation should be started in this form

There are about 2000 species of fleas in the world. Each species is adapted to its host, that is, the owner, whose blood they will feed on and reproduce on his own body.

More often in St. Petersburg The following types of fleas are found:

• human;
• feline;
• rat;
• canine

But that doesn't mean that cat flea will not bite a person, but on the contrary, will drink human blood with pleasure.

Where do fleas come from in an apartment and how to get rid of them?



The main ways fleas spread:

• Contacts of pets on the street with homeless animals. Contact with other pets that are already infested with fleas. Most fleas living in large cities do not care who the food source is - a cat or a dog, so they are easily transmitted from dogs to cats and vice versa.
• Yard lawns in summer. In the warm season, fleas actively reproduce and lay eggs, which often fall into the grass along with fur or upon contact with grass or shrubs, where they are picked up by non-infected animals - on their paws or fur and brought home.
• Basements of houses. Warm and damp basements where rats, mice, stray cats, homeless people live, and basement fleas. If you do not pay due attention to cleanliness in the house, then fleas will successfully spread into the entrance hall, and then on their own, in the fur of animals, on people’s clothes, they will get into apartments.



When harsh times come - a drop in temperature or lack of food, they are able to hibernate for several months. When conditions return to normal, the fleas become active and begin to greedily drink blood from their prey.

Where do fleas hide in the apartment?

Many people mistakenly believe that fleas settle on their prey, for example, on a cat or dog; this is not true. Fleas do not lead a gregarious lifestyle and do not form nests, but they, like free hunters, attack the prey to quench their thirst for blood, after which they hide in secluded places.



If there are cats or dogs in the apartment, then right in their thick fur after the next feeding they lay their eggs. Sticky flea eggs first stick securely to the fur, but then the mucus dries and the eggs fall onto the floor in the apartment, and you can’t predict where this will happen.

The main places to look for fleas in an infested apartment:

• the floor and all adjacent surfaces at a height of up to one and a half meters;
• behind baseboards, in cracks and crevices, behind wallpaper coming off from below;
• bedding, carpets and other favorite resting places for pets;
• in cases when there are a lot of fleas in the apartment- beds, sofas and bedding.

Unsanitary conditions and uncleanliness of the apartment's inhabitants only aggravate the problem and give fleas every chance of successful survival and reproduction indoors and invading new territories - neighbors.

Signs of fleas in an apartment

To be sure determine the presence of fleas in the apartment and not to confuse them, for example, with bed bugs, you should check the apartment for the most obvious signs.



1. Scabies and unusual behavior of a pet - restlessness, irritability of a cat or dog.
2. Inflammations appeared on the skin, similar to allergies or insect bites, especially if it was on the legs.
3. Noticed small black dots on the floor or furniture that move in sharp jumps.

If at least one of the above signs is clearly expressed, then the next step will be to determine the extent of the infestation of the apartment. A thorough examination of the animal and its bedding and combing the fur on a white sheet will help with this. White sheets of paper on the floor.

If a large population of fleas is detected in an apartment, simple wet cleaning using dichlorvos is no longer sufficient, but will have to organize full-fledged flea baiting.

How dangerous are fleas to humans?

The appearance of fleas in an apartment ultimately leads to unpleasant consequences, and unpleasant bites are only a small part of how things can turn out.

The enzyme contained in the saliva of a flea not only causes swelling at the site of the bite, but also causes unpleasant itching and can take a long and painful time to heal. In this case, an infection can get into the wound. Moreover, complications in the form of severe allergic reactions are possible.



Poor health of the pet with possible complications, including infestation with worms. Constant itching from bites makes animals nervous. The pain is excruciating. Various skin diseases are possible, the treatment for which will also cause suffering to the animals.

Destruction of fleas in an apartment in St. Petersburg

If one or two individuals are found in an apartment where there are no pets, it is quite possible to get by with traditional methods of getting rid of fleas. Fleas do not tolerate strong odors; the leaves of wormwood or Persian tansy are most often used; pine sawdust or shavings, a mixture of table salt and soda, or ordinary turpentine are suitable. The main thing is to endure these odors steadfastly and patiently or leave the apartment for a couple of days.

However, folk remedies will no longer help against a large colony of fleas in an apartment or house; professional flea disinsection using modern preparations will be required.

Disinfection against fleas gives instant result. Due to the small size of insects, as well as their activity at any time of the day, the action of the drug leads to the rapid destruction of all individuals in the fog-treated room.

Black fleas are a common household name for all types of fleas that live in apartments and houses:

• feline;
• canine;
• rat;
• rabbit

Due to the tiny dimensions and minor differences, noticeable only under a microscope, only an entomologist can determine the species. The average victim suffering from attacks by bloodsuckers essentially does not care what species they belong to and therefore domestic fleas are called black, bed, basement, and household fleas.

Interesting! Fleas are excellent jumpers. Before jumping, their body contracts like a spring and, with the help of their highly developed hind legs, they push off with force from the surface. The jump height reaches 30 cm. If a person had such jumping ability, he could easily jump over multi-story buildings.

Due to their invulnerability and quick response in case of danger, black fleas do not mask their bites. Unlike bedbugs, they do not inject an anesthetic substance with saliva, but only an enzyme for blood clotting. The component has a protein structure, which provokes the appearance of allergic reactions in the affected areas. In addition, fleas carry dangerous infections and helminth eggs.

Where do black fleas live in the house?

Contrary to erroneous belief, small bloodsuckers do not live permanently on the body of the victim. Their settlement sites are located close to a food source. Black fleas live in the apartment:

• in bedding, pet accessories, if any;
• in secluded corners near baseboards, in cracks under plank floors, parquet;
• in the pile of carpets, in the joints of upholstered furniture, in soft toys;
• in places of high humidity near sinks and showers.

Eggs can be found almost anywhere. The female does not lay eggs in certain places, but literally squeezes out mature embryos from herself during movement, as a result of which they scatter throughout the nearby territory. The eggs do not have a sticky shell and roll off surfaces easily.

Females are very fertile. During its life, one female lays up to 500 eggs.

Fleas are characterized by complete transformation. From the eggs white, legless, worm-like larvae emerge, which feed on organic debris and waste products of adult individuals.

They can often be found near garbage disposals and in animal cages. Under favorable conditions, the larva develops from 10 to 20 days, during which time it acquires a dark color, undergoes 3 molts and enters the pupation stage.

How to get rid of black fleas

All events must be carried out on one day. During the period of disinfestation work in the apartment, it is recommended to wear a protective flea collar on your pet to prevent re-infestation.

The chemical industry produces a huge number of insecticidal products, differing in release form and price. Whatever drug is chosen, the processing algorithm is the same for everyone. Before getting rid of black fleas, the room should be prepared:

• provide access to all hard-to-reach places;
• remove food and hygiene products from the treated area;
• During disinsection, no household members or animals should be present in the room.

Aerosols against fleas

Disinsection is carried out with the windows closed to avoid drafts and volatilization of chemical components. After completing the procedure, the room should be left for several hours, after which it should be thoroughly ventilated.

The most effective aerosol preparations:

• Raid is a universal remedy for exterminating crawling and flying pests, including fleas. The active ingredient is cypermethrin. The composition contains fragrances of citrus and lavender. Price 190 rubles.
• Dichlorvos is a drug produced by several manufacturers; only its name connects it with the Soviet drug. The aerosol does not have such a strong odor as before. The improved formula allows you to effectively fight black fleas and other synanthropic insects. The price varies from 60 to 130 rubles.
• Combat - developed by South Korean specialists and produced in Russia. There are several modifications: Superspray, Multispray. The price ranges from 200 to 600 rubles.
• Raptor - the manufacturer claims a prolonged effect of the drug. As a result of applying the aerosol, an insecticidal film remains on surfaces, after contact with which the individuals that survived the treatment die. Price 190 rubles.

Emulsions and concentrates for killing fleas

Concentrated preparations are diluted with water in accordance with the instructions. After which the working solution is placed in a spray bottle. At home, you can use glass cleaner containers. Most often, re-treatment is not required, since the products from this series have a long residual effect.

Concentrates for killing black fleas:

• Butox 50 - the product in ampoules is sold in veterinary pharmacies. The active ingredient is deltamethrin. It has a pungent odor similar to kerosene.
• Get is a microencapsulated preparation for the destruction of household pests. The active chemical components are placed in miniature capsules, so the product does not emit toxic fumes and is not characterized by a pronounced aroma. The only drawback is the price of 750 rubles per bottle.
• Tsifoks is a budget product that helps get rid of black fleas in an apartment. The price of a bottle that can be used to treat up to 100 sq. m of area, approximately 200 rubles.

Dusts against fleas

Dusts - preparations in the form of powders - are most effective against larvae and in non-residential premises with high infestation. In most cases, it is not possible to spread dust over the entire floor covering in an apartment, and treating only hard-to-reach areas will not give the desired result. Popular dusts for baiting fleas: Fas Double, Tornado, Fenaxin.

Preventive measures

The article talks about where fleas come from and where they are located. How to make sure you don't get fleas. And how to eliminate them if they have already been noticed.

If fleas appear in your home, it is better not to waste time looking for a method to destroy them, but to immediately turn to the sanitary and epidemiological service for help.

Many people believe that fleas in the house are associated with pets. This is only partly true. Fleas can migrate from the street, from the landing, from neighbors. They can be brought from the street on your feet or shoes. The diet of these insects includes animal and human blood. A person will be able to guess that fleas have appeared in his home after he notices small bites on his body.



Flea bites are unpleasant because... cause severe itching, and in some - allergic reactions. In addition, fleas can carry diseases such as plague, hepatitis and others. Therefore, you need to get rid of them quickly.

• entrances of residential buildings;
• unscrupulous neighbors;
• Pets;
• basements;
• rats.

Due to their small size, fleas can easily enter through various cracks and can be difficult to detect. In addition, they do not need to be constantly on a person or animal, because they can be located under baseboards, in carpets and soft toys.

• sanitary facilities for good ventilation;
• apartment water supply for leaks;
• basements, where it is warm and humid from installed pipes.



Most often, fleas accumulate in these places.

When processing an animal, do not forget about its bedding. This is where fleas prefer to breed and breed.

Flea control needs to be comprehensive. Before entering the house, you can lay out bunches of fragrant herbs, for example, wormwood, which repel insects.

It is best to choose cleaning chemicals that have anti-flea properties. You need to buy them in specialized stores, after reading the instructions. You should also not forget about treating the space under the bathtub. Depending on the type of drug, it is left for several days in places where it is inaccessible to children, animals and your hands. Or wash it off after a few hours.



It is important to understand that eliminating fleas from their home is considered a complex and lengthy procedure. Therefore, you should not forget about preventive procedures. For these purposes, you need to frequently air mattresses, carpets, pillows and blankets. During ventilation, you can use eucalyptus infusion, the smell of which fleas cannot tolerate. You should also vacuum carpets and furniture regularly.