Low-hazard indoor flea management:

Indoors

Vacuuming is the number one non-chemical method for killing fleas and breaking their lifecycle. If you don’t have a good vacuum cleaner it’s worth investing in one with good sucking power and good quality filters.

Indoor low-hazard management

• If there are large numbers of fleas, daily vacuuming is required, for smaller numbers every second/third day.
• Vacuuming should continue for between seven to fourteen days (to break the life-cycle) and will remove most adults, larvae, flea eggs and pupae
• Vacuum thoroughly, including under furniture, along cracks in floorboards, room perimeters, furniture and areas where pets frequent
• Empty the vacuum cleaner each time you vacuum and place contents into a garbage bag with a seal

Outdoors

Exterior areas such as entrance ways, decks and verandas can also be managed with a vacuuming program.  Significant flea problems in soil or sand are however difficult to control without the use of pesticides.

Outdoor management:

• Seal off subfloor areas if possible so they’re not accessible to pets
• If treatment is required only apply pesticides to areas where fleas have been observed
• Ensure you inquire about the hazards of any pesticide to be applied to outside soil /sand as it may leave residues and kill other creatures
• Restrict children and pets from treated areas