When you have a serious flea infestation in your home that lasts for weeks, if not months, you come to a point where you’re ready to do almost anything to get rid of the fleas. Many years ago when this was all new to me, I got to this point. Luckily a friend of mine told me about flea spray and I thought, why not give it a try. This was one of the things that changed my flea situation. I had been struggling with this and killing fleas daily, but more just kept coming. After I sprayed all my floors, carpets and furniture with flea spray, the infestation came under control. I couldn’t believe it, but it really worked. I had tried all other things like vacuuming daily and treating my dog with flea shampoo and flea drops. I’m sure if I had done all of those things altogether, the fleas would have disappeared in no time.
What is flea spray?
Flea spray contains an active ingredient called IGR, which stands for Insect Growth Regulator. This is a very important step in flea control and flea prevention. When you use the flea spray, you kill all living fleas and at the same time, you stop existing flea eggs from hatching. A flea population can consist of up to 90% flea eggs, with only 10% being larvae and adult fleas. You need to get rid of fleas in every stage of their lifecycle, to make sure they don’t return shortly after. Flea spray with IGR can help you do just that. All you need to do is spray all the areas in your home where your pet has been, that may have been in contact with fleas. Make sure you spray all surfaces and get into every dark corner, as fleas prefer to reproduce in darkness. It’s important that you vacuum your home before spraying and avoid vacuuming it afterwards for at least two weeks.
Flea sprays versus flea bombs
Both of these flea treatment products contain IGR, so they serve the exact same purpose. What makes them so different then? Flea bombs, also known as flea foggers, are placed in the middle of a room and then triggered. The insecticide will reach all open surfaces, but it has trouble getting under furniture and rugs. You can use flea spray to get the remaining areas covered after bombing the whole place. Some flea bombs can be used like flea spray with the push of a button, allowing you to get under furniture and other items without moving them. When you use flea spray and bombs, you have to remember to cover up items and surfaces you don’t want insecticide on. This includes your aquarium if you have one, as the chemicals in many flea treatment products can kill fish and other smaller creatures.
7 reasons why you should use flea spray
- Flea spray kills and repels not just fleas, but ticks and mosquitoes as well
- Safe and gentle – it can often be used around young pets (check the label)
- Keeps your pet and home smelling fresh
- Repels fleas from carpets, your pets bedding and other areas around the home
- Non messy, easy to use and long lasting (about a month) protection against fleas and ticks
- Flea sprays can be used indoors and outdoors as well
- Many household flea sprays also kill bed bugs, ants, roaches, dust mites and more
How long does it take for flea spray to dry?
There are different flea sprays available in the market. Each one has a specific action and can take varying amounts of time to dry. You do not need to saturate the area that is treated with the spray. Some sprays are very strong and all you need to do is mist the affected areas. In such a case, the product will dry within an hour or two, but it will leave a fine residue that will help eliminate eggs and larvae. Note that some spray products tend to damage and discolor furniture and carpets, so always treat a small area first to ensure that this is not the case. Each product lists a plan and it will mention when you should use the product again.
Where can you get it?
You can easily buy flea spray for homes from any home improvement store, local drugstore or from Amazon. Your vet can also recommend a flea spray for dogs or cats. These products come in different shapes and sizes and their prices also vary. The chemicals used in the products also differ, and you could take a look at online forums to read reviews about the sprays prior to buying. Look for a spray that is odorless, long lasting and will not damage the carpet or household furniture or harm humans and pets.
Flea sprays for clothing
There are many flea spray repellents that are specifically made for working on fabrics and clothing. Most of these products contain DEET which repels fleas, ants, mosquitoes, bed bugs, roaches and many other blood-sucking insects. Spray the product on the clothes when you happen to be in a flea-infested area. You can also safely apply the flea spray on your pets special clothing to prevent flea borne diseases and flea bites.
Homemade flea spray recipes with essential oils
Many of my readers write to me asking me about a natural flea spray for their pets and home. I always recommend essential oil based flea repellent as this is the most effective natural flea control. Many essential oils can be used standalone for flea control including pine, cedarwood, lavender, tea tree, lemon etc. but when blended together, they work even better. Here are some simple yet effective flea spray blend recipes for dogs and cats and for your home:
Recipe 1 – Cedarwood and Lavender flea spray for dogs and cats
- 8 drops Cedarwood oil
- 4 drops Lavender oil
- ¼ cup water
- Spray bottle
Mix all the ingredients and spray the mixture on your cat or dog.
Recipe 2 – Palo Santo and Rosemary flea spray for homes
- 4 drops Palo Santo oil
- 8 drops Rosemary oil
- ½ cup distilled water
- Spray bottle
Mix the ingredients and spray all over your home. It will smell great and you will repel bugs at the same time.
If you are struggling with fleas, get some flea spray and give your home the complete treatment. In case you are wondering what to get, this is the best flea spray on the market.
