If you have been trying to remove fleas from carpets and other places in your home, chances are that you have come across people recommending the use of flea traps. However, many of them can be fairly costly and since you often need more than one, the total amount that you will need to spend can start adding up fairly quickly. Are these products just another attempt to take your hard earned cash, do they actually work and if so, how can I use the same concept to make 10 of these traps in 10 minutes for only a couple bucks?
Simple Answer, Do Flea Traps Work or Not?
Simply put, flea traps do work but only for removing them in certain areas (e.g. the lounge). They need to be used as part of an overall flea control plan that involves killing flea eggs, putting preventative measures in place to keep them away and treating your dogs for fleas (or your cats, etc.) Just to make things perfectly clear, these traps will not solve any fleas that may be lurking on your pets, they will completely ignore them!
Since there are a few options, let’s have a quick look a few different types to see what they offer. After this quick summary, I am going to show you how to make a natural, homemade trap that has helped me solve flea problems in my house a number of times 🙂
- Electric traps – These products have a small housing that contains a sticky mat. This sticky surface holds fleas in place when they land on them. Most of these traps lure their pray by providing warmth and light and thus its best to use them in a dark room to have the best result. Depending on your choice of brand, some even emit an odor that attracts fleas! Do these electric flea traps work? Well despite the fact that you will need to change the mat (that catches the fleas) on a fairly regular basis, this option is fairly hands off and is effective for getting rid of fleas in the house (especially on your carpets). In fact, some products even promise to lure fleas from up to 25-30 feet away!
- Light bulb, water and soap traps – These traps are often homemade and since fleas are attracted to light, we can use this to our advantage. The basic process is to suspend or lean a light source (such as a small bedside lamp or an electric bulb) over a shallow pan or bowl that is full of water and soap. When the adult fleas come and investigate the light, they hop right into the bowl (to get closer to the light) and drown. I have used this method before and while I have found it to be fairly effective, I find that the fleas don’t always land in the bowl (unless the electric bulb is extremely close to the water, which of course is fairly dangerous) and while and it’s actually the basis for my own brand of trap, I would advise you to rather use my homemade flea trap that we will discuss shortly.
I have found a few other methods on the internet such as honey traps, etc. but other than the ones listed above, I haven’t found them very effective but if you have had any good results, please let me know in the comment section at the bottom of this article and I will be sure to test them and list them here if they are decent 🙂 I just don’t want you to waste your valuable time and thus only want to recommend what has good results.
How To Make The DIY Flea Trap (Two Simple Steps)
Here is the exact trap that has worked very well for me in the past. It may look too simplistic but I have had great results and I am sure that you will as well! The best part? You can have about 10 of these up and running within about 10 minutes as I suggested earlier! The only expense is the purchase of a couple battery operated tea light candles. You will need one per trap that you make but since you can usually grab about a dozen of these for a couple bucks at your nearest grocery store, this will hardly break the bank. 😉
STEP 1: Fill a couple bowls with water and mix a two tablespoons of dish soap into each one. Dawn dish soap is a great flea killer, and it will get rid of them in minutes. You will need one bowl per flea trap. The best type to use is ones that are fairly wide with low sides as this gives a higher chance to catch a leaping flea. I have had a few readers suggest the use of large plates or pie dishes and I am happy to say that after trying it, this works very well! (Thanks Andrew!)
STEP 2: After mixing the soap into the water, carefully place a single battery operated tea light candle into each one, place it in areas where you are having the highest concentration of fleas. Simply repeat this process for a number of other traps and place them in key areas. This entire process should take you about 60 seconds per trap, making it one the fastest methods for combating fleas!
As previously mentioned, since you want fleas to be drawn to the trap, its best to put them in place before you go to bed at night. Once the lights are out, they will be a shining beacon of death for those pests. After some reader feedback, I have been told that this trap isn’t as unique as I thought it was but regardless, it’s the one that I have used for the past couple years with excellent results so it has my stamp of approval. Please also remember to empty the water in each trap in the morning to keep things hygienic, you definitely don’t want your pet drinking from this water! 😉 Combine this with a decent flea treatment for your pets and a few other flea infestation home remedies and this will help you get rid of a flea problem quickly.
NOTE: I have had some people tell me that you can use tea light candles instead of battery operated LED ones. While this is true, I don’t recommend it, as even though it works, it can be a potential fire hazard. You can feel free to try whatever you want though, just know that I don’t suggest you do it, especially if you have pets.
Want to Rather Purchase a Trap? Here Is Some Unbiased Advice
Based on research and feedback from a number of sources, I recommend making a choice between the “Victor M230 Flea Trap” and the “Springstar S102 Flea Trap”. Both of these use a sticky pad to trap the fleas and the refills are very affordable. These two brands also have great reviews and can usually be found at Walmart, Home Depot and Lowes for under $20. While there are other options, try and find one of those to be sure that you will get results. Recently, I have found a product called “myfleatrap” and if anyone has any experience with it, I would appreciate feedback in the comment section.
Well there you have it! Flea traps definitely work and you can easily create your own from the comfort of your home. If you are still finding fleas around the house, it’s likely that your pet is the cause and it will need to be treated separately. I have a few great articles on this subject (such as treating cat fleas) and I encourage you to check them out on this blog. If you have any feedback or would like to ask a couple questions, feel free to leave a comment comment below! Thanks for staying to read my entire article and I look forward to hearing from you!
Hello! My name is Natasha, and I have been helping people with their insect problems since 2012. I have published a book, worked with many pest control companies, and helped thousands with various infestations on a one-to-one basis. My goal for this blog is to create evidence-based guides that are easy to understand, provide sufficient depth and can be trusted to be very accurate. Please remember that my guides are for informational purposes only, and that you agree to the terms of use when reading content on this website. If you leave a comment, I typically respond within 48 hours.
Hello Natasha, Some good info here – am going to try the homemade flea traps to start with, as the carpets are alive. Poor old puss (nearly 13 years old) sits on the bureau; now I know why. Hubby gets the odd bite but not me, though I have seen fleas on my hand at times. Also I will give the salt trick a go on the carpets, as I dislike using chemicals. Brush and comb the cat daily and also massage him which sets him off purring like an engine. I vacuum regularly with the upright which is quite a powerful machine and certainly picks up plenty – can see what is in the plastic container, almost always full up. Will try the lemon water and coconut oil on puss cat too when I do his massage. If nothing else it will make him smell gorgeous. Hubby might like it too ??? Down boy!
Hi Susan! Hahaha sounds fantastic and thanks for your kind words. Let me know how it goes, thinking of adding a section to my site for feedback so perhaps yours can be the first one 🙂
Bowl of warm water and a flashlight propped up on the edge of the bowl has killed hundreds of fleas in just 3 hours. MY daughter has the fleas in her hair, and has had them for 2 years and we do not own pets. Using tea tree oil kills them in the shower, but today first time using homemade flea traps. 2 years of this at wits end.
Hi Dan! Glad that the trap helped so much, but concerned that you have hundreds of fleas in your home. Might be worth putting a trap in each room each night for a couple weeks, as well as trying food grade DE (article on this blog) in each room as it is very cheap (and effective). I want to help you, let me know how it goes!
Hey Natasha.
We had a pretty bad infestation with no pets! We’ve had the condo sprayed twice by a pest control company, have bombed it ourselves once and have vacuumed every day for a month. We are now down to every other day. We didn’t see any fleas for a week then found 1 on the trap on Tuesday and now 1 today (Saturday). When will this be over?? Should we be concerned that we are still seeing them on the trap? It’s been almost two months dealing with this and we have a new baby!
Hi Lele! It sounds like the treatments are killing the adult fleas, but not dealing with the eggs, etc. What you need is a way to deal with the flea lifecycle, that will stop the eggs from hatching, etc. Ask them if they have used an IGR (insect growth regulator), as that would help. Alternatively, you may find that the fleas are coming in from outside, in which using something like beneficial nematodes (article on this blog under the “fleas” category) works very well (and is cheap). Let me know what the pest control company says about the IGR 🙂
I have a persistent flea problem for the first time ever. I just made 2 traps using aluminum pie plates filled with dawn and water and I propped two flashlights on the sides of the pans. Anxious to see what happens in the morning. Thanks for the advise.
Hi Suzanne! How did it work out for you? It is better to use battery operated tea lights and place them in the center of a low rimmed bowl of water, but your method may yield some good results. Let me know!
Thank you very much for this information about the flea traps. For years we have been using the monthly flea preventions on our dogs and cats. The Yorkie I have now seems to be allergic to the flea control drops. So we stopped using them. I have been afraid of getting a flea problem and not recognizing it, but know you have taught me to make the flea traps. So I will make one of these and just place it in a different area each night to monitor for any flea activity. Thank you this has eased my mind
Hi Norma! It is a pleasure, glad that I could help 🙂
Hi Natasha, 1. Are lemons, cedar oil or mosquito repellant going to keep fleas off me so I can exit the house w/o spreading them in public? 2. Can I transfer books and misc items to garage w/o spreading fleas there? 3. How do I get a pro to cut my yard weeds/grass w/o getting fleas on them? 4. Do I have to move all furniture to vacuum because I have a closet w a lot of heavy boxes on floor and book cases w a lot of books and heavy furniture? Im moving all I can and steaming. Im getting a pro to come exterminate because vet said home has all 4 flea stages. Pet has been treated and has no fleas. Thx beyond words!!!
Hi Karen! Yes, those things do repel fleas. Yes, books and other little things are unlikely to bring fleas into another place (such as your garage). You will need to get rid of the fleas in your yard, which is easy with beneficial nematodes. Check out my article on the topic under the “fleas” category (top section of my website).
Hello,
My question is can fleas bite thru clothing? I go to bed fully dressed long pants tucked into long socks a long sleeve t shirt and even socks on my hands and a scarf tied around my neck. These are freshly washed clothes in garbage bags that i am now keeping in my car until i need to put them on, but I am still getting eaten alive, behind the knees, inside of elbows, hip area, butt and back. I wear shoes in the house at all the time so im not transfering them to bed from my socks. Im trying the traps tonight , fogger in the morning, and DE under the furniture. Ive never actually saw a flea, but the dog is going crazy, scratching, rolling on his back and just having a fit even after baths and flea shampoos, What else can i do, i feel like i am itching from the inside out, and scratching is not advised but the urge to scratch is almost unbearable and its the only thing that gives me some temporary relief. I;m at the point of just letting the fleas have the house and i just leave but i have no where to go. IF i use vaseline on my body prior to going to bed, will that prevent them from being able to attach to me. I am MISERABLE- Hard to control the urge to scratch in public
Hi Pam, they cannot bite through your clothing, but they are small enough to get underneath clothes (most of the time). Have you checked for bed bugs? I need you to confirm the insect that is causing your grief before I can help you, please let me know asap 🙂
Hi Natasha1
I can’t believe the amount of effort you’ve put into your “flea blog”….sure wouldn’t want to create something like this myself, but heck, I really give you credit for all the valuable info you’ve shared with the Universe and me, and truly appreciate it!!
I do have a couple quick questions- related to use of like the scent of lemon- can I make flea spray to spray around bedding, cushions, rooms, etc.while also using Frontline and another cat flea spray I got from the vet during same time, or whenever I feel the urge and see fleas bounding around? Also, is there a good “bomb” I can make using lemon instead of Dawn I can put out at night and in which the animals can stay inside May sound silly but this is such an environmental crisis I’m trying to resolve it asap in the most pleasant way I can think of. (Dreaming of getting this done for the most part TODAY! 🙂 Also, can I use lemon concentrate diluted in a spray bottle , perrhaps heat it up and spary around as I feel I would if using real boiled lemons?
Last, my son (26) seems to have developed a bad rash at the same time, about 3 days ago…on his ankles and lower legs for the most part. We are thinking this must be related- he itches, he’s using Cortizone cream, taking aloe baths…which are helping a bit but his “bumps” are about 2″ apart, about 4mm round… he’s scratching like crazy except for a short (1/2 hour or so of time) after treating himself. I’m wondering if perhaps he walked in poison ivy or something at same time the fleas came (wish I could show you a photo!) Bumps are about the size of a tick and very red. Any advise there?
Again, thank you so much for all the work you’ve put into this! I’m sure I’ll refer to it time and again, so glad I found it!
Lisa
Hi Lisa, thanks for your kind words! I have never tried that, but keep in mind that you will be essentially spraying diluted poison around so while that may work, you will probably want to clean it up again. No that bomb will not work, but if you do find a DIY flea bomb, let me know lol and I will look at it. Unfortunately there is no way I could guess if that is the ivy or bites, but attach a photo and I will have a look (although its been awhile, sorry for the delay in my response). Have a good one!
Let’s talk treating the outdoors. How much luck have u had w the nematodes that you spray in your yard. What type of environment do you have to create so once you spray them – they live , reproduce and control the fleas outdoors. My neighbor has the pest control company spray his yard ( pesticides) to control what they say are rat fleas (great) ! I don’t want to get into any more pesticides than necessary – so how much luck have people had w the beneficial nemtodes to control fleas ?
Hi Bonnie, I have actually written an article about that topic, you can find it under the fleas category (at the top of the page).
Don’t forget – flea larvae cannot survive direct sunlight. Fleas and flea eggs need mild temperature and humidity for survival. They do not do well in extreme cold or extreme heat. If you have caught the fleas, and want to be sure you have killed any larvae or eggs which are about to hatch, take your washed pillows/area rugs/bedspreads, etc., and hang them outside in the sun all day to dry – the hotter and drier it is outside, the better. I tried this when we lived in FL (really hot sun down there!) and never had a flea issue again. It appears that the ultraviolet radiation, combined with high temperature, is what kills the eggs and larvae…not sure what frequency of the UV, though (UV-A, UV-B, or UV-C) that actually does the damage. If anyone knows of some research articles about this, please let me know!
Hey! Thanks for the tips, I am sure that many will benefit from your comment. I am not sure of the frequency, but yeah, sunlight will help get rid of the larvae. Cheers!
You are an angel sent from heaven! It’s sweet how you have taken the time and patience to help answer everyone’s comments including repeating yourself lol. Def have saved a lot of pets lives and with all the sicknesses those things can cause even maybe a person or a few. You deserve a medal of honor miss! You are the epitome of an amazing person and an example!! Thanks again <3
Hi Lorenza! It is a pleasure, thanks for your kind words, you really brightened up my day with your comment 🙂
We moved, we have no pets in the new house. My kids have scars from the flea bites that have riddled their bodies. We’ve been great, until about 10 days ago.. all of a sudden, we’re all being bitten and i spend all night trying to get them off me! I swear i can feel them jumping. I’m going to get the nematodes you mentioned and I’ve tried DE, the home traps come up empty and I’m in tears. Any thoughts or advice? I can’t take seeing my children (let alone myself) get munched on like they’re dogs. Again, let me stress, we have NO pets, we moved into a rental that doesn’t allow pets, and we’ve been fine and flea free until about 10 days ago.
Hi Leha! I have to ask, have you actually seen the fleas? I am not saying that no insects are biting you, I just want to make sure that they are not another type of insect. Let me know please, thanks.
Haha, right? Trust me, i wondered too! I literally slept in DE the other night, was the best rest I’ve gotten in weeks! Definitely a yes on your question. I’ve found 7 so far (they got caught in the lotion i was applying to mine and my daughter’s skin) and now that the DE has been vacuumed up, bedding changed, etc. I can feel them again. I’m probably going to bomb at this point, my kids are so riddled with scars and bites. 🙁
Hi Leha! Goodness, well that answers the question hehe 🙂 Yeah give a flea bomb a try, make sure that you cover all furniture, turn off electrical equipment, etc. before you do that though. Let me know how it goes, would love to help you find relief 🙂
I been finding fleas on me and my bed I wash all the blankets etc.
But my question is can I still make the traps without having a candle or a tea light I don’t have any right now
I’m tired of finding them on me and my bed
I vacuum my whole house everyday
Please help
Hi Raquel, the traps require some sort of light source to attract the fleas. They won’t work without them.
I came across your site whilst trying to find a solution so thankyou and I am going to try the traps tonight.
I live in the UK and I have 5 dogs and I have never ever had fleas.But I looked after a little dog and think he must have bought the fleas in. As soon as I saw my guys scratching and found a flea, I immediately sprayed the house, gave them a bath and sadly I did put a chemical spray on my dogs. I don’t ever use chemicals on my animals so I hated doing it, but hated seeing my dogs scratch and one chew himself raw. That seemed to work for about 10 days and then suddenly the scratching started again. I have been flea combing them all daily ..long haired dogs so this is a real chore 🙁 and everytime I see them nibble or scratch I immediately comb the area they nibbled/scratched. I am usually catching the odd flea. I also seem to be catching little white bits? Would this be eggs ?? they are very visible to the eye. I have ordered some cedar oil flea spray and I am going to actually use this on the dogs in future. I have salted lots of areas of my house too . I have a mixture of fitted carpets and wood floor.
I have loads of Tealights, but I am very worried to use them because of fire, but I guess as they are surrounded by water the risk is less,
My question is… does the base of the container with water get hot with the tea light above it? I am worried it will scorch the carpets.
I dont think I have a heavy infestation as I dont see fleas on me or see any jumping like others say.
But I am determined to get rid of these spawn of the earth. It’s driving me insane.I will keep you posted as to how we go with the traps.
Hi Rosie! If you want to be safe, just grab some tea lights off amazon that are waterproof, they are not expensive. At the same time, I recommend that you bath your dogs in dawn soap to give them some instant relief (kills fleas instantly), I wrote an article about this yesterday, check it out under the “fleas” category (top of this site).
We have 13 indoor cats, a few of which also go outside, and we live in the country in Florida so fleas are a fact of life. The cats are miserable as am I (the buggers don’t bite my husband). We’ve tried almost everything suggested in your blogs with no lasting results. Last night I set up two of your suggested traps — one in the kitchen (small LED lantern set in a large, low ceramic roasting pan) and one in the hall bathroom (gooseneck lamp over a cookie sheet). Put a little water and a few drops of Dawn in each trap. This morning there were 60 fleas in the kitchen trap and 20 in the bathroom trap. We’re going to set up more traps in other rooms and maybe for once get a handle on this ongoing problem!
Hi Antoinette! Goodness, that is a lot of trapped fleas, glad it is working! Agreed, keep up with the traps and in addition to that, I highly recommend that you check my article (on DE) on this blog, it will be a life saver for you! 🙂
Oh thank goodness I found your site. After battling a flea infestation in my sons room with carpet sprays and treating the cats nothing was working and my poor son was being eaten alive. I found your tips and made the traps. The first night only two flea. When I git home from work I put the heating on and did the trap again. 5 hours later the trap has 14 fleas in it!! What I really want to know is how long should I keep doing the traps and should I also being doing anything else.. thanks for your advice this far. Kim
Hi Kim! Glad they are working for you! I suggest keep it up until the flea numbers start going down. If they keep increasing over a week or so, let me know and I will advise.
We have several cats and dogs and have never had a flea problem before my grand daughter brought home an injured kitten she found. We didn’t think to check it and after a few weeks now all our pets are infested with fleas. My wife read on the internet somewhere that coconut oil is deadly for fleas and totally safe for the environment. We just happened to have a big jar of it we got at Sam’s Club so we tried it on the animals a couple days ago. It was amazing! We warmed it up a little in our hands and then rubbed it all over the animals. It was very interesting to watch the fleas immediately roll over and die when they came into contact with the coconut oil. We had to do it again today for half of the animals so I think we now need to attack the house. We plan on trying your tea light traps tonight. We are thinking about getting some fabric collars for the pets and dipping them (the collars not the pets) in some of the oil we have warmed up to a liquid state. We think this might make good flea collars.
Hi Lee! Goodness, that is a great idea! I have actually used coconut oil in the distant past but completely forgot about it. I love this so much, definitely going to give it a try! Thanks for the contribution 🙂
Food grade diatomaceous earth is a bit messy but works great on fleas and bed bugs and completely safe to use on dogs and around kids I’ve even feed a teaspoon to my dogs daily in their food sprinkle it around ir house leave for a day or 2 then vacuum it up retreat once a week for a month no more fleas
Hi Natasha, thanks for sharing your experience 🙂
We found a few fleas on my dog. She has since been treated but I’m paranoid that they got in the house (she sleeps in our bed). I am trying these traps tonight to see. I have a magnetic led light that I attached upside down on the bed frame with 2 plates of soapy water underneath light (wish I could include a pic) . I am nervous for tomorrow mornings outcome
Hi Carrie, what were your results?
Hi Natasha, There are some questions at the bottom of this….but here’s the store first. Hope it helps.
My 16 yo cat has always been an indoor cat but I started dating a great guy who loves her and has a huge, well fenced back yard. So I have been letting her go out onto the patio and meander into the yard. She would ofter stay for a couple of hours. There are tons of squirrels and birds and water features she is totally enjoying. Also the boyfriend has a pest control company (chemicals used I am sure) that comes by once a month to spray for mosquitos, etc. and promised me it was ok for pets, birds, etc. so I stupidly trusted that there would be no fleas. After allowing her outside for several days, I took her back to my apt for my petsitter to care for her for 5 days while we went out of town. When I came home it took me about 24 hours to figure out she was suffering. I was able to kill about 20 fleas and immediately flew to the vet for the medicine that goes on the back of her neck. The next morning there were about 6 fleas around her on the bed.
The vet also recommended Boric Acid which I put in dark places and on her cat tower and generally around where she hangs out.
After a week away from the boyfriend’s home, I took her over this past saturday and let her go onto the screened in patio, but NOT on to the deck or into the yard. Then Saturday night she was inside on the favorite blue upholstered chair in the den.
During the night she came to bed and was restless and scratching. UHoh! Dang, I didn’t even think to treat the boyfriend’s house because although I thought she got the fleas from his yard (he thinks she got them from the pet sitter), I didn’t see them on her until we were back from vacay so I figured they must have hatched and multiplied while we were out of town.
Well she had a ton of fleas again in less than 24 hours. I repeated the routine. Back to the vet for another dose (which I thought might be too much,, but heck, she’s the vet) and have put the boric acid on the base of the chair in the den, and on the 3 spots she rested in on the patio.
Here are my questions:
1. I didn’t read your entire website (which is fabulous by the way. I ‘m doing flea traps next), but what do you think of Boric Acid? Years ago I used an “organic” pest control guy who used boric acid and it sure enough did the trick . But being that this boric acid is all over my cat’s tower, steps, is that not dangerous? She comes into direct contact with it in those place, but no where else.
2. Do you know anything about boric acid and fabric on upholstery? I didn’t think twice about sprinkling it on my fairly expensive and colorful area rug, but the chair that is at my boyfriend’s house is probably infested. It has a beautiful deep navy blue irreplaceble fabric on the seat and back cushions. (Of course it is his FAVORITE chair thought he never sits in it.) Do you know if sprinkling boric acid on the upholstery directly will discolor it? I also thought to put the boric acid inside the cushions between the fabric and the pillow, but again, I worry about discoloration. I will also try contacting the boric acid company for an answer.
3. Once the fleas are under control, it is killing me to not be able to let her enjoy the outdoors, especially as she is elderly and loves just sitting in the sun and basking. Can one actually get rid of fleas in a highly populated back yard? What I mean is that the boyfriend is an insane gardener and there are plants, trees, bushed, potted plants, crawling ivy, bird feeders, squirrel feeders, 2 water features, etc. EVERYWHERE. There’s barely room for the brick patio and shed. The deck and screen in patio are on the 2nd floor up some stairs.
thank you so much, especially if you have time to read this and comment on it. With huge appreciation, Lisa
Hi Lisa! Thanks for your detailed comment, always love a good read hehe. I don’t recommend that you use boric acid, even though its often touted as being safe. Yes it requires higher doses, but its not exactly something that I would start sloshing around. Next, I havn’t used it on furniture but read above and rather don’t use it at all. That garden might prove to be a challenge, but a good way to keep insects away (like fleas) is to use beneficial nematodes, check it out. Lastly, for indoors, you can use something like flea traps and DE, both are outlined on this blog and if you want to support me, in my $9 ebook as well 🙂 Have a good one!
Thanks for the soapy water and candle tip.
I do carpets for a living. Got no pets. Went to measure an empty flat which turned out to be full of fleas…
Washed my clothes etc but one of the things must have managed to get into the bedroom, as my wife and I were bit up every night for a week until I found this site and set a trap using an led candle and it caught one flea first time trying. Next night I set six traps around the house and caught nothing so I think we’re all clear now!
We’re really grateful that you shared this tip as we weren’t keen to get fumigators and have harmful pesticide sprayed all over the house.
Thanks
Hi Jack! Its a pleasure and thank you for taking the time to share you story 🙂
Thank you, Natasha, for your blog! I am going to try this tonight and see how many of these little suckers I catch. I’ve been going crazy with all these bites but my husband never gets bit. Ugh!!! I caught two this morning with my fingers and washed them down the sink. They’re driving our poor dog insane, too! We’ve used Advantix on him but it doesn’t seem to be doing much. I’ll also try that DE thing all of the previous commentators suggested. Thank you again!!!
Hi Victoria! It is a pleasure, thanks for taking the time to stop by!
The night light with dawn soap works great. I bought a chair from a thrift store not knowing it was infested with fleas my cat sassy suffered horribly. I spent over 180.00..in having her shaved vet bills and flea products that seem to work.. But it was a hard lesson learned so far the fleas slowly dying with the bombsite set off but that flea trap works great. Thank you so much for your ideas.. Steve
Hi Steve! It is a pleasure, thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
Salt destroys the exoskeleton of the fleas and they die, Lemon, tea tree, and rosemarry oils work well with water in a spray bottle. Don’t put the salt in any water spray, if it gets on the pets it will tear open the skin making things worse. Vacuuming helped lots and the idea of light and water is new to me but seems to work, it attracted fruit flies from outside.
Hi Thea! Thanks for the suggestions! Be careful of essential oils though, especially on cats. It can be deadly. I like the idea of lemons though.
Hi, lot of great ideas….people don’t realize that even if they don’t have pets they choose, there are possums and coyotes and raccoons and rats and mice that have adapted quite happily to our urban environment and they all carry fleas! So taking action on a regular basis will probably always be a god idea, and these traps work (so do the Victor flea traps, BTW, but more expensive – good in the certain rooms where water/candles not a good idea, keep the cheap soap traps for elsewhere…have to point out that a really playful kitten could get caught on sticky part of those commercial traps, but it won’t hurt them (and may get you 10k on America’s Funniest Home Videos.)
One thing – the less food you can provide the better! Obviously treat pets, but what about YOU? I am not sure if this will work for everyone, but I am mosquito-candy (everyone else is safe if I don’t take precautions!) and fleas like me too…I have found the best thing is to take a Vitamin B1 (just the B1, NOT a whole Vit B Complex) about every 6 hours really helps, and when we had this truly awful infestation of fleas, I rubbed pure Neem oil on my feet, lower legs, hands and round my neck and tummy. It is supposed to kill some, and cause the rest to be sterile. People say it smells awful, the Neem, but I just thought it smelt a little sort of musty – and BETTER THAN FLEAS! I don’t wear it to go out in case I offend others!!!
Thanks for the great website.
Hi Felicity! Thanks for your kind words and your lovely tips. They are truly a great contribution to the community and I appreciate it.
Food grade DE is avaiable at feed stores here in Arizona USA. It’s about $20 for 40 pounds, sometimes as much as $35, but it’s worth it!
Hi Ann! Thanks for sharing that with the community, I appreciate it.
Hi Natasha, I have used the Springstar Flea Trap for years and it works great. But they are a little pricey and only work in a very small area. One thing that I have found works well is just a shallow WHITE dish with some soapy water in it. Apparently fleas are very attracted to anything white (just walk in a room with white socks on and see how many fleas you have on your socks in just seconds!). Anyway, I have had good luck with just using these dishes, even without any light source. Just make sure the dishes are shallow so the fleas have an easier time jumping in. After a few days, rinse the dishes with the dead fleas and replace with clean, soapy water. I do have one question, however. I have read that putting a flea collar in a vacuum cleaner bag will kill any fleas that are vacuumed up. Is this true? Thanks so much for your posts. They have been very helpful.
Hi Chris, thanks for your kind words and for the suggestions. Yes that is true, its pretty much the only reason I might buy one lol.
Hi I wanted to try tonight do you think it would be safe to use a paper plate would it be deep enough to use.
Hi Ashley! I don’t think that a paper plate will work, unless it can hold the water properly (some are water sealed). Give it a try and let me know!
What would be the best DE you would recommend. Thanx for all the info!
Hi Jeremy! The cheapest, food grade DE you can find is going to the best hehe. Honestly, there is no need for anything special. Try amazon, it has a number of affordable DE products being sold. Hope that helps!
As long as the bag says DE food grade it’s the right one for indoors?
Hi Stephanie, yes, its the “food grade” part that is important (means its safe)
Last year my house was infested with fleas. I have 2 dogs that have fleas allergy. I brought Comfortis and the Springstar S103 Flea Trap and I used food grade Diatomeous earth sprinkle in the yard were my dogs go. By fall I didn’t have to give my dogs any Comfortis. Everything was good until my granddaughter brought her big fuzzy dog over so now I am back to fighting fleas again.
Hi Sandrs! Oh dear, well at least you have a solid plan for getting rid of them the second time round. Good luck, let me know if you need any help!
The soap in the water will keep your animals from drinking the water, refresh the water and soap as needed. If this works for you like it did me, you will not be able to count all the dead fleas, and it should save you a few dollars. Also if it works for you, save others some money, and pass the tip on
Hi there, thanks for the great tip, really appreciate it.
We had pest control bomb and washed all clothes in hot water and “drowned” some others in glass of water. Question: Why do I continue to pick fleas’s off my clothes and the white ones (eggs or larvae?) I use lint remover every day on beds and chairs. I have used 5 sets of 5 roller. Dog and cat are on Advantage and I flea comb, and the number of live ones are small if I see them, but lots of dead. You would be amazed where we find them!.
HELP I need other’s experiences.
Hi Ruth, since you hot washed your clothes, it seems unlikely that those are flea eggs honestly. The small ones that you find, do they look like fleas? I am not saying that you don’t have a flea problem, but the ones on your clothes are probably something else. Let me know.
The flea trap has been invaluable to us. We have no pets but have been having a flea problem for over a year now. We have used bombs, vacuuming, bombs, vacuuming, more vacuuming …, and most recently diatomaceous earth but the fleas keep coming back. We put the traps out last night and found the source of our problem-the wooden surround of our fireplace. We have a critter living in it. Folks with a 100+ year old house might be able to relate to critters throwing parties in attics,walls, etc. The latest party thrower is living in the wood surrond. After the diatomaceous earth treatment this weekend, we set the traps out last night and fleas only showed up in a trap next to the fireplace. Apparently the unwanted beast is flea ridden.
We think we have a pretty good chance at winning the war now. This has been an exhausting experience. Thanks so much for your insights Natasha!
Hi Elena! It is a pleasure, thanks for sharing your story. I am glad that I could be of assistance, keep up the good work!
When I use the water and soap in a pie pan where do I put the tea light at and liteit and how much water does it take in the pie pan and what if I Dont have a lamp or a tea light what are the odds of this working I would really love to put one under my bed would it work there to
Hi Mary, just place it in the middle of the pan, so that there is water all around it, simple as that. If you are going to use it under the bed, buy a battery operated tea light, do not even think about using candles.
Does it have to be a tea candle all I got is a long candle in a cup the cup is in a wide bowl tht has the water and dish soap mixture will it still work
Hi Angel, to be honest I haven’t tried the long candles. Maybe chop them in half? Let me know how it goes!
Was reading the comments and you said to “float” tea lights. Could you explain how that is done or show a picture? And how do yo use battery operated ones? Anxiously awaiting your response…
Hi Kevin. Most tea light candles float on water. All you are doing is filling the base with water and floating it in the center of the bowl (or whatever you are using).
I have found that the homemade trap you described works a lot better in a reflective pan.
Hi Heather, thank you! I will definitely make a note of that and give it a try.
Hello, I was wondering. I did the flea trap last night in front of my front door I have hardwood floors and that seems to be where the fleas are. This morning there were about 20 dead fleas in the bowl. When I got home from work the fleas are there again what do I do, I have bombed, sprayed, washed rugs, curtains and throws and they are still there.
Hi Dayna! Keep doing it and after about 2-3 nights, if the numbers don’t decrease, seriously consider either using DE or getting someone in to get rid of them for you. Hope that helps!
I will SO be trying this tonight! Me and my poor baby Mia have been eaten alive!! I have bathed her and treated her with monthly flea treatments and we are still infested!! I fogged my apartment today and will be doing this water thing tonight!! WISH us luck!! Thanks so much!!! I will keep you updated!!
Hi Missy! Pleasure! Let me know how it goes!
Hi I just wanted to thank you so much for transforming my life! I have been plagued with attracting flea bits for years – they hop on to me at friend’s houses or hop off here when friends visit me. Then I have spent months trying to catch the pesky varmits, getting bites which itch badly for a week or more. So now, thanks to your simple idea, I finally caught and drowned my first flea!!!! I got desperate and searched the internet. I suspended a small torch (flashlight?) over a large shallow pyrex dish of soapy water, moving it from room to room each night. On the 3rd night, victory! This is just brilliant. It has always been so difficult to locate, let alone catch and kill the fleas. Thank you SO much. Susan, Swindon, Wilts UK
Hi Susan, it’s stories like yours that really encourage me to keep helping the community, even years after my articles are published. Thanks for your kind words, please share this on Facebook 🙂
For those of you asking for a easier way and that have children,my daughter has alot of those blinking rings that are in a squishy type of material with no opening all you do is push it to turn on and it’s waterproof just leave it in the water and turn off in the morning, they last for weeks until the battery dies.I found some at the dollar tree 12 for a $1
Hi Tina! Thanks for the great tip, much appreciated!
I had a really bad problem with fleas,last summer, when a friend stored their trailer here for a few weeks.. (they had cats) Everytime we tried to enter the trailer.. we were attacked by them……….. I sprinkled sea salt all over the trailer, and quickly tossed my clothes, that solved that problem,.. Some got in the garage though, where I shed my clothes… So I declared war…….. and ran my bug light , with the soap water bowls all around it…. as well as the salt…….. Worked like a charm,,,,,,,,,,,,, A little extreme, you might say? I think not, when trying to exterminate these damned ankle biters……….. I actually have scars from being, bitten, by these little Demons! Oh and another thing, vacumm vacuum vacuum………. also , make sure your pets, are on a good reliable flea treatment program.. 🙂
Hi Lee! Your comment made me laugh 😛 Declaring all out war is usually the appropriate response hehe, glad you came right!
I have scrubbed my house top to bottom, sprayed Vets Best everywhere I can and powdered the carpets. My 2 cats also started their Advantage too. Rugs are doing pretty good but my hardwood floors are where I am losing the battle. I can across your site today and figured what do I have lose in trying the fleas traps. Lord knows I have more than a fair share of tealight candles! Lol I put one in my bedroom and figured I would light the candle after I got ready for bed. Well didn’t a flea jump in while I was getting ready, light not even lit! I feel hopeful again in my war. Thank you! I did also have a question, do you have any other suggestions on what can be done to get fleas out of hardwood floors that would also be child friendly?
Hi Chelly! It’s a pleasure, glad to help you. Yes, check out my article on DE, although being a little difficult to clean up, it’s completely safe for children.
can anyone please tell me how to safely kill fleas in a car as young children riding in it?
Hi Rose, your best bet is to simply send the car for a full internal clean, soap and all. That should do the trick!
Hi Natasha,
Been glued to your page for two days… went out to get Advocate for dog and foggers as we had treated dog and sprayed every inch of house over a week ago and are being bitten still. It was just me but now all three children have loads of bites. Going to try the flea traps too…. but lady in vets said that we shouldn’t worry if we had sprayed. We are doing everything right and the fleas get over stimulated or agitated when they come into contact with the spray before they die. Haven’t heard of this anywhere so wondered what you thought……
Hi Sal! It is possible, really depends on the spray product I guess. I highly recommend the flea traps, you can make them yourself and they are super cheap. Let me know how they go!
Hi. Loved reading this!! Thanks for the info. I was wondering if youve ever used diatomaceous earth organic & food grade or have any info on it?? Thanks I appreciate ur time & info!!
Hi Heather, thanks for the kind words! Yes I have, I have written an entire article on it. Check it out in the flea category (on this blog) and let me know what you think!
I’m a HUGE fan of the flea traps (DIY version) – I live in the south and during the summer – even if you don’t have pets – it’s easy as sin to have a problem in your home quicker than you can blink an eye. I used the flea traps as a way to gauge how our progress was going with our overall plan to remove the fleas. We moved into a rental home here with lots of carpet – both the dog and cat had been treated with over the counter flea drops which up until then worked fine – but the renters before us evidently had a flea problem they left behind – it took no time at all for everyone in our house including our animals to get eaten by those nasty little buggers. Thanks to your site and some trial and error – i found some cheap battery operated tea lights (a bit safer than leaving candles lit and stayed lit longer) – for each trap, i placed the tea light on top of a piece of aluminum foil folded up in a square (to give it some height above the water, used regular dish soap (just a thin line around the inside of the saucer was sufficient) and added just enough water to surround the tea light just below it – we placed several traps throughout the house where we were treating carpet//furniture etc. and were able to see by the amount in the dish the next morning, just how well our removal system was working. It took a lot of time and elbow grease – but we beat the bugs – and now i leave the traps out every few weeks for a night just to see if we’re tracking in any more from outside.
Hi MJ, glad to hear it! Thanks for sharing your story, I really enjoyed reading it. Please share my blog on Facebook, really helps me reach more people like you 🙂
Hi Natasha, I recently noticed my dog had somehow gotten fleas back in July, which is strange to me because he is treated with Frontline Plus every month. Unfortunately it appears that they have returned, which leads me to believe they had laid eggs in my house. I have a few questions for you.
I have sent my two shag rugs off to get professionally cleaned. I’m also having them do a treatment for ridding dust mites, which I heard can sometimes also work on fleas. The temperature in which they wash is over 200 degrees F. Will this kill/remove any and all stages of the flea or is there more I would need to do?
I’m having an exterminator come to my apartment tomorrow to spray. They spray with adulticide and also a growth regulator to prevent future hatched eggs from becoming adults. They told me they only plan to come once; should I have them do a follow up visit?
Also, I believe I saw a flea jump onto me, possibly into my hair. Ten-twenty minutes after, I took a hot bath and soaked my whole body in the hot water (which was mixed with epsom salt, lavender bath bubble soap and tea tree oil, as well as applied generous amounts of shampoo (twice) and tea tree oil directly to my head, which I heard was a natural flea deterrent. What is the likelihood that there is still a flea or flea eggs in my hair?
Hi Ally! That should kill them! I wouldn’t call them back again unless you still have a problem, so once is enough. Zero chance, even just a shower with soap will kill all fleas on you. Hope that helps, please share this article on facebook if you appreciated my help 🙂
Hi, I just recently just moved south and we believe there are fleas. I am getting eaten alive. There was at the very least one dog prior to our moving in. Thank goodness, mostly wood floors so I think the primary infestation is in the 2 “guest” bedrooms. How long do we need to do this to capture the new hatches as we are going to get a puppy in about two and 1/2 months and I would like to make sure the fleas are all gone by then. Thank you.
Hi Carol! Do it for about 5 nights. If you want to be even more effective, combine this with DE on your floors (check my article for a guide on this). Hope that helps, please share this article on FB if you appreciate my help 🙂
Natasha, Thank you so much. I am not on facebook (I know so 19th century), but will probably set up an account at some point soon. I read your entire article and did not see anything resembling DE, can you give me some further direction? Thank you.
Hi Carol, not a problem, thank you! If you browse to the top category area and click on “fleas”, you will find that article in the list.
Just wanted to let you know that you can buy 10 hour tea light candles, from Amazon etc. which are really effective in your type of trap. Thanks for all the great advice.
Hi Kari, thanks for the tip, really appreciate it. Please consider sharing this article on Facebook 🙂
Hi There!
Flea issue here as well, and using the tea light in spoay water trick. Working well, just wondering how many fleas equals a bad infestation opposed to a moderate one. I have found an average of 3-10 fleas in each room (4 rooms) for the past three nights. I find fleas on me during the day too. (Especially when sitting on my couch! Any couch specific advise?) Does this sound like a bad infestation? Or should I keep at the tea lights in the hopes of kicking this flea issue. Any insight would be much much appreciated! Thank You!
Hi Sam, i would say that is a moderate infestation. Yes, keep up the traps and combine that with a DE treatment (even on your couch, see my article on that). Hope that helps!
Hey Natasha! I have a severe flea infestation in my home. We have four indoor cats and two outdoor cats, most of which have been treated multiple times for fleas. One of the outdoor cats is a stray so we cannot handle him easily in order to treat his infestation (he comes to eat and leaves). Our indoor cats have severe anxiety problems and cannot be removed from the home, so flea bombs are out of the question. How can we get rid of fleas in our home and keep them from coming back taking our situation into consideration?
Hi Rachael! You can make a few flea traps as described in this article. In addition, check out my article on using food grade DE, it is fantastic and safe for use around your cats.
I just thought I would tell you the version of this that I came up with and works great.
I use a large clear glass baking pan filled with Dawn dish soap and water. Prop it up on 2 sides with a couple of thick books, and place a small flashlight under the glass pan. The 2 remaining open sides I seal off with a couple of small towels.
It is like a beacon where the light source is actually under the water. I’ve used this a couple of nights now and killed hundreds of fleas!
Hi Teddy! Wow that sounds legit, thank you so much for sharing, flip that is awesome!!
I really have no clue what I’m doing it have no Pets I saw one flea but I feel like things are crawling on me at night time,I don’t no what a tea candle is lol please help
Hi John, it is a little candle you can find at most shops. You can also use a very small battery powered light, the point is to draw them out the shadows and towards the trap.
I had seen the soapy water trick suggested a lot of places and honestly I had my doubts. But I set one up in my room and got 20 fleas in a couple hours! Its so effective, I love it! 😀
Hi Andrew, thanks for the feedback, they rock hey!
Here in Texas we had no freeze this winter and the fleas have taken over. Finally after much work, (hours each day on the kitchen floor with the flea comb) I discovered they were coming out of a floor vent. And a possum was living under my house. I have a trap set for him now. Five days of not making headway was so discouraging.
Right now I bombed the air duct and covered it for the night, (we have window units to cool us. For now. Myself and 5 handicapped French Bulldogs.)
I see you talking about DM (using it now) and borax but what about boric acid powder? I’m going to do the trap tonight between my bed and the bathroom. Wish me luck!
Hi Stephanie, I like your plan, best of luck! You don’t need to use boric acid honestly, just stick to what you have.
I used a round lid the size of a popcorn can with Dawn dish soap and a desk lamp then sprinkled Diatomaceous Earth (food grade) into the carpet. I bought a flea pill from the Vet for $18 for my dog to swallow, a flea collar and then bathed my dog and vacuumed the carpet multiple times. I don’t have fleas jumping on my foot when I walk in the door anymore but I do see tiny fleas in the trap now and a flea jumps on my arm from time to time when I sit in my recliner. I dumped the trap several times and it was loaded with fleas. I’m talking a 100+. My poor old dog was so miserable that I shaved his hair down then continued to bath him every other day. I sprinkled Diatomaceous Earth on his back and the parts he couldn’t lick which is pretty much his whole body but the front paws (he’s a fat little joker so he can’t lick too many spots). I even bought a back scratcher for him and he has come to enjoy the scratching. In times past the flea pill was enough to get rid of the fleas but because of the warm winter the fleas were bad this spring and overwhelming. I also used the Natural Care Flea Tick home spray from Walmart. It has peppermint and clove extract which slowly kills fleas but works more like a deterrent and can be misted on the dog. I used it on my dog but mostly on my chair and carpet. Next, I’m going to need to treat the yard but I’m not sure how to tackle that yet. I enjoyed reading your post.
Hi Tony, thanks for sharing your steps with the community, I really appreciate it. Looks like you are following a solid plan! You can use beneficial nematodes in your yard or ask a pro to handle that part for you as it can be very time consuming. Good luck, let me know how it works out!
Tony, d.e can be mixed with water and sprayed in the yard. The directions may be on the bag, they were on mine. After it drys it looks like a light frost around.
Hi JJ, thanks for assisting Tony 🙂
When u say dish soap do u mean washing up liquid?
Hi Abbey, yeah that will work perfectly.
Hi, I just recently discovered that my cats are full of fleas. I never had a flea problem this bad till I moved into my new apartments and want to get rid of them cause. I have tried a bath and flea medicine. It did not work. Just recently tried the soap and water with a flea comb and it does wonders. But if you can send me a pic of how to set up the water bowl with light to clean my house i would love it. Because the fleas are in the carpets also. And combing my cats everyday is hard when the fleas just come out of the carpet. Thank you so much.
Hi Janice! Just put the tea light candle (or a waterproof battery operated one) in the middle of a bowl of water, nothing fancy or confusing. The fleas try get to the light and they drown.
Thank you for your help and suggestions!! I’m now trying the light with soapy water, also vegetable oil in another bowl and salt/baking soda mixture on bedding, furniture, etc. you can buy waterproof, battery operated, super bright LED tea lights from Amazon… they are often used for wedding centerpieces, i didn’t see these submersible tea lights mentioned yet. I’ve bought them from jet and ebay, etc. hope this helps!
Hi Ilene, thanks for that fantastic recommendation, absolutely love it. Removed the links because I am sure that people can search amazon, etc. themselves, you are a star!
After much frustration I finally narrowed my flea infestation problem down to my cracks between my wood floor boards! I used a straight pin and vacuum to clean out the cracks and days later when it was done I swept diatomaceous earth (DM) into the cracks. Worked amazingly well. (Make sure to get food grade so it is safe for pets) I also use it under the sofa pillows. I have learned to live with out throw rugs on my wood and tile flooring.
Hi Jill, thanks for your feedback, definitely helpful for others!
Will a glow stick work in the water and soap trap?
Also the battery operated tealites could be wrapped carefully in cellophane to keep them away from getting wet yes? This erases the fire hazard.
Maybe pour the dish soap in the cellophane to make the fleas stick. Yes, no?
Hi TJ, I havn’t used that but I don’t see why not. Yes, the battery operated ones definitely are a good idea, had a number of people using them.
We set up a mouse sticky trap pad (4 pads in a box for about $2.50). Put 1 with a night light above 1 sticky pad, in the last 2 hours, we have caught 17 fleas. After a few weeks of putting soapy water under a lamp for 2 weeks, and the most fleas we have caught in 24 hours were maybe 20. To keep our cats from touching the sticky pads, we also put a wire soap tray above the sticky pad, but it would work just as well without the wire. I feel like we have had more success with this method than the water dish. And still pretty inexpensive.
Hey Gcossey! That is a fantastic method, thanks for sharing!
Hi, I love all the ideas, so I thought I’d add my own! I’m going to try the flea traps, but I’m going to use solar lights in a glass in a shallow pan. The lights are the cheap ones at Walmart for under a dollar, and they last most of the night, no worries like a flame.. Just wanted to offer this up!
Hi Cindi, fantastic suggestion, thank you!
Hi Natasha; I have been fighting flea infestation for a long time now. For some reason fleas have a hold on my pets this year. I have them on revolution during 6 months of the year, and give them regular flea baths when I see fleas on them. Twice in the last 6 months I have done a perimeter spray. I came across your website this morning, and was thrilled to read about your dish soap, water, tea light solution. I will definitely be trying this. Thanks a bunch to you and all the folks who left comments. I read almost all of them. I would like to pass on some info I have learned in my war against fleas. First of all, fleas thrive in moist warm places. They love a vacuum cleaner bag. Throw the bags out after each vacuuming. Also fleas in their larvae stage don’t like light . Flea larvae, are white and legless, can be up to ¼-inch long. If conditions are favorable, the larvae will spin cocoons in about 5 to 20 days of hatching from their eggs. They will retreat into cracks in the floor, as well as under baseboards. The next stage is the cocoon stage this is the last stage before the adult flea emerges. It has a sticky outer coating that allows it to hide deep in the carpeting and not be easily removed by light vacuuming or sweeping. The cocoon protects the pupae before the adult flea emerges. If environmental conditions are not favorable, the cocoon can protect the developing flea for months, and in some cases, years. So one can see why infestations of fleas need to be treated diligently, and for an extended period of time in order to kill fleas at all stages. For that reason I recently did a perimeter spray ( I don’t like using chemicals, but needed to gain control somehow) along with Advantage drops, which kills fleas on contact, but is expensive. I’m sure you know all about this Natasha, but just wanted to have some helpful input, in the same way that I have appreciated the info from you and all those who commented. 🙂
Hi Nancy, thanks for your lovely contribution, there are some gems in there. Glad you like my blog, thanks for stopping by!
Hi what good information i will be using the soap and water tonight and also the salt
i am going to put salt all round the base boards and the door sure hope this works
Hi Patricia, it’s a pleasure! Good luck!
Hi 🙂 I am so pleased I stumbled across your site! I have been looking after my friends cat for over a year with no problems, I fully vaccinated him and regularly wormed and flead him. He has now returned to his real owner but only a week later and my ankles and feet were being eaten – and yes there it was a little jumping critter!!!! I know they could have come from anywhere but really!!! So, Yesterday I stripped everything I could, bagged and tied it and formed a queue in the laundry. I vacuumed my house to within an inch of it life and used staykill spray. I sprayed all over and in every nook and cranny and took all the seat coushions off the sofa and went to town with the can. It recommended not to use on human bedding but that being the cats fave sleeping place I drowned the mattress and naked quilt. Managed to sleep in another room where the cat didn’t go. Had no bites last night and again hoovered till my carpets could take no more but caught another little one tonight 🙁 My upstairs is now in darkness apart from a plate of soapy water and a tea light….I love this idea and hope to catch the live ones in there instead of on me! Thank you for all the tips and advice from a distraught English girl x
Hi Sonia, glad I could help, did you come right?
Howdy Natasha,
Thanks so much for posting this great info! I have been using these traps for a few nights now and have caught 2-4 fleas per night in varying locations. I have a retreatment coming from the pest control company and also give the cat a good brushing everyday (finding 1-2 dead or alive fleas). What else might you suggest?
Thanks much,
Ben
Hi Ben, nope, it sounds like you have the situation under control, let me know if you still have issues though as it has been awhile (sorry for the late response).
Very informative when i flea comb our cats I put a small glass of hot water with soap in it and as I comb the fleas out I quickly put the come in the glass and it kills them (those bugger’ s are quick to jump) it works great
H Christine! Great suggestion, thank you!
Hi Natasha, so glad i found you, you have given me hope in my flea battle! Do the traps only catch adult fleas or other stages?
Hi Sandy, only adult fleas.
I tried this tonight and it actually worked quite well,within a few minutes there was a few fleas floating around in the soapy water. Think it will take more than once though. So going to have to stock up on tea lights and keep at it. Thanx for the tip, was costing a fortune is house flea sprats etc
Hi Jolene! Yeah you definitely need to repeat, try every night for a week. Thanks for your comment!
Hiya
First nite of my “Fleas F*&K Off ” Plan!! Going to set up both the candle/water trap and also the vege oil traps and hope that the results will not b as terrible as i think they actually are!…But i know it must b already bad cos me and my 3yr boys legs have both bn snacked on like chicken drumsticks and i can c them on my cats belly (Altho my partner and other son dont get munched on!?!)..Grosses me out so much!!! aarrrggghh lil bastards i hate them and i feel like as much as i prep myself with knowledge n remedies i still dont feel its goin makin this dreaded process any easier !… But i wanted to Thank You for sharing All your wisdom and remedies i appreciate it so very muchly!! 🙂 🙂 🙂 I will try everyone of them if i have to and even do them 3x over if neccessary!! hahah.. Cheers
Hi Noami! Hehe good luck, let me know how it goes!
I have been using white vinegar in a low ling pie plate or bowl with a light next to over it if possible. It has been doing a really good job. I am going to try the borax method tomorrow. Luckily my cat has decided to stay in one room during this flea infestation which does make it easier to treat the rest of the house. TY for your tips. Also, you absolutely must treat your pet with a pet friendly methodif u plans on getting rid of fleas with success. Otherwise, you will battle them forever!
Hi Jacque, it is a pleasure, thanks for your comment!
Hi. I stayed with my boyfriend at his home a week ago (he has four dogs all with flea collars). He has since been looking after someone else’s cat and dog in their home for the past week. I visited him there 3 days ago. He has today returned home to find his own room infested with fleas. He says they are in his car too. When do you think I would know if I have transported them to my own home on my clothes or suitcase?
Hi Claire! I recommend being a bit proactive and just keeping a look out for them. If you don’t see anything after a couple days, don’t worry about it anymore.
Screw soap and water traps, some can and will can escape. Vegetable oil is where its at, even if one or two manage to battle their way out they dont make it far, it clogs up their little air hole/gills. I really dont bother with anything other then an old plate, used vegetable oil and a night light. They hop/fall on and off the dog, when they are off they seem to head for the glowing nitelight of death and all year long you really have to hunt on the dog to even find one, yet plenty keep showing up in the oil trap.
Hi Jamie! That is a fantastic suggestion, thank you!
LOL, Jamie! You are too funny! Thanks for your humorous advice-giving — and very HOPEFUL year-round solution to flea control on 6 in/outdoor cats and one dog who likes to roll in the flea infested grass. No more topicals and oral drugs! One question, how to keep the cats from licking up the oil? I’ll try your solution and see what happens; try one with vinegar too. I saw the post about using a tea light …and wondered how to keep rambunctious, night-roving kitties from starting a house fire. Perhaps a tall drinking glass will solve that issue. I wouldn’t say I have an infestation per se, but (1) I WOULD like to know if/where I have fleas in the house, and (2) don’t want to send my pastor’s Dachshund home with fleas after doggy sitting her for 2+ weeks — the more pre-emptive strikes the better. Actually his wife swears by a DIY spray with lemon and cedar in it — something I haven’t explored yet. Too skeptical, I guess.
THANKS Natasha for moderating so graciously!!
Hi Kristin, anytime 🙂 Yeah tea lights are a great substitute for candles, I will actually edit the article this week to reflect that. Have a good one!
Does vinegar work of you spray on carpets? I use vinegar to clean.
I have my dogs a miracle pill from the vet, but when they go outside the fleas come in and jump off the dogs & all over the house?
Can I spray lemon juice on the dogs when they go out or come back in?? Or is that just for cats??
Also I am spending a fortune on flea shampoo, is it okay to wash the dogs with dish soap instead?
Many thanks,
G
Hi Gina! It will work, but might be a bit difficult to get rid of the smell. Yeah that is always an issue if you have fleas in the yard, beneficial nematodes will help with that. Lemon juice is fine, but keep in mind that it’s rather acidic and may cause skin irritation over time. Yes, something soft like Dawn works great. Note that I have a detailed article on beneficial nematodes AND dawn soap for fleas on this blog, check them out under the “fleas” category 🙂
Also thank you for all the great info on bugs! It’s very helpful and very much appreciated. I’m trying everything that you recommend!
Hi Lindsey! Its a pleasure!
I am so very sick of fleas!! They are driving me so crazy! I did borax yesterday and let it sit for about 20 hours and there is still many live fleas hopping around. I have no carpets in my house. Not even area rugs and I can’t seem to get rid of them. I have old hardwood floors with the unsealed cracks in them which I vacuum a few times a day. I just set up a huge metal tray in the room that I think is the worst with a big lamp over the soapy water. I’ve already gotten at least 30 fleas. This room is where there seems to be the most fleas and I absolutely doused the entire floor with a ton of borax. I haven’t been able to locate in any articles an approximate time it takes to kill a flea once it has come into contact with the borax. I vaccumed the borax and my vacuum was full of live fleas trying to get out. I ran the vac outside and still 8 hours later they are alive and well in the vac. I was wondering if you could tell me when I might expect results from the borax? I read that it dehydrates the bugs but that’s all the info I could find.
Hi Lindsey! I am not sure about the time between contact and killing them but I suggest that you leave the stuff down for a day or two before vacuuming it up. Repeat the process once or twice more and all the fleas will die.
I warn folks against using DE. – not to belabor the point here – but it’s crushed shells of diatoms – works by contact or ingesting – just cuts the suckers to bits – hooray – however, have run into several folks who used it and their animals got sick – they ingest it and it can cause internal trouble as well. We were turned onto this solution as our stores get roaches, and it works. . My friends cat got too much guardia in it’s system (it’s in all animals, just like a yeast infection, it can get out of hand) – and it was suggested that we put some in her food everyday – that it would be ingested and cut the suckers to pieces. didn’t work- cat got sicker. So -the bottom line is this: the DE works -but it can be harmful to an animal with health issues…..put it in places they can’t reach, and use it as an adjutant to your other plans.
Hi AJ! Agreed, this is why I don’t suggest putting it on your pets or giving it to them in their food. I recommend it purely for “ground to bug” solutions and for that, it works really well. Thanks for your input.
Hi.
I’m from the UK and am not familiar with DE or borax that you mention.
I’ve been eaten alive each night in a room soon distance from my cats.
I’m trying your trap method tonight with a deep (1″) sided silver baking tray, and a vanilla scented tea light. Here’s hoping!!!!
Hi Stu! Hope it works out for you, I am sure it will!
Hi Natasha.
It really does work! The first few nights I was astounded at how many of the little vampires there were in the dish!
I’m still using it on a daily basis, and seem to still get anywhere between 3/4 and a dozen each night… Going to continue until I have at least a week clear…
Do you think this is likely, or are there always a few lurking about no matter what is done?
Hi Stu! Yes, its possible to catch all the fleas in a room if you do it long enough, well done!
Does the water have to be hot/warm/cold? Could I just put a candle by the bowl on a plate? It need to be placed on the floor and will me sitting nearby effect it working?
Hi Amber. Any temperature is fine. Just put it down and go to bed, it only works at night (the fleas are attracted to the light).
I use hot water(as it’ll cool slower than warm and in hopes the flea may sense the warmth as a victim )and as you said,shallow, wide pans and pie pans for reflexion.Soap was a help but if for some reason you don’t want to use it I’ve found few to escape.
Hi Gary! Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated!
Can anyone tell me where to buy the de , food grade diatomaceous earth please. HELP!
Hi Chris! You can buy it on Amazon if you are battling to find it locally.
I bought food grade DE at our local co-op; 40 lb for $20. 🙂
Hi Susan! Thanks for helping Chris 🙂
I have heard that SALT kills them. Should I try sprinkling this on all carpeted areas? Or do you think this is an old wives tale? PLEASE HELP!!! My two dogs and I are being eaten alive
Hi Eli! I havn’t had much success with salt, try DE or borax instead.
I have heard that DE is harmful to cats respitory systems—any thoughts?
Hi Shannon, it is fine dust, so it might make their nose feel a little itchy. However, it is safe and unless they are rolling in it (or they are kittens), it is nothing to worry about, at least from my experience.
Hi Natasha,
I NEED HELP! I have been getting small red bumps all over my feet and legs. I recently went to the doctor, and she said that they were from fleas, she prescribed me cream. However, I do not own any pets. My mother actually has brought her dog over a few times, and he has fleas. My mother no longer brings the dog over to the house. I used borax on the floors, and vacuumed them. I received a few new bites the day after. How do I get rid of these things?! I am also the only one affected in my home with bites, which is weird because my father was around the dog the most.
Hi Veronica! Have you tried making this flea trap? It will definitely help you kill those fleas.
I have 3 cats, a kitten, and a bunny, but all are strictly inside pets. So I am very frustrated to find an infestation in my home! It is so bad in the bunny room, you can hear them bouncing off the hard floors (no carpet in there, small rug)! I’ve put the tea light trap in there, and can’t wait to see what happens! Thank you for the idea, and hopefully after a few of those, and treating the animals, our problem will be solved before summer!
Hi Amy! Its a pleasure, let me know how it goes!
Hi Natasha. Last nite I read about ur DIY flea trap and did three sets before I went to bed. The cat wandering about at nite worried me and I was also worried about burning the place down… So what I did was I placed the tea candles inside drinking glasses so they were protected and put it in a flat soup plate filled with soapy water. This morning there were about 40 fleas dead! I’m so relieved that I can finally do something so simple to rid those fleas. I’m sending the cat to the vet over the weekend while I clean my place up. I’ve even purchased some hospital grade antiseptic to wipe down the place.
Thank you so much for ur effort in helping other find solutions. God bless.
Em.
Hey Emma! That’s a fantastic suggestion, thank you very much! Its a pleasure, I love knowing that I have helped someone 🙂
Hi Natasha,
From past few nights I have been having itchy skin with blisters every morning. I thought it was scaly skin until I just now discovered a tiny bug which flew away. I live in a small studio room which has not been occupied by any pets from past 2 years,as I know previous tenants. Do you think its a flea? And that attack only during night time. Hence I am confused as you mentioned that they are attracted to light.
Thanks
Avi
Hey Avi! It could be a number of bugs, I would need a bit of a better visual description before I can help you. It might have been a bed bug, check out the pictures that I have on this blog and tell me if they look familiar 🙂
Sorry me again, I read somewhere that making our house warm and putting damp towels on radiators will help to get the fleas to hatch and that way they can die – I’m thinking this may not be the right way to do things?
Hey Tracy! I have never heard of this, doesn’t make much sense to be hehe.
Trying the tea light candle one tonight. Treated dogs yesterday but still have the odd flea jumping around. My poor daughter as been affected the most. She has bites on her back. Fingers crossed. Have 4 in my lounge so going to leave over night and hope it works
Hey Tracy! I am sure it will 🙂
Hello, I have been reading everything on your articles about fitting rid of fleas. I am excited to try several of the methods. I have some cats and want to try the lemon juice on them. I could not find where it was mentioned in these articles, but my question is, is there a certain ratio of water to lemons or lemon juice to use? And did u say to bathe the cats in it or can I use a spray bottle to apply the treatment? I am so happy to have found this site. I had a severe bout of chemical pneumonia and I can not use regular sprays. Although, before finding your site, I have sprayed my floors and set off two separate rounds of bug bombs only to come back home and find the fleas bouncing around larger than ever. It was like I put Miracle-Gro on them. My cats are outside and I have to treat them. I am going to put cedar around all my entrances and inside the dog house. I am also going to make sachets of cedar for each room in my house. I am spending my whole weekend aggressively tackling the problem. I am trying several methods that you have written about and will try more if necessary. Thank God, we can stay at my mother’s house till we get this under control. Thank you once again, Debora Jolley
Hey Debora! I usually just chop a couple fresh lemons in warm water, if you are looking for a specific number I reckon that 4 would be sufficient. You can use a spray bottle but make sure you dretch the fur and skin. Also, don’t do this too frequently if you cat has sensitive skin. Glad you have found my blog useful, its really the community and people like you that keep me going lol.
I have had a fleas infestation for three months now and I am about to go crazy. First of all, I have never had a pet in my life, so how did I get the infestation? The exterminators who have been out to treat the problem claim you don’t have to have pets, they can hitch hike a ride from someone else’s house or yard. But the point is I have had professional exterminators out to my apartment five times and the infestation just seems to have gotten worse. I have used Diatomaceous Earth, Lavendar Oil, Hot Shot and Raid Flea Killer, 91% rubbing alcohol, Clorox Clean Up Bleach and a dehumidifier set at 20 % for a week and that didn’t kill them. Two vacuum cleaners have been broken in the process of vacuuming the floors. I’ve washed and dried clothes in the hottest water and heat and these fleas came out of alive and well. I believe these fleas must be from another planet. They just seem to appear out of mid air and no one can figure out where they’re coming from. I need help! HELP! HELP! HELP!!!
Hey Nubia! Fleas can be transferred into your house from neighbours dogs (via the yard) or maybe even brought into your place from a friend. Since you have tried all those things, please take a moment to read my flea trap article as I think that it would be your next step. I have used it and its completely DIY. Let me know what you think.
Maybe the person who lived there before you had fleas and washed their pets. The fleas go downthe drain but not all die. I would clean your drains. This lady last week told of her situation. She found this out when she had a leak and the plumber found this situation.
Hi Evie! Appreciate you helping Nubia, I am sure that the info will be useful. Have a good one!
Hi,
Thanks for the tips! I have set up a flea trap after my son woke up with a rash. It’s suspected chickenpox but I also seem to have bites/spots and it’s making me suspicious.
I’ve treated my cat and I’m ordering diatomaceous to treat my carpets. Keen to see the bowl in the morning and even if it isn’t a flea infestation, and my son has chickenpox and I shingles, it’s certainly worthwhile giving the place a once over.
Hey El! I agree, it would be good to go over the place once more. It seems that you have the situation under control, let us know how everything goes and if I can help you further, please just shout 🙂
Has anyone tried this with cats that wander the room? I have several and would be afraid they would try playing with the flame!
Hey Stacy! I highly recommend that you keep the pets out of the rooms when using this trap. While it is not a requirement, its always good to be extra cautious. While burning down the house would get rid of the fleas, its not one of my recommended treatment methods 😉
i was also thinking that the cats would knock it over.. the fleas would be in the living room where the cats are – I’m keeping them out of the bedrooms. I’d love to try this since I recently had a flea treatment and want to check for any left but I’ll have to figure out a safe place to put it. I know how the cats race around at night ! Anyone have any ideas for cat proofing this flea trap?
Hi TrapMgr! That might prove a little challenging lol. Um, perhaps give them a spot on treatment, wait a couple days and then do it room by room? You could keep the cats locked in one while you do the others, then when it comes to the last room, the spot on should have killed all their fleas, so you can put them in a room that is already flea free?
Set up flea traps in my house last night. I caught a few fleas. Problem was, the tea lights only lasted about an hour before burning out. May try to find some larger candles (votives?) and try again tonight.
Hey Missy! Yeah you can definitely use those or perhaps find a couple larger tea light candles. Good luck, looking forward to hearing how it goes 🙂
Trying Yankee candle small jar safe well lit and smells great while doing its job with the water/soap trap heres praying it works as I’m having a problem with fleas in my son’s room, he is disabled and his home care nurses have found fleas in his bed and I can’t afford to see him get bit hard enough to keep everyone else from being bitten so hoping this trap works tonight. If it does we’ll definitely set these little traps around the rest of the house through the week.
Hi Colleen! How did it work for you, all sorted now?
I was searching for DIY Flea remedies and came across your site and I’m so happy I found you! Such wonderful information and lots of tips and tricks to try to eradicate this problem! As I sit here reading all the comments, it appears that everyone is suffering from these nasty little bugs! My two cats Mickey Mouse and Chico the man, have been progressively getting worse, itching, biting and licking (I’ve noticed a lot more hairballs) and I’m at my wits end. I have vacuumed, bathed, flea combed, sprinkled and washed everything in my house to no avail! I have a ton of tealite candles, so before bed I’m gonna set up some traps for the little blood suckers! I have also heard good things about food grade diatomaceous earth, so this is my next step. Tomorrow I am going in search of this wonder powder and a push broom! Wish me luck! Thanks again for a great site!
Hey Susan! Agreed, fleas are a very frustrating pest to deal with and I am glad that I have been able to help others find relief 🙂 Thanks for your kind words! DE is great for your indoor carpets, beds, etc and combined with those tea light candles, I am pretty confident that you are going to kill those fleas fast. Let me know how it goes and drop me a message if you need any further help 🙂
My room has a flea infestation from the dog. We laid down Seven without success, and then used two bombs with a bit more success. We then did the home made trap above and the next morning found dozens of fleas and other bugs in it. Already there are fewer fleas attaching themselves to me. I will keep this up for a while, til I no longer see fleas in the traps.
Hey Joe! Fantastic, glad you seem to be having good results. Its expected that the trap could attract other insects that are lured by light so that’s nothing to worry about. Good luck!
Hi Natasha, Thank you for all the great information. I too have an infestation of fleas and have been getting rid of anything the critters have been hiding, washing anything I can get my hands on, flea combing the animals and waiting to get Diatomaceous Earth Food Grade supply to put on my carpets, etc. My question is I have fans on the floor from the summer and bookcase with lots of books from school. How would I get rid of any fleas that have landed or stayed on these items? Thanks a bunch.
Hey Too! Its a pleasure, glad you have enjoyed them 🙂 DE will work great in those areas as well so you shouldn’t need any other products. You can take a look at borax (I have a guide on this subject) but DE does pretty much the same thing. Good luck!
Hi.. Been reading all the info about homemade flea traps and using tea light that you have to light the wick, in the water. What about using a battery operated tea light? Also, most sights do recommend “blue” dishwasher liquid be added to the water.. do you find that to be true? I found your site to be very informative and your responses well written.
Hey Grammy! If you can get a small battery powered one, that will definitely work. You can add any dish washing liquid to the water (around the light), it just serves to make the fleas drown on contact instead of potentially getting out. Sorry for the late response and good luck!
I have my first flea issue. Does the tea lights method work to get rid of all of the fleas? I gave my kitten a bath and thought I had them all killed but today she has more in her again after being shut in our bathroom. How do I get rid of them cheaply?
Hey Christy! You will still need to treat your kitten (as it seems you are) so a combination of that and the tea light traps can usually get you the results you desire. Otherwise, there are a couple natural (and very cheap) powders you can use called borax and DE, check out my guides on these for more info. Good luck!
how do i get rid of fleas with a lazy roomate and how do i get rid of fleas in clothes how long does it take, i have no pets
Hey Jimbo. I cannot give you an exact time frame as it really depends on how far along the infestation is but you should be able to remove them within a couple days if you use the tips in my flea articles. Do me a favor and read over a couple of them as they will pretty much outline exactly what is needed. If you have any questions afterwards, please feel free to contact me 🙂
Fleas in clothing? Simple fix. Wash them. Fleas are a parasite, much like lice, which means they need blood to live. They also need heat. Once the clothing comes off and the body heat has dissipated the fleas will jump off looking for the next head/blood source.
The light/pan of water trick DOES work. Currently I am peppered with bites so the war has started. Of course my husband does not have one. 🙁 The dog has been treated with Revolution so now the clean up of the house begins.
If you have a flea problem without pets in the home, I would be careful of your roommate. Perhaps they came in contact with a pet somewhere that had them. Fleas do not live on humans per se as the hair on our bodies is not dense enough to keep them warm. Fleas can live up to 2 years in nooks and crannies around your home and in that time they breed….A LOT.
Good luck to you!
Hi there, thanks for helping out Jimbo! Really appreciate your contribution!
I had an experience with fleas that surprised me! I had them under control until I had to use my steam vaporizer for a week! Listening to you talk about drying out the habitat for the fleas made me realize the steam moistened the carpet enough to revitalize the little boogers! Thanks for your information! I will be able to get this right away. I passed this on to my facebook page.
Hi Jeanie! Much appreciated, and glad that I have had the opportunity to help you 🙂
My husbands hates the thought of using poisons b/c we have small children, pets, gardening, etc. So, I’ve been looking all over for other option in the yard, house and on our pets. I would be concerned about leaving a candle overnight~especially w/ little ones, but at least it’s surrounded by water. Despite using monthly flea drops on all 4 critters we have a huge infestation and have to do something. I am ordering some daily flea killer that has some of the same same ingredients as Cap-Star. That one supposedly also helps 90% of fleas in carpets after a few months of use as it exits through the pets’ skin. I’ll probably be using “borax 20 mule team” today or tomorrow and spending the night elsewhere with the kids. Lastly, for the yard, I have come across larvae of nemotodes that you spray across with hose/water and they eat the flea larvae . . the longer they remain over the months, the more they eat! Okay for veg. gardens, children and pets. Thanks for your thoughts!
Hey Bethany! Yes, it sounds a bit dangerous but given the tiny flame and being surrounded by water, its very safe. I highly recommend that you give it a try, even if its just to check if a room has any fleas in it (leave it overnight) so you can take alternative steps. Beneficial nematodes work well but they are a bit costly, especially where I live but if you can get them then that’s great 🙂 Let me know how that borax treatment goes!
Hi, I have been treating my home for a week now after finding my cat being infested. I am consistently vacuuming, washing floors, etc. The Vet recommended a spray treatment which does’nt seem to have addressed the entire issue. From what I understand there are several stages to flea life and with one stage being the most difficult “pupa” how long before I am free on this frustration?
Hey Stacey! That is correct, there are many stages to the flea life cycle but its actually rather easy to combat that problem. I recommend using something called “Diatomaceous Earth Food Grade” on your carpets, etc. (completely safe and natural, check out my article on this subject) and a IGR spray (insect growth regulator). First use the DE (please follow my guide) and then after a few repeats, use the IGR as directed on the product packaging. Good luck!
We are currently treating our cats with Diatomaceous Earth (just started a few days ago), but are beginning to treat carpets, floors, as well as beds next. I hate chemicals and hope this helps!
Do you have a photo of your homemade trap with tea light? Does the tea light need to be in a holder? If out of holder, does it float on the water? It seems like there could only be an inch or a bit of water to not put out the tea light. This site is awesome! My mom’s 16 year old cat had to be euthanized this week, vet discovered severe fleas on her, and of course house is INFESTED with them. I flew here to deal with this (mom is 90) and have fogged the entire house, every room with flea specific hot shot diggers, but it actually made it worse..jumping and biting everywhere. Hence, research and this site. Only have a week to get the worst of this under control, plan on trying EVERYTHING you recommend
Hey! I will drop you an email with the image, just need to find an example of one tomorrow morning 🙂 In the meantime, yes its basically just a small tea candle that you float on the water on the bowl. Fleas are attracted to the light and then they die a watery death 😉 I also use these traps to check if a room has a flea problem. If I leave one overnight and find a couple fleas in it, I know that I need to take steps to get rid of them in there as well. Glad that you have found my articles to be useful, let me know if you need any more assistance! Cheers!
My son had a bad flea infestation from some kittens his daughter found and brought inside. He tried flea bombs to no avail; so, my mother had given him a “piano lamp”, we put the lamp on the floor and then a cookie pan under the light with dish soap in it. Left it on all night and the next morning the water was full of fleas floating on the top. Took us a few nights, and lots of vacuuming, but we did conquer the fleas. Needless to say, the kittens went back outside in a hurry. Also, I just wanted to let you know I found some fleas on my dog today. Gave him a “Dawn dish soap” bath and it sure killed the fleas he had on him. Found dead ones in the tub and when I was combing him found some dead ones on him. Thanks for that tip, Natasha 🙂
Hey Phyllis! Glad to hear that you had such good success with the tips you found on my blog and thanks for taking the time to share them with us! Hope to see you back again soon! Cheers! 🙂
I know this is almost 4 years too late but I hate the kittens got put back outside period. Baths and flea treatments were needed so the kittens could be inside and be protected. Also, diatomaceous earth (very fine powder) can be sprinkled inside and on animals. Be sure it’s food grade; it’s safe for use around pets and people. It does get dust everywhere but that’s where the vacuuming comes in (we have rescued cats and dogs so flea fighting is a constant).
Thanks for helping out Phyllis! 🙂
I read somewhere that fleas do NOT like salt. When the fleas land in the salt they bleed to death, which granite that sounds really harsh and disgusting but It does the trick! Anyways, in my mixture of soapy warm water, I added a little bit of salt just to ensure that the fleas would be dead. Another thing I did yesterday was in all corners of my room I sprinkled a ton of salt so if the fleas are hiding in the corners of my room or in the nooks and cranny’s of my front door, they will land in my salt trap. For only being 16 I think I had a pretty smart idea! Something else that seemed to work for me as well was making my own carpet powder.(I looked this up online as well) I used borax and essential oil. (Borax is for the real killing of the fleas and the essential oil is for great smells!) I sprinkled it all over my carpet and left it on there for about a half and hour. After that, I spent the next half hour vacuuming to make sure everything was all cleaned before I moved everything back into my room. I hope this comment helps someone because all of these great tips helped me immensely!
Hi Meghan! Thanks for your lovely suggestions and congrats on a job well done 😉
Not harsh at all!! Kill the little bastards!!!!!!!!! But I tried the salt thing and it had no effect on the little bloodsucking jerks!!! I’m at war now…take no prisoners and all that!
Hi Sara! Hope you win the war hehe 🙂
Hey Natasha, my niece gave me your link and I’ve been trying w/o giving up on the flea traps. My 2 concerns are, leaving a tea light candle on in the trap overnight is a scary thought. I don’t have alot of money to purchase alot lamps for this purpose, BUT I do have several of those battery operated tea lights but am concerned that they won’t put the heat out a little flame would &/or that the water would get into the light & ruin it? Concern #2 is that I have 5 cats & most are calm enough to allow me to treat &/or bathe em but I have one that won’t even allow me to pick her up w/o the fear of getting torn apart. 🙁
Hi Sue! You can definitely use a small LED instead of a candle, just ensure that you don’t short anything. Put on some body armor for that last cat, you will have to treat her as well hehe, sorry.
Put the tea light in a little glass candle holder, then set it in the pan of soapy water. Problem solved, yay!
Hi Edith, it works great hey, love it. Thanks for your comment!
I have been using a homemade trap for some time. I use the bottom of a milk jug, cut about 1 1/2 inches deep. You only need a couple drops of hand soap or dish soap, and it works fine. I also catch a lot of other bugs, gnats, flies, and this morning I had a very large wood spider in it.
Hi Carol, thanks for your lovely comment. I am certain that others will find this contribution useful 🙂
How do you keep your kitten away from the tea light flea trap? I’m worried that he will be curious and hurt himself
Hi Alynn! Good question, you can either close the door or use a completely waterproof battery operated tea light so that if you kitten does get curious, it won’t potentially hurt him. Hope that helps!
Hi. I’d love to see a picture of the flea traps too. I bought a ready made trap but so far I only caught one flea. I’m not a genocidal maniac but I do want to slaughter every flea in my house (and the world!)! Thanks for your help!
Hello Larry! I am in the process of upgrading and improving all my posts (it is scheduled every 6 months moving forward). I have noted your request and I think it is a great idea, I will do that when I get to this post. Thank you!
I used an old dinner plate filled with water that contains a good squirt of dishwashing liquid. The tea light only burns for about two hours, so not a great fire risk. Caught 10 fleas. Followed by lots of hoovering and spraying to remove the eggs and larvae. The next night I caught a few more, these traps are a great way to see the problem is being resolved. I will keep using them in lots of different places to help remove the adult fleas. Thanks for sharing the info.
Hi Jan, it is a pleasure, glad that you found my guide useful, don’t forget to share it with your friends on Facebook, etc. 🙂
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Here is my homemade trap. Got 15 so far in 2 hours. I used two foggers 6 days ago in my one bedroom apartment. Hardwood floors and the cat has been gone for a month. I’m going crazy.
Hi Jerry! 15 fleas in 2 hours, or 15 traps? Also that JPEG wasn’t linked properly, but feel free to attach it in the email that gets sent to you after I reply to your comment. If you caught 15 fleas, that is good news in the way that after a couple days of repeating the process, you will start getting some real relief. 🙂