How Do Fleas Get In Your House? 3 Ways, Revealed

Have you ever asked yourself – “why are there fleas in my house” on seeing fleas in your home?

If yes, then look no further. 

In this guide, you’ll find out how do fleas get in your house.

This guide reveals the three most common ways fleas sneak inside human homes.

You’ll also learn proven tips and hacks that will massively minimize the chances of flea infestation. 

Keep reading. 

3 Ways Fleas Get In Your House

1. Your pets bring fleas home
2. Fleas latch onto old furniture, clothing, and even items like cardboard boxes
3. Wildlife that sneaks inside your property and home also brings fleas

Let’s get into each of these causes to find out more.

Fleas Get Into Your House Through Your Pets

Your pets are the most common source of fleas inside your home. Your pet dog or cat can get fleas outdoors or by encountering a flea-infected animal.

Fleas latch onto the fur and skin of the pets to feed on their blood. 

Flea eggs, larvae, and even adult fleas drop off your pets’ fur when they spend their time on your bed, carpet, couch, and hardwood floors.

In the absence of a furry host, fleas in these places bite humans for their bloodmeals.

Fleas Get Inside Homes Through Old Furniture And Clothing

Fleas in a flea-infested home can hide in wooden furniture and soft furnishings. 

When you bring those things with fleas on them, you bring fleas home.

Fleas can also travel from one place to another by latching onto clothes.

In the outdoors, fleas hide in damp areas surrounded by lush vegetation and tall grasses. That’s their habitat. 

Parasitic bugs like fleas and ticks lurk in these places. They wait for a host, like a pet or wild animal, to latch on.

But when you walk through these places, fleas can latch onto your clothing and luggage.

The fleas, and ticks, will latch onto your trousers, especially below the waist region. 

And when you come home and keep those clothes on your bed, dresser drawers, closet, or couch, you transfer fleas to those places.

Wildlife Can Bring Fleas Inside Your Home

Fleas can be inside your home despite no pets in your home.

Wild animals like raccoons, skunks, and squirrels sneak inside places like the attic, garage, crawl space, and basement, bringing fleas inside your home.

And most of these animals have fleas on their fur.

Some of the fleas drop off their bodies, and they hide in the places where the animals drop them.

Those fleas, in search of blood meals, sneak inside your home through the thin gaps and cracks in the walls and windows.

So, when fleas make their way inside your home, it’s only a matter of time before they find you or your pets to bite and get their bloodmeals.

Fleas prefer animal hosts. But in their absence, fleas can bite humans to get their bloodmeals.

Fleas find you by the smell of your body sweat and by picking up the carbon dioxide you release.

Adult fleas find hosts by detecting body heat, movement, the vibrations caused by movement, and the carbon dioxide that humans and animals release while breathing.

Do You Have Fleas In Your House?

Fleas are tiny bugs. And their presence can be hard to detect till their numbers become too high.

Failing to spot the fleas in your home can lead to a bad flea infestation in your home.

So, how do you know if you’ve fleas in your house?

First, fleas’ physical presence. You’ll notice fleas jumping off on places like couches, beds, floors, and carpets. 

Pet beds are the most obvious place to confirm flea presence in your home.

You’ll notice flea shells, feces of fleas in the form of dots, eggs, larvae, and even live fleas in your pet bed if your pet has fleas.

Observing your pets is the second way to discover if fleas are in your house.

If your pet is scratching itself too much, then there are chances that there can be parasites like fleas and ticks in your pets.

Many bugs, which are not fleas, infect pet dogs and cats.

So, inspecting your pets for parasites latching onto their skin and fur makes total sense to avoid a flea infestation in your home.

The third way to know if there are fleas in your house is by inspecting your bed.

Let’s face it. Your pets can transfer fleas to your bed. And fleas in your bed can leave certain signs like flea dirt (which is flea feces) and not to mention, bite marks on your bed.

The fleas in your bed are deriving their bloodmeals from you because they can’t get access to a furry animal. 

To find the hiding fleas, you’ll need to thoroughly inspect your bed, especially the cracks on the bed frame and headboard.

How To Prevent Fleas In The House?

It’s easy to avert a flea infestation in your home. To do that, you’ll need to follow some simple steps.

If you’ve got a pet, then please take your pet to a vet for a flea treatment. That will eliminate any chances for your pets to bring fleas home.

Secondly, you’ll need to remove the overgrown grasses and vegetation in your yard to prevent fleas from latching onto your clothes and pets. It’s because fleas live in the yard in these places.

Control the dampness of your yard by abstaining from overwatering and fixing any water leakages that might keep your yard damp.

The third step, which many homeowners ignore, is that they don’t use screens on the vents in the attic, basement, and garage.

Wildlife, rats, birds, and many overwintering insects like kissing bugs and wasps exploit those vents to sneak inside your home.

So, use a robust screen with fine mesh to cover those vents. 

Don’t forget to use a chimney cap during the spring and summer because open chimneys become a pathway for many bugs and insects.

Conclusion

Fleas get inside the house in any one of the three following ways –

1. Your pets bring fleas home
2. Fleas latch onto old furniture, clothing, and even items like cardboard boxes
3. Wildlife that sneaks inside your property and home also brings fleas

This guide revealed how you could find out there are fleas in your house and three straightforward ways that you can use to avert a flea infestation in your home.