I’ve learned a lot about fleas because I tend to get them in the house and on my pets frequently. I can usually deal with the problem really quickly so its not something that really stresses me out.

Over the years though when dealing with fleas I have found that fleas tend to come into your home more during the winter and fall season. You may be here because you’ve noticed the same thing. I’m going to try to briefly explain why this is and how you can fix the problem.

Why do fleas come into you home during the winter?

During the cold seasons you have to take your dog outside to use the bathroom same as during the summer. This is the perfect time for fleas to latch onto your pet to feed.

The number of fleas outside is generally lower during the winter which is expected seeing as fleas have a hard time growing and living in cold environments.

When it gets cold outside your home tends to get colder. This means you’re going to turn the heat up making your house a nice and cozy place to stay. Not only for your guest, pets, and yourself but for fleas too.

When your pet goes outside fleas will latch on as I said before, then when you bring your pet back inside the flea will stay on your pet and come into your house.

Because it will be so warm in your home fleas will stay and prosper with the perfect temperature.

Can fleas live in cold temperatures?

Flea eggs and larva usually die off during cold temperatures. Adult fleas tend to die off too but sometimes a few fleas can survive outside during the winter.

Flea pupae are the real problem. Pupae are fleas in cocoons between the the larva and adult flea part of the flea life cycle. Flea pupae can survive for months inside of their cocoons without food. This makes them a problem during the winter because they can sense when a host is nearby and wont come out of their cocoons until a host is near.

When your pet comes strolling by it will come out of its cocoon and jump onto you or your pet.

These pupae can also remain inside your house throughout the winter too. They can hide in cracks and inside clothes waiting for a host to walk by.

Find out more about where fleas hide here!

How do I get ride of fleas during the winter?

This is the question you’ve probably been wondering now. How should I get ride of the fleas? The root of your problem is going to be your pet. Keeping fleas off your pet needs to be the first step you take, after that your home.

Keeping fleas off your pet during the winter

Flea Drops– This is a great way of making sure that your pet is free of fleas all year round. This method is used by placing a liquid applicator on the back of your pets fur. This method kills fleas as soon as they bite into your pets fur.

Flea Shampoo- This is the cheaper option to removing fleas on your pet. Instead of applying it to your pets fur like you do with flea drops you will just give your pets a bath instead. This is only a temporary solution though.

Flea Comb- This is the best way to detect fleas on your pet. If you gently comb through your pets fur you can easily find fleas. Make sure to get behind their ears.

Winter flea infestation treatment for your house

Diatomaceous Earth- This is a great substance to use when fleas have really started to spread in your home. Apply the powder to your ground and let it sit for a few hours so it can kill the fleas then vacuum it up.

Diatomaceous Earth is made from the fossils of small aquatic animals called Diatoms. When these fossils as breathed in in large amounts it dries the fleas up from the inside killing them.

Flea Steamer- Use a steamer to kill fleas! Fleas can only live in certain temperatures and humidity levels so a steamer will put them out of their comfortable levels of humidity and kill them along with getting flea dirt and dead fleas out of your home.

Insect Growth Regulators- This is a great way to kill fleas in all stages of their life cycles. This means you wont have to worry about flea eggs when trying to take out and infestation in your home.

How to prevent fleas during the winter

Flea Traps- Traps are a great way to prevent a flea infestation. Place the traps around the house in areas where your pet spends most of its time and it will no doubt catch plenty of fleas that have infiltrated your home. If you want to know more about flea traps I have a Guide to flea traps that can tell you more.

Flea Drops can not only be used as a treatment but also a means to prevent fleas from infiltrating your home. I suggest using this year round to keep them off of your pet.

I’ve never tried it myself but I’ve heard if you keep your house at colder temperatures then the flea eggs and larva are more likely to die which can slow down a infestations growth.

If you have any more questions on fleas please feel free to ask using my contact page.

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Buying Traps

A store bought trap is much more efficient than making one at home, thats why I’m going to walk you through the different types of store bought traps before I show you how to make one at home.

Victor M230 Ultimate Flea Trap –  This is my favorite type of flea trap. Its an electric flea trap that works incredibly well killing a large number of fleas in a short period of time if placed in a good location. I’ve used this trap numerous times and know from experience that it does work.

It doesn’t use any poisons. It comes with refills so you can replace the stick coating that traps the fleas when it becomes too full. I do recommend putting it somewhere out of reach of your pet because if your pet paws at it the sticky substance may get stuck on your pet. This isn’t a huge problem seeing as it can easily just be peeled off without hurting your pet.

Electric Trap– This is the most common flea trap that can be bought. There’s a small electric light bulb about the size of  the average night light bulb or a Christmas tree light bulbs. This bulb is suspended above a sticky substance in a covered container. Fleas are attracted to the light and warmth produced by the light bulb. The fleas will jump towards the light and get stuck in the stick substance below the bulb trapping them and killing them. These traps not only kill fleas but can kill ants, flies, tiny gnats and other insects that may be in your house that are attracted to lights and warmth.

Homemade Traps

Homemade traps are great when you’re short on money or you don’t want to wait to order an electric flea trap. They don’t work as well as some store bought flea traps but they can certainly get the job done!

TV Trap- I’ll start with this homemade flea trap because this is my personal favorite. First thing you need to do is fill a 13×9 pan half full of water and soap to catch the fleas. You can place this in front of the TV .

Then turn on the TV with the sound off, I suggest turning the TV to either Keeping up with the Kardashians, or The Jerry Springer Show. These shows will rot the fleas minds causing them to die faster.

While the fleas are getting caught in the trap you can go out on the town or just go to sleep and come back and take a look in the morning. Your mind will be blown by the amount of captured fleas.

Lamp Trap- The lamp trap uses a lamp with a bright bulb and a bowl of soapy water to catch the fleas. To start, get a bowl and fill it with water then add a dash of soap and mix it around until the soap is mixed in.

Try to prevent making bubbles when stirring the soap in. The soap will keep the fleas in the bowl, preventing them from escaping. Once you have the bowl of soap and water take a lamp and place it on the ground above the bowl of soapy water. Angle the lamp so that the light shines onto the bowl.

If you don’t have a lamp you can also place the bowl against a wall underneath a night light. The light will draw the fleas to the bowl where they will be caught and die.

Bowl Candle Trap- This is a very simple trap that uses a bowl of soapy water and a candle. Just fill a bowl with water and a little bit of soap. Place a small candle such as a tea candle in the center of the bowl. The fleas will jump towards the candle and get caught in the water like in the other Traps.

Simple Candle Trap- The easiest of all the traps. Step one is you need to buy a thick candle. The second part is to light it where you wont have to leave it unattended. If you didn’t understand that I don’t know how to make it anymore simple. All you do is light a candle and stick it somewhere. Though this is simple its not the most effective homemade trap.

Cup Trap- You wont have to buy anything with this trap so anyone can do it with ease. Just take a cup of water or a few depending on the severity of your infestation and fill them with water. Then place some dish soap or any kind of soap you have lying around. Mix the soap into the cup, once again try not to make bubbles. Place the cup into a window where the light is and let it sit.

Where are the best spots to place flea traps?

When I place traps I want to make sure its in a strategic location that will maximize the amount of fleas caught. The best places are anywhere that your pets spend a lot of time playing or laying around. If they have a pet bed the best spot to place a trap is around it.

Your pet will spend most of its time in that bed which means the fleas will be there all the time. If you want you can also place a trap in your room or another room that you spend time in such as the living room to reduce the amount of fleas biting you. If your cat or dog stays on the couch a lot the living room is a better option that your bedroom.

Click here to find the best flea killers!

Best Flea Traps

There are so many different ways to kill fleas using  traps, sprays, powders, and steamers. With such a large variety of ways to kill fleas it can be painful deciding which products you should use. Below I’m going to list 3 of the best flea traps you can buy. I hope this makes you life easier!

1. Victor M230 Ultimate Flea Trap

As I said at the beginning of the article this is my favorite flea trap. The light and sticky flea pad make sure the fleas in the area are caught and killed as quickly as possible to prevent further infestation. This trap works best in areas that your pet frequently occupies. Set the trap up, make sure your pet is out of the room, and turn the lights off. If you’ve followed instructions then it will work wonders!

2. Aspectek Sticky Dome Flea Trap

This trap is very similar to the Victor flea trap. It has the same basic design but is slightly more expensive. Like any other flea trap you need to follow the instructions for it to work properly. Because it uses a warm light it will work best in a dark room without your pet in it

3. Springstar S102 Flea Trap

This is the most expensive trap on our list. It has the same concept as every flea trap, using a warm light thats directed over a sticky pad designed to trap fleas. This trap has a smaller top so it may prove to catch more fleas than the other traps. I’d be careful if you have small pets though. I’ve used this trap before and one of our small newborn kitten got a paw stuck in it. It was easy to remove but it definitely scared her.

Other Information

I’ve already said this but I’m going to say it again because it is vital. To get the best results from flea traps take your pet out of the room you’re placing the trap in and turn the lights off. The fleas will be looking for warmth and if its dark and your pet isn’t in there then they have a higher chance of getting caught in the trap.

I’ve never had problems with any of these flea traps in the past but a few consumers on Amazon have said they’ve had problems. One review said that fleas would head towards the light but never actually jumped into the stick dome. If this happens and you notice fleas around the outside of the trap try placing Diatomaceous Earth around the outside to kill the ones sitting there.

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