How To Get Rid Of Fleas In Bed Mattress

Brief: Eliminating Fleas in a Bed Mattress

1. Introduction: Fleas are small, blood-feeding insects that can infest mattresses. They are a concern due to their biting nature and potential to spread diseases.
2. Identification of Fleas:
   • Appearance: Small, dark, wingless insects.
   • Signs: Flea droppings (small black dots), blood stains, musty odor, and visible bugs on the mattress.
3. Flea Elimination Methods:
   • Electric Flea Traps: Utilize electric currents to kill fleas.
   • Flea Bombs: Fumigate entire rooms, effective but require vacating the space.
   • Insect Growth Regulators: Prevent flea larvae from maturing.
   • Insecticide Sprays with IGR: Combine killing adult fleas and preventing larval growth.
4. Step-by-Step Flea Removal from Mattresses:
   • Wash Bedding: Hot water laundering kills fleas.
   • Vacuuming: Remove fleas, eggs, and larvae from the mattress.
   • Baking Soda Application: Natural deodorizer; vacuum after application.
   • Salt: Dehydrates and kills fleas; vacuum after application.
   • Lemon Solution: Natural flea repellent; apply and air dry.
   • Rosemary Herbal Powder: Natural flea repellent; sprinkle and vacuum off.
   • Essential Oils: Eucalyptus, lavender, or cedar oil as flea deterrents.
5. FAQs:
   • Fleas Survival Without Hosts: Can live up to 2 months without feeding.
   • Mattress Cleaning Frequency: Monthly cleaning recommended.
   • Natural Flea Repellents: Essential oils like peppermint and lavender.
   • Mattress Types and Flea Prevention: Breathable mattresses (e.g., memory foam, latex) are better.
   • Flea Bomb Necessity: Not always required; vacuuming and washing are first steps.
   • Post-Delivery Flea Infestation: Contact seller for potential remediation steps.
6. Conclusion: Fleas in mattresses require a combination of cleaning, vacuuming, and the use of flea-killing products. Regular mattress maintenance and the use of natural repellents can prevent future infestations.

Fleas are small biting insects that can transmit serious, sometimes fatal, diseases to humans and pets. They have a knack for making themselves right at home in mattresses and other soft furnishings.

You may be able to get rid of them with some help from a pest control professional, but if you can’t bear the thought of having parasites living on your mattress, then here is our short guide showing how you can do it yourself!

What Is Fleas?

Fleas are small parasitic insects that feed primarily on blood. They are flattened from top to bottom, which helps them to remain hidden in mattresses and bedding. They feed on humans, dogs and cats, and other pets.

Fleas tend to be most common during spring, summer, and autumn when they are looking for a place to hide from the cold while they wait for warm weather so they can go outside again.

Can Fleas Get In You Mattress?

There is a small amount of debate about whether or not fleas can get into your mattress if there is no furniture close by that will serve as an entry point for them. This is because some people claim that once fleas jump from their initial hiding place onto your body, they will simply jump off again when they reach your mattress.

How To Tell If You Have Fleas In Your Mattress

You can lookout for a few signs that will let you know if you have a flea problem in your home. 

These include:

Flea Droppings

Fleas are very small, so very little of their droppings will contaminate the fabric of your mattress. The place where you are most likely to find these is on your bedsheets. There, they will be tiny black dots about the size of salt grains. Fleas can also cause blood stains to appear on the fabric of your sheets if you have been bitten while you slept.

Dark Lines On The Mattress

You may find it easier to see these if your bedding has recently been changed and is white in color. Short lines of dried blood from a bite and a nearby flea could leave faint dark-colored lines where the insect died. These will be easy to see if you are looking for them, but they will be virtually invisible if you are not.

Scent

Fleas give out a strong, musty smell which people often describe as similar to the odor of cat urine. If you can smell this odor in your home, but it is not coming from your cat, it could well be fleas causing the problem!

Very Small Bugs

These are very small insects; adults can measure no longer than about 1/8th of an inch. They are also very light in color. If you can find some small dark bugs on your bed’s fabric, then it is a good indicator that you have fleas in your home.

Types Of Flea Killers And Repellents

There are several kinds of ways that you can get rid of fleas in your home. 

They are:

Electric Fleas Traps

One of the most effective ways to trap fleas is with a device called an electric flea killer. These can be plugged in wherever you see fleas, and they will use a small electric current to kill off the insects before they can get away. They are usually very good at doing this, and since they need only a small amount of power, they will not cost you too much money.

Flea Bombs

Another alternative is to use a flea bomb. These are small bombs that you drop into your home and then leave for a while so that the insecticide inside them can disperse all around your property and get rid of the fleas in your house.

One of the biggest benefits of using a flea bomb is that they will usually get rid of all the fleas in your home, not just those in one room.

Concentrated Insect Growth Regulators

There are also insect growth regulators which you can use to target fleas specifically in your mattress. They will work by preventing insects from fully maturing into adults so that they will not be able to reproduce and continue to survive.

For the best results, you should combine this kind of product with a spray containing insecticide to ensure total safety in your home.

Insecticide Sprays With IGR

Imitation insect growth regulators or IGRs are also helpful against fleas. Although they will not kill every flea in your home, they will help prevent them from reaching maturity and breeding to solve the problem with a pest control professional.

7 Ways To Get Rid Of Fleas In Bed Mattress

Getting rid of fleas can be challenging, but you can do it with no fuss following this step-by-step guide.

Washing The Bedding

You can kill fleas on your mattress by washing them in hot water. Flea larvae and eggs are very susceptible to high temperatures, so you can make sure that you kill them during the wash.

Vacuuming

You can vacuum your mattress to get rid of fleas. Vacuum every part of the mattress, including upholstery, the frame of the bed, and any cracks that you can find. The sudden change in air pressure accompanying the vacuuming process will also kill fleas and bring many more out into view from where they were hiding.

After vacuuming each section of your mattress, dispose of the waste bag immediately to prevent any fleas that you have just caught from escaping.

Sprinkle Baking Soda

Baking soda is a natural deodorizer that has been used for centuries to keep homes smelling fresh and clean. It can be sprinkled onto your mattress and then vacuumed to kill fleas that are hiding along the seams of the fabric. If you do this regularly, you should never have to worry about fleas in your bed again.

Use Salt As Dehydrating Agent

Salt is an effective way of getting rid of fleas from your mattress and is very easy to do. You will just need to sprinkle salt on a surface that is covered in fabric such as your bed frame or pillows, as well as on anything else which has been infested with fleas. Leave the salt there for a day, then vacuum it up.

Lemony Solution

Lemon juice is a natural disinfectant that will also kill fleas. You can make the solution by squeezing some lemon juice onto an absorbent cloth. You can then apply it to your mattress or any other area where you have found fleas on your bedding. The juice will soak into any place that has been infested and kill the fleas that are hiding there.

Rosemary Herbal Powder

Rosemary is a powerful antibacterial herb that contains powerful antifungal properties; it is also known as a natural insect repellent, which will repel fleas from biting you or your pet.

Natural Essential Oils

Certain natural essential oils can be used as a flea repellent. These include lavender, eucalyptus, cedarwood, d-limonene, and cinnamon. They can be sprayed over your mattress or other areas that have been infested and will repel fleas that are currently in the area.

FAQ