Fleas famously make their homes your pet’s fur, and they do more than just make your furry friends itchy. Carpets are another common place for fleas to set up shop. But fleas can infest some strange places, and one of these places includes your hardwood floors.Â
Here’s what we know about fleas on hardwood floors:
- Fleas that infest hardwood floors can be exterminated using products like boric acid, Precor 2000, and diatomaceous earth.
- Pets can bring fleas in from outdoors, where they can flourish throughout your home, including your hardwood floors.
- Avoid mopping and sweeping fleas, as they will only be dispersed to other areas of your house.
So, if you think that you’re dealing with an infestation of fleas on your wooden floors, we’re here to help. We’ll show you how you can deal with this annoyance and prevent it from cropping up again.
Let’s see how you can rid your home of those pesky fleas without further ado.
Fleas on Hardwood Floors: Why This Infestation is Difficult to Deal With
Trying to control a flea infestation on an uncarpeted surface can feel impossible! You are limited to using treatment methods that don’t use water.
When those notorious high-jumping fleas make their homes on or within your wooden floors, getting rid of them is quite difficult since these surfaces are highly sensitive and can easily get damaged.Â
Water breaks wood down and ultimately ruins it. However, with the proper dry treatments and the right set of tools, you can rid your home of fleas for good.
Water breaks wood down and ultimately ruins it. However, with the proper dry treatments and the right set of tools, you can rid your home of fleas for good.
There are some activities you should avoid performing to ensure that you don’t accidentally cause any damage.Â
How to Tell if Your Hardwood is Infested With Fleas
It isn’t particularly difficult to identify when your pet has become infected with fleas, but finding these pests on your hardwood floors is a little more difficult.
There are a couple of things that you should look out for to see if fleas have made your hardwood floors their home.Â
1. Eggs
Like many other bugs’ eggs, flea eggs are white and tiny. They can easily be mistaken for dandruff and are challenging to spot if you don’t have any treatment experience. If you find flea eggs on your carpets, pets, or floors, starting treatment immediately is important.Â
Like many other bugs’ eggs, flea eggs are white and tiny.
2. Itchy Pets
If you notice that your pet is scratching itself excessively, it might be dealing with a flea infestation that needs immediate treatment. Fleas typically go after our furry friends like dogs and cats (and kittens!), but they will also go over birds if they don’t have any other options.
If you see signs your pet might be infested, you’ll need to check the rest of your house for eggs — including your wood floors.Â
3. Flea Feces
Flea feces resemble dirt with a red tint. It is referred to as ‘flea dirt,’ and seeing it around your home may be a sign of an infestation.
Removing Fleas From Hardwood Floors
If you are dealing with a flea infestation on your hardwood floors, then fear not. There are a number of ways you can cleanse them from your home, many of which are effective almost immediately.
1. Diatomaceous Earth
Food-grade diatomaceous earth makes for another good dry treatment to treat hardwood infested with fleas. It’s a powdery substance that has hygroscopic properties, puncturing the exoskeletons of insects like fleas and bed bugs to cause severe dehydration.Â
It’s a safer alternative to boric acid (which we’ll get to in a moment), so it’s much better suited for treating houses with pets and children.
To treat your floors with this product, spread a generous amount on your floor, and be sure to cover any other spaces as well.Â
2. Precor 2000
Precor 2000 is a commercial product made for use on any surface, even though it is a liquid. It is known as an Insect Growth Regulator and not a pesticide, which means it targets developing fleas rather than mature ones.Â
This product works by preventing larvae and eggs from reaching adulthood. It can steadily and effectively cull a population of fleas with continuous use.
To use it, simply spray an infected area in your house, then leave it to dry. Don’t allow anyone in this area until the product has dried out completely, and remember to vacuum the surface before you treat it with the Precor 2000. That way, you’ll get rid of more fleas.
To ensure maximum effectiveness, repeat the treatment process every two weeks.
3. Boric Acid
Boric acid is a hardwood-friendly treatment that has a range of purposes. It doesn’t react with stubborn stains and does not affect the structure of wood. What’s more, it has a hygroscopic property that can help dry out water-damaged wood, protecting it from rot.Â
To treat your hardwood floors with boric acid, sprinkle a generous helping of the powder over the affected area and leave it there for up to two days. Be sure to cover the entire surface, and don’t leave any spaces untreated.
Also, consider spreading this product on your upholstery, furniture, and inside the cracks of walls in case there are fleas hiding within.
Boric acid is incredibly potent when fighting fleas. The acid attacks their nervous systems and stomachs if the bugs ingest it. The sharp particles also penetrate fleas’ exoskeletons, absorbing their moisture and causing severe dehydration.
Boric acid is incredibly potent when fighting fleas.
However, it’s important to remember that boric acid can also harm humans. If enough is ingested, it can cause severe health issues, so be sure to quarantine the treated areas.
What Shouldn’t You Do When Dealing With Fleas On Your Floors?
While you’ll find thousands of suggestions on the Internet regarding how to deal with a flea infestation, here are some things you definitely shouldn’t do:
1. Mopping
Not only does heavy mopping with water wreak havoc on your hardwood floors, but it also distributes the fleas to other areas rather than killing them.
2. Salt
Salt does not affect fleas but will stain your hardwood floors. You’ll have a hard time getting rid of these stains without professional help.
3. Steam
Steamers are even worse for your hardwood floors than plain water. With the combination of water and high temperatures, steam will break down the protective layers on your floor, inviting fungi, rot, and more pests in.
4. Sweeping
Like mopping, sweeping will disperse the fleas and allow them to infest more areas throughout your house. Switch to vacuuming instead.
Conclusion
Fleas do occasionally infest hardwood floors, so be prepared to deal with them there. If they have targeted your quarter-sawn natural white oak, be careful with how you deal with the infestation. Stick to diatomaceous earth and borax, and avoid water!
