Fleas, from the order Siphonaptera, are small insects that feed on the blood of furry mammals and (occasionally) birds.
They are wingless, brown in color, flattened from side to side, and have a short beak with which they pierce the skin to suck the blood.Â
To get rid of them, many people resort to insecticides known as “flea bombs”.
How long do fleas live after bombing?
Most adult fleas will die within a few hours of bombing, and most living fleas in the area will be dead by the end of the day. That’s the good news. But the bad news is that these bombs don’t impact flea eggs, so they won’t necessarily get rid of your flea problem!
In this article, we’ll look at fleas and flea bombs, and how effective they are at getting rid of infestations.
What Is Flea Bombing?
A flea infestation can be treated with various methods such as vacuuming carpets and furniture, washing bedding and clothes in hot water with detergent, and using insecticides like flea bombing.
Flea bombing (also known as fogging) is a process in which a chemical is released on the ground that is lethal to fleas and ticks.Â
The chemical released through the bombs can be toxic if inhaled or ingested, so it is important to keep pets and children away from the area during and after treatment, and for hours afterward
. Flea bombing uses a fogger to spread insecticide all over the sealed area. The method controls fleas or other pests like roaches and ticks.Â
The chemical released through the bombs can be toxic if inhaled or ingested, so it is important to keep pets and children away.
Flea bombing is done in several ways.
One way is using a fogger, which will cover an area with insecticide. Another way is using a canister, which will create an aerosol covering an area with insecticide. The flea bombs are usually in the form of a fog released over the house.
The fogger’s nozzle produces a steady stream of insecticide spraying over the infested area.Â
Where Do You Bomb?
The first step is to find out where the flea bomb needs to be placed.
It is placed near where the pet spends most of its time, such as on a bed or sofa, or near where they sleep, like on a carpet or rug (or even occasionally a hardwood floor).
The second step is to ensure that all pets have been removed from the area before releasing the bomb because it can be harmful if they come into contact with it.
The third step is to open windows and doors before releasing them so the chemical doesn’t linger in one spot.
How Long Do Fleas Live After Bombing?
Fleas are notoriously hard to eradicate as they are resilient creatures. They can survive for weeks without a host and also withstand extreme temperatures and harsh chemicals.
Adult fleas take a couple of hours to die during flea bombing. But if any of the adults survive, they will also die within two weeks without a host. Hence, leaving the treated area for a minimum of 14 days is necessary to get the best results.
But 14 days is a long time to vacate your house. And that’s not even mentioning the eggs.Â
In most cases, assuming the house was sealed properly, flea foggers will work… for living fleas, at least. But they don’t work so well on flea eggs!
Any surviving eggs may result in the flea infestation reigniting after a short while.
Any surviving eggs may result in the flea infestation reigniting after a short while.
Unfortunately, the new adults will continue to emerge and re-infest your home until you eliminate these eggs and larvae.
Some flea foggers advertise themselves as capable of killing eggs, but the reality is that they are much less effective at killing eggs than they are at killing adult fleas.
How to Identify Fleas
Flea larvae look like tiny white worms with brown heads. They can be found in carpets, bedding, and furniture near where pets sleep or rest. They’re just barely visible to the naked eye and are of a similar scale to fruit flies. Often fleas and fruit flies are confused, here’s how to tell them apart.
Flea eggs are tiny yellow or white specks that stick to the fur of your pet or carpet fibers near where they sleep or rest.Â
If you suspect your pet has fleas but don’t see any eggs or larvae around, then you can use a special type of light called black light to help identify them. Fleas are about 1/4 inch long and reddish-brown.
They have a pair of strong claws to grasp their prey and a needle-like probosis to suck blood from the host’s skin.
Is Flea Infestation Dangerous?
Flea infestation is dangerous as it can cause severe anemia in animals with low immune systems. Fleas can also transmit diseases such as bubonic plague, murine typhus, and cat scratch fever, which are life-threatening conditions for humans.Â
A flea bite is not painful to humans, but it irritates.
The saliva from the flea contains a bacteria called Rickettsia Typhi. The most common misconception about fleas is that they only pose a risk to pets.
In reality, fleas can pose a serious health risk for humans.Â
Conclusion
Adult fleas will live up to a few hours after bombing.
The flea bombing method is on the order of 60% effective, as bombs don’t typically kill flea eggs. Therefore, you should also use other methods after flea bombings, such as spraying and vacuuming, to eradicate flea infestation.
Many are unaware of the importance of vacuuming after a flea bombing.Â
They assume that it will be enough just to bomb the house. However, this is not true.
Vacuuming removes the dead and dying fleas from your carpet, furniture, and other areas where you have sprayed the flea bomb.
Good luck!
