How to Get Fleas Out of Your Bed
WouterA good way to detect fleas is to inspect the bed, particularly the mattress, for flea eggs. Flea eggs are white or translucent, oval-shaped, and are usually less than one millimeter in length. These eggs usually accompany flea droppings, which have a granule-like appearance. These can be difficult to spot unless you have a magnifying glass.
Fleas can be spread by humans and can also be transferred to the bed from your pet. If you walk through overgrown vegetation, they can latch on to your clothing, usually below the waist. They can then hitchhike to your bed on your trousers, socks, or other clothing.
To get rid of fleas, you need to first wash your bed linen. Use a hot cycle on the washing machine and a dry cycle in the dryer. The hot water kills flea eggs. After washing, make sure to vacuum the mattress as well. A single flea can lay as many as 300 eggs, so cleaning your bedding is a necessity.
Fleas have dark, wingless bodies. They can jump a foot or so. Flea dirt often looks like black pepper grains and can be confused with regular dirt. Flea dirt will be red in color if it contains flea blood. Adult fleas are less than a millimeter in length and are brown or black in color. Their oval bodies will turn red when they’re full of blood.
