Fleas that commonly infest the carpets and pet bedding can easily be treated with common salt. This HomeQuicks post will let you in on how salt helps to kill fleas. Have a look…
Did You Know?
When sprinkling salt in your home for controlling fleas, make sure your pet does not lick it, as it can make him fall sick.
When it comes to eliminating flea infestation, a common household item as simple as salt can come to your rescue. Instead of taking the help of a professional pest control company, which can be expensive, go in for home remedies like using salt, which are effective. Salt is cheap, natural, and moreover, not detrimental to your health.
How Does Salt Kill Fleas?
Salt is an excellent desiccant, a drying agent, and moreover, acts like an abrasive. The moisture-absorbing capability of salt works to kill fleas. As we know, without moisture, it is not possible for the fleas to survive. They are able to hold moisture due to their exterior protective outer layer, known as the exoskeleton.
However, salt, with its abrasive quality, can easily damage the exoskeleton and penetrate through it. Once the exoskeleton breaks open, salt draws out all the moisture, leaving no scope for the fleas to survive.
Get the Job Done
The carpets spread on the floor and pet bedding are common places for flea infestation. Adult fleas lay their eggs on the fur of dog or cats. However, the eggs that lie within the hair coat of the animal fall off onto the carpets and bedding in the house. The eggs, often, go deep into the carpet fibers. Eventually, they are hatched into larvae that subsequently grow into adult fleas.
Step 1
Before pouring the salt, you can always clean the carpet with a vacuum cleaner to remove some of the fleas. You can also rinse other flea-infested items such as the curtains, rugs, drapes, and bedding, including pillows. Make sure you use hot water for washing these items, as well as dry them at high heat.
Step 2
Now, with a salt shaker, uniformly spread the salt in the affected areas of your house. You could also hold some amount of salt in between your fingers and sprinkle it evenly onto the desired area. Salting the floor and the furniture may also be necessary to kill these pests.
Step 3
As the fleas, larvae, and eggs are likely to have sunk deep into the carpet, brush the surface of the carpet with a broom, so that the salt reaches deep where these insects are present.
Step 4
Once you have done this, do not be in a hurry to remove the salt. Let it remain for at least 12 hours, but not more than 2 days, to take effect. For instance, if you sprinkle the salt in the evening, you can wait until the next morning before removing it.
Step 5
Vacuum your entire house, which not only removes the salt but also the dead fleas and their eggs that have been plaguing the dwelling. The debris collected in the vacuum bag should be emptied in the trash kept outside the house. Make sure that the trash can is closed tightly so that the fleas have no chance of re-entering your home.
You will have to repeat these steps 3 to 4 times to completely eliminate the life cycle of fleas. Also, each time you use the vacuum cleaner, make it a point to remove the vacuum bag and throw its content outside the house, to prevent re-infestation.
Issues Regarding Usage of Salt to Kill Fleas
● You may think that sprinkling salt on the dog’s coat could be an easy way to control flea infestation. However, this is absolutely not recommended as it can damage your pet’s skin. You need to consider another treatment to get rid of dog fleas.
● When the climate is humid, using salt for flea control can become problematic. This is because, in humid or moist conditions, salt tends to clump, making it difficult to sprinkle. Moreover, humidity causes the salt crystals to attract excess moisture. So distributing such salt can actually make your carpet slightly wet. In such circumstances, installing a dehumidifier is necessary to use salt for controlling fleas.
● No doubt that salt has the power to kill these pests, but make sure that the process of salt removal does not damage your vacuum cleaner beyond repair. This is because there is a possibility of salt clogging the vacuum bag, making the cleaner ineffective in removing dirt later on.