Does Your House Have Fleas?

Here’s a handy trick to find out if your house (specifically your carpet) has fleas. To build a flea trap, hang an bare light bulb over the area you wish to test, a few inches from the carpet, sofa or floor. Under the light bulb, place a dish of soapy water or a sheet of fly paper. Turn the light on. The warmth of the light bulb will attract the fleas, which will jump toward it and land in the water. They will not be able to escape. When you look at the water, fleas will appear as small, black, flat-bodied insects roughly the size of a comma.

It won’t rid your home of fleas, but the flea trap will help you to determine if they’re in your carpet, bedding or furniture.

By the way, you can take that same soapy water (use dish washing detergent and dilute it with water) and spray it around the house, doorways and yard to kill and prevent fleas from entering the house. You can bathe your dog in it, too. : )