When you have pets, you love them more than you could have possibly imagined before you got them. They are affectionate, engaging and extremely loveable. However, they also have a tendency to go places that they probably shouldn’t.
We all know about cats or dogs or other pets that have wandered off somewhere and ended up coming back with something that they perhaps shouldn’t have. Dogs love finding bones; cats love carrying off fish that aren’t there’s.
This of course can also apply to pets that attract much smaller irritants. Fleas are one of the most pestilential and frankly hideous side effects of getting a pet possible. Not only can they cause the animal discomfort, but they can easily spread to their owners and give them similar problems!
This is why you need to not only know how to prevent your pet getting them in the first place but to also ensure that you can get rid of them easily when you have an infestation. This piece will give you the answer to the question – how to get rid of fleas on hardwood floors.
Why Do Pets Get Fleas?
First of all, let’s address why pets get fleas in the first place. If you are unaware as to why your otherwise healthy pet gets fleas it is because fleas are naturally attracted to carbon dioxide.
All living warm blooded mammals produce carbon dioxide as it is a core part of the process of life. This is why fleas are often attracted to pets because they can easily hop on to them and find a warm, safe place to breed and feast off the animal’s blood.
Pets often also get fleas because cats and dogs are naturally very curious animals and will often have a wander around a garden or an outside area, enjoying being in the great outdoors. However, they quite often accidentally come into contact with fleas and other insects that are also looking for somewhere to go.
This is why some people shave their pets during the summer months, the period when fleas are most abundant, because it is easier to spot the fleas and therefore get them off your animal.
However, shaving an animal can sometimes be a very distressing experience for them and should only be done in the very worst possible scenarios and by a professional vet as they are less likely to accidently hurt the animal.
How To Prevent Your Pet From Getting Fleas
Now that we’ve addressed why pets often get fleas, let’s examine how best to prevent pets from getting them. Fleas are often easier to prevent than they are to catch so prevention is a much better route to take then attempting to get rid of the fleas after they have already infested your animal.
Whilst one of the best methods of stopping fleas getting on your animal is to limit their exposure to the outdoors, this will ultimately only make the animal feel less as home than it should do.
Pets were born to wander inside and outside so unless you want to imprison your pet, they will always have a chance of coming across fleas or other mites.
Therefore, the best way to prevent fleas from getting on to your pets it to remain vigilant. Being vigilant to the possibility that fleas might spread is key to ensuring that they won’t and making sure that you don’t get an infestation in your house.
Vigilance means making sure to regularly check your pet, particularly around the area of their neck, tail and belly to see if you can see any sign of fleas or other insects on them. It also means giving them a regular bath or wash and making sure to use any kind of flea spray that your local vet thinks is appropriate.
How To Get Rid Of Fleas On Hardwood Floors
If the worst comes to the worst and you find fleas in your house, then you can still get rid of them. If you have hardwood floors as opposed to carpets, then you are in luck.
Fleas love carpets because to them they simulate an animal’s fur. The warm, fluffy texture of carpets can therefore be breeding grounds for fleas which is why if you have a hardwood floor you have an advantage.
Fleas aren’t as keen on hardwood floors simply because they don’t have the same texture and warmth that carpets have meaning they aren’t as willing to stay on them or breed on them.
However, some fleas do manage to get stuck into hardwood floors and you will therefore need a way to get rid of them without having to go through sanding painted floors after you finish.
The best thing to do if you find fleas on your hardwood floor is to remove any soft furnishings, such as rugs or sofas in order for the fleas to not have somewhere to go.
Once you have done that, you need to vacuum up the fleas by vacuuming the hardwood floor. Vacuuming actually kills a majority of fleas and flea eggs meaning that by simply vacuuming you will likely be able to get rid of the fleas.
To make it even more likely to ensure that any fleas are no longer left, moping the floor with a mixture of pine sol and warm water usually does the trick for making sure that if any fleas have managed to escape the vacuum, then they will certainly not survive to continue breeding throughout your home.
Why Stopping Fleas Is Important
Stopping fleas is important for many reasons. Not only are they a pest that can easily multiply but they can also make your life much more difficult than it already is. Fleas are a real pain not just for you but for your beloved pet as well. Fleas like to bite and drink blood from pets. They like to lay their eggs on them as well.
Not only is this distressing for you as an owner it is even worse for the pet. Making sure that you have a handle on fleas and ensuring that they don’t harm your pet, or your home is a number one priority for any responsible pet owner.