How to Rid a Home of Mites & Fleas

Mites are invertebrates that are hard to see because of their microscopic size. Mites thrive in many different types of environments and can be a real pest if not dealt with. They can bite your pets and cause allergic reactions for the members of your household. Since mites eat the remains of dead fleas, you must also get rid of any fleas in your home if you are to successfully get rid of the mites.

Things You'll Need

  • Water
  • Dish soap
  • Vacuum cleaner with attachments
  • Trash bag
  • Laundry detergent
  • IGR
  • Diatomaceous earth
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Instructions

    • 1

      Give your pet a bath. Fill the tub up to your pet's knees with luke-warm water. Use dish soap to lather your pet up. Leave the lather on your pet for five minutes. This will kill any fleas and mites that were on your pet. Rinse your pet off and keep it separate from the rest of the house while you work to get rid of the fleas in the house.

    • 2

      Vacuum all of the carpets in your home as well as your furniture. Use the attachments to get in between couch cushions and in hard-to-reach places. Fleas and mites can live in the fabric of your furniture and carpets. Make sure you throw your vacuum cleaner bag in a trash bag and place it outside in a garbage can with a lid.

    • 3

      Remove your bedding as well as your pet's bedding and wash the bedding in hot water. Both fleas and mites congregate in bedding, but will not withstand the hot water and laundry detergent used in the washing machine.

    • 4

      Spray your home with an insect growth regulator (IGR). This is necessary because the fleas will have laid eggs. These eggs will hatch two weeks later, and your flea problem will begin all over again. The IGR stops the growth of the eggs so no more fleas hatch in your home.

    • 5

      Treat your yard if your pets go outside. Otherwise, they will just bring the fleas and mites back into the home. You can treat your yard naturally by sprinkling diatomaceous earth around the yard. This product is rough on fleas, and will pierce their exoskeleton. This will cause them to dehydrate and die.