Just hearing the word ‘fleas' is enough to make any dog owner nervous. Once your dog becomes riddled with these little parasites, you're in for a long battle in order to completely get rid of them. You'll need to combine a few different tactics to eradicate your home of these insects, and a cheap homemade flea trap is one of them.
Fleas are a constant threat, and infestations can continue for months if you're not diligent. Taking action as soon as possible, and ridding your house of fleas as soon as you realize they're there will prevent complicated situations. If you are quick at getting rid of the fleas, you may not have to use any harmful pesticides in your home.
A great way to trap and kill fleas in your house is by using flea traps. You will find various types of commercial traps at your local pet store, such as electric flea traps. However, there are some proven methods you can try in your own home for a fraction of the price.
Remember that this cheap homemade flea trap should be used in conjunction with other flea-control measures, like flea shampoos and flea powders, in order to be truly effective. Flea traps, bought or homemade, will not help with fleas that are already on your dog. They will completely ignore the traps thanks to the warmth and all you can eat buffet they will have while living on your pup.
Cheap Homemade Flea Trap for Less Than $1
One of the most common, easiest, cheapest and most efficient homemade flea trap options to catch fleas in specific areas in your house is with water and dish soap. Fleas can't drown in plain water. They don't weigh enough to break through the water's surface tension. Adding liquid dish soap reduces the surface tension, trapping fleas and causing them to sink and drown.
Fill a shallow dish with water. You can use a plate, cookie sheet or small lid. As long as the container has short sides that fleas can easily jump over and a large surface. Add a couple of drops of liquid dish soap to the water and mix to dispense the soap throughout the water.
Put this homemade flea trap in a place where you have seen fleas. Choose strategic locations that will maximize the number of fleas you catch. For example, if your dog spends a lot of time on his bed, you can bet that fleas will be on the bed and in the surrounding area. Therefore, you should place a homemade flea trap close to the bed.
Other places you may want to set a flea trap:
- on carpets and rugs
- around pillows and furniture
- near drapes and curtains
You may have to set more than one cheap homemade flea trap, depending on the size of the infestation. Once you lay the trap(s), leave them out overnight. Fleas are most active during the night.
Make sure you keep pets and children away from the trap. While drinking it won't poison them, it may upset their stomach. Plus, you wouldn't want them to spill the soapy water.
In the morning, check if you caught any fleas. If you did, throw out the water and rinse the dish. Prepare your next trap for the following night. You may have to repeat the process for a few nights to get rid of most, if not all, of the fleas.
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