How to Get Rid of Fleas in Your Home

To get rid of fleas in the house, treat every cat and dog with a product your vet recommends, then treat the home: vacuum floors, rugs and furniture thoroughly, empty the vacuum into an outside bin and wash pet bedding on the hottest wash it can take. Keep going for several weeks, as new fleas keep hatching.

Reviewed by James Rhoades, Owner, ThermoPest · Last reviewed 15 October 2026

Finding fleas jumping on the carpet, or waking up with itchy bites around your ankles, is unpleasant, but it’s a common problem and it can be solved. The key is knowing that the fleas you can see are only part of it.

Signs of a Flea Infestation in the House

The British Pest Control Association (BPCA) lists six signs that fleas have moved into your home:

• Pets scratching, licking or biting themselves more than usual. This is often the first thing people notice.
• Fleas or flea droppings in your pet’s coat.
• Black specks that turn red when wet. Comb your pet over a sheet of paper and add a few drops of water to any black specks that fall out. If they turn red, your pet has fleas.
• People in the home being bitten, often around the ankles.
• Bites on your arms after holding or stroking a pet.
• Fleas jumping on carpets, sofas or other soft furnishings. This is the clearest sign of an active infestation.

Adult fleas are small, red-brown and wingless. The BPCA’s flea leaflet says they average 2mm in size and have legs designed for jumping. If you’re being bitten but there are no pets in the home and no jumping insects, it may be something else. Our guide to insects that are often mistaken for bed bugs can help you work out what you’re dealing with.

How do you get rid of fleas in the house?

Treating the pet alone rarely solves the problem. Female fleas lay eggs on the animal, and the eggs fall off onto floors, rugs, furniture and bedding, where they develop. That means you need to tackle the animal and the home at the same time.

1. Treat Your Pets (Speak to Your Vet)

Start with your vet. They can recommend a flea treatment that suits your pet’s species, age, weight and health, and tell you how often to use it. Treat every cat and dog in the home, not only the one that’s scratching, or the untreated animal will keep the cycle going.

Don’t guess with flea products. Some products made for one kind of animal can be dangerous to another, so never use a product on a pet it isn’t labelled for. If you’re not sure, ask your vet before using anything.

2. Vacuum Thoroughly

Vacuuming removes eggs, larvae and adult fleas from carpets and furniture. The BPCA also notes that the vibration can encourage adult fleas to leave their cocoons, which makes them easier to deal with. Focus on:

• carpets and rugs, especially where your pet sleeps or sits;
• sofas, armchairs and cushions, including underneath the cushions;
• along skirting boards and carpet edges;
• under beds and other furniture;
• gaps between floorboards.

When you’ve finished, remove the bag or empty the container straight into an outside bin, as the BPCA advises, so nothing finds its way back indoors.

3. Wash Pet Bedding Hot

The BPCA advises washing pet bedding and other washable items in the hottest water possible. Check the care label on each item and use the hottest wash it can take. Do the same for throws, blankets or cushion covers your pet lies on.

4. Keep Going for Several Weeks

One clean-up won’t be enough. Fleas develop in stages, and new adults keep appearing for a while after you start. Keep up the vet-recommended treatment on your pets and regular vacuuming until you’ve seen no fleas, and no new bites, for some time.

What is the best treatment for fleas in the house?

There’s no single product that fixes a flea problem. What works is a combination: pet treatment from your vet, thorough cleaning, and professional treatment of the home if the infestation is established.

Sprays sold for fleas are a different thing from treatments for other pests. If you’re wondering whether one product can do both jobs, see will flea spray kill bed bugs?

Do you need to fumigate your house for fleas?

Usually not. Fumigation is only used in certain circumstances and isn’t a common method for fleas in UK homes. We don’t use fogging either. Shop-bought foggers and flea bombs fill the room with a mist that lands mostly on open surfaces. Fleas develop deep in carpet fibres, under furniture and in gaps in the floor, which the mist often doesn’t reach. Thorough vacuuming, hot washing, vet treatment for your pets and, where needed, a targeted professional treatment work better.

Why do fleas keep coming back?

Usually, they haven’t come back. They’re hatching from cocoons that were already in the home before you started. Flea larvae spin a silken cocoon, and the BPCA explains that the adult flea waits inside until it senses the vibrations of a possible host nearby. The cocoon protects it, so cleaning and treatments that kill adult fleas don’t always reach it.

That’s why many people see new fleas for a while after treatment, and why a home that has been empty can suddenly seem full of fleas when someone moves in: the movement sets off a wave of hatching. Seeing some fleas in the weeks after treatment doesn’t mean it has failed. Our guide to why fleas come back after treatment explains what’s normal and what isn’t.

Fleas can also be brought back in. Untreated pets, visiting animals and, less often, wildlife such as foxes can carry them. The BPCA notes that homes without pets can get fleas too, and that fleas aren’t a sign of a dirty home.

Are fleas worse in late summer and autumn?

Fleas thrive in warmer weather, according to the BPCA, and its flea leaflet says the full life cycle takes about a month in summer. That means a few fleas brought in during the warmer months can become a much bigger problem by early autumn.

Records from UK vets back this up. Researchers at the University of Liverpool who studied flea cases recorded by vet practices through the SAVSNET project found fleas on dogs and cats in every year of the study, with cases peaking between July and October. Fleas can turn up in any month, but late summer and early autumn is when problems are most often seen.

The practical lesson is not to stop your pet’s flea treatment when summer ends. Ask your vet how often your pet needs it all year round.

When to Call a Professional

A light problem caught early can often be handled with vet treatment and thorough cleaning. It’s worth calling a professional if:

• you’re still seeing fleas or getting bitten after several weeks of treating your pets and cleaning;
• fleas are in several rooms, not just where your pet sleeps;
• you’ve moved into a property and found fleas, with or without pets;
• someone in the home is very young, elderly or reacting badly to bites.

The BPCA recommends contacting a professional pest management company if you see signs of an active infestation, and notes that BPCA members are trained in flea control and use products that aren’t available to the public. At ThermoPest, our professional flea treatment uses heat or targeted spray, depending on the job, and we treat the areas where fleas develop, not just the surfaces you can see. A single treatment is typically enough to leave a home flea-free, though a few new fleas may still hatch from cocoons for a short while afterwards. Our flea treatments come with a 12-week guarantee.

Preparing for a Professional Treatment

Your technician will tell you what to do. The BPCA suggests clearing as much floor space as possible and vacuuming everywhere before treatment. After a residual insecticide treatment, the BPCA advises not vacuuming or washing the treated floors for at least two weeks, so the treatment isn’t removed. Follow the aftercare instructions you’re given, as they’re based on what was used in your home.

Flea Bites: When to Get Medical Advice

This is general information, not medical advice. The NHS says flea bites are usually found in groups below the knees, and that most insect bites aren’t serious and get better in a few days. Try not to scratch, as the bite could get infected, and wash the skin with soap and water. A pharmacist can recommend something for the itch, such as an antihistamine or a steroid cream, and check it’s suitable for you or your child.

The NHS advises you to ask for an urgent GP appointment or contact NHS 111 if your symptoms get worse or don’t improve, and to see a GP if a baby under 1 has been bitten. Call 999 if your lips, mouth, throat or tongue suddenly swell, or you have trouble breathing, as these can be signs of a serious allergic reaction. See the NHS page on insect bites and stings for full guidance.

FAQs

Can fleas live in your house without pets?

Yes. The BPCA notes that homes without pets can still get fleas. They can arrive on visiting animals or wildlife, or be waiting in cocoons when you move into a property where pets lived before. Adult fleas need a blood meal, so without a pet they may bite people instead.

How long does it take to get rid of fleas in the house?

Expect it to take weeks rather than days. Adult fleas can keep emerging from cocoons for a while after you start, so keep treating your pets as your vet advises and keep vacuuming. If you’re still seeing fleas after several weeks, speak to a professional.

Can fleas live in carpets?

Yes. Flea eggs fall from pets onto carpets and rugs, and the young fleas develop there, especially where pets sleep. Vacuum carpets thoroughly, including the edges along skirting boards, and empty the vacuum into an outside bin straight away.