Fleas are small black or dark brown insects that feed the blood of animals but can bite and sting humans. They look very annoying in the bathroom and can spoil your mood when you see them around your bathtub or vanity.
Why Do I Have Fleas in My Bathroom? Fleas can enter your bathroom with your pets or travel with your cloth and shoes. They are attracted to the moist and warm environment and hide in the seams and cracks. You can get rid of them by giving a bath or taking your pet to the vent, using a dehumidifier or vacuum cleaner, and applying homemade solutions to the infested area.
The specie seems small but can cause harmful effects and diseases if they bite you. Therefore, it is better to find the root cause of their presence to avoid severe infestation.
Why do you have fleas in your bathroom?
Having fleas in your place can be unpleasant and unhygienic because there are chances of more bacteria and germs if they lay their eggs there.
Fleas on Pets
Everyone loves to have pets in their homes as they are more like family member who rooms around the house freely, but there are also some downsides.
They survive on animal blood and can move or jump from their bodies to other places. For example, your pets can get them if they go outside the house in a park or ground.
The pest lays eggs on the animal body and can drop on your carpet, bedroom, and bathroom when your pet follows you to these places.
They appear when you bathe your pet in your sink or bathtub.
They can also present on the underbelly of pets, where they lay eggs and reproduce to multiply. Cat fleas are the most famous pet fleas that can be found on both cat and dog bodies.
The main symptoms that your pet has this pest on its body are frequent itching and licking of the fur on the body.
In addition, the animal infected with fleas has tapeworm in its stool and needs immediate treatment.
Shoes and cloths
You can have fleas even if you do not have any pets in your house because they can enter your place with your body too. They can also feed on human blood and cause itching and red spots where they bite on your body.
They can enter your bathroom with your shoes and clothes when you come from a grassy place outside your house and go to take a shower or wash your hands.
They cannot stay for more than 24 hours on human bodies and clothes and do not reproduce on humans but use their bodies to enter the house and breed somewhere else, like on pets and wet places.
Attracted to moisture
They love humidity and moisture and can lay eggs in moist places; therefore, it is their favorite place for this pest. High moisture and humidity levels in this place cause a rapid increase in their number.
They can remain in the bathtub, vanity, or shower area because of the damp atmosphere. They lay their eggs in plant pots with moist soil and hide them there until they find a host body to survive.
They can infest the area around the drain holes when you give a bath to your pet and survive in water for 24-25 hours.
Wet towels and water drops around your sink and bathtub area can also play a role in the infestation in this place.
Grow in a warm environment
They can live in an environment that is not exposed to sunlight or artificial light. They prefer to lay eggs on the pet’s skin under fur, which is usually warm, and they can lay thousands of eggs in 11-12 months.
Their infestation can become worse in summer because of the warm and humid environment.
They can find a warm and less cold place to survive in winter by making their way to any indoor place.
An adult flea cannot survive a temperature less than 45-46 ⁰F and more than 94-96 ⁰F. The temperature between these ranges is suitable for them to reproduce and thrive.
Hide in seams and cracks
They resist light and bright places and love to hide in dark areas to thrive for an extended period. An adult flea can survive in sunlight for two to three weeks and reproduce 450-500 eggs.
They hide themselves and their eggs in the seams and cracks between the floor tiles and planks.
Water is standing in the seams, which captivates them and causes the infestation to spread to the other places in the bathroom.
They often hide under the vanity, rugs, mats, and other furniture to find a dark place because they hate bright light. They are one of the common bugs in this place.
How to get rid of fleas in the bathroom?
You can get rid of the annoying fleas when you find the root of their infestation.
However, the problem can get severe with time if you do not find a solution as soon as possible because it harms not only your pet but also your family.
Pet treatment
Firstly, it is better to ensure that your pet does not have fleas on its body, and if it has, take your pet to the vet for proper treatment.
You can give a bath to your pet using water and mild soap with no toxic chemicals that can affect the pet’s skin. You can talk to your vet before giving a bath or using any shampoo or soap on your pet.
Spray the bathtub with a pest control spray after consulting a certified pest control company to avoid an infestation in other areas of your house. I use a flea comb on the pet’s fur that traps the fleas while allowing the hair to pass.
Use a Dehumidifier or vacuum cleaner
Wet and moist places are more likely to get infested by this pest; therefore, keeping your bathroom dry and less humid is better.
In addition, you can use a dehumidifier in this place to remove the excess moisture after a hot shower or bath.
You can also use a vacuum cleaner if you do not have a dehumidifier in your house, as it also works well to remove these pests from any wet place. For example, it can remove fleas and their eggs from carpets, rugs, curtains, and under furniture.
Regular vacuum cleaning can reduce their number and also keep the place dry and clean.
Do not forget to vacuum the corners, seams, cracks, and the areas where your pet sits the most. You can dispose of the residue in a plastic bag and throw it in a less populated place.
Apply homemade solutions
You can sprinkle the salt and baking soda on the infested area and under the furniture to eradicate these pests for approximately 11-12 hours or overnight. A mixture of salt and baking soda will dry out them and their eggs and kill them.
You can use dishwashing soap and water and pour it into a bowl. Place it near the infested area for 24 hours and repeat the procedure for 3 to 4 days.
The thick solution will act as a glue that will trap them and the eggs they lay because of the high viscosity.
It is better to place penny royal, lavender, spearmint, and chrysanthemums plants in this place that will repel the pests due to their sharp scent.
In addition, you can make a homemade herbal spray to remove fleas that use non-toxic materials.
Take 3-4 liters of vinegar, 2-3 liters of water, 240-250 ml of witch hazel, and 490-500 ml of lemon juice in a large spray bottle.
Spray it on the infested areas, carpets, pet bedding, and under the bathroom furniture to remove this pest and the eggs.
Related Articles:
