How to Get Rid of Fleas In Garage
No matter the species of insect or animal, dealing with an infestation is no easy task. Each infestation is different and will require a slightly different treatment method. It can easily be stressful and overwhelming– not to mention expensive if you have to call in a professional!
When it comes to a flea infestation, there are a few different things that you will need to consider in order to properly deal with the pests and ensure that the infestation does not simply crop right back up! Read on to learn more about how to get fleas out of your garage and how to make sure that they stay out, too.
Find the Host
First things first, you will need to find the host! This means that you will need to find the host animal that the fleas entered the garage on. Typically, fleas do not just enter a garage on their own.
The host is likely a household pet, but can also be another pest in the garage such as a mouse or rat. You will want to permanently remove the pest, and if the host is one of your household pets, you will want to treat it and remove the flea infestation from it first. That way, it will not introduce more fleas or eggs to the garage.
Consult your veterinarian about how best to proceed with your pet and to treat it for fleas.
Also Read – How to get Rid of Spiders in Your Garage
Use Commercial Sprays
One of the ways that you can get rid of fleas in your garage is to make good use of commercial sprays! Most of these come in aerosol cans and can be found anywhere from online to your local hardware store.
These work to kill the fleas on contact and can kill their eggs, too, before they have the chance to spread and make the size of the infestation worse. Sprays are an ideal choice for garage spaces, but not necessarily so for indoor living spaces– like your bedroom or living room– so make your choice with caution! Be sure that you are following the directions on the can and are using these sprays safely.
They can often be toxic for people as well, so keep your mouth and nose covered and be careful when spraying.
Use Diatomaceous Dirt
Diatomaceous dirt is not just regular old earth! It is actually a naturally occurring sediment rock, which can be easily crumbled into a fine white powder. It is made from fossilized diatoms– these are aquatic organisms whose skeletons are made from silica. That being said, it has an unusual list of things that it can be put to use to treat.
One of these is a flea infestation! You will want to sprinkle the diatomaceous earth over the surface of your garage floor and anywhere else you have noticed fleas. Once it comes in contact with the flea, it will pierce the exoskeleton and dehydrate it, which will kill it. If you are in a pinch, you can also use table salt, which will do the same thing!
Use Cedar
Cedar is a naturally occurring flea repellant, so this is something you can utilize, too. You can do this in the form of cedar chips or cedar fragrance oils. If you are using oils, you can mix them with water to create a spray, or can also soak cotton balls directly in the oil instead.
Whether you use a spray, cotton balls, or cedar chips, you will want to concentrate the scent in corners or other areas where you have noticed the fleas. You can place the cedar chip or cotton balls around the perimeter of the garage, too. This is more of a preventative measure, as you will still want to kill the fleas with other methods, too.
Further Reading – Do Sound Proof Curtains actually work in your Garage?
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you kill fleas on concrete?
You can’t get rid of fleas that are on your concrete floor in the same way that you can get rid of fleas that are on your cat or dog! If you have fleas in your garage, you should get diatomaceous earth, or table salt, and then sprinkle it liberally over your concrete floor. Be sure to also get it in any of the cracks in the concrete.
These work because they are able to pierce the flea’s exoskeleton, which then causes it to dehydrate and die.
Why does my garage have fleas?
Fleas likely got into your garage by entering on an infested host. Typically, fleas do not enter a space without the help of a host first. A host could be another pest, such as a mouse or rat, or could also be a household pet.
The host is likely spending time in higher elevated areas of the garage and then dropping the flea eggs from these heights, causing the fleas to hatch and begin infesting your garage, too.
What kills fleas instantly?
There are a few different methods that can kill fleas fairly instantly. Some of these only apply to fleas on a host, like the Capstar oral tablet that will kill the fleas on your dog or cat. This deals with the fleas that are infesting the host, but not the fleas in your garage.
To kill the fleas in your garage, you can use table salt or diatomaceous earth to dehydrate them, which will kill them quicker. You can also use certain commercial aerosol sprays, which are fairly easy to get at hardware stores or even online if you are in a pinch.
Can fleas live in a cold garage?
While fleas do not do well in cold temperatures, a cold garage will not kill them overnight. Therefore, you cannot simply turn down the heat and hope to kill the flea infestation that way. It can take anywhere from 5-10 days of temperatures below freezing to kill fleas, as well as their offspring.
Instead, opt for more foolproof methods to deal with fleas, such as aerosol sprays, table salt or diatomaceous dirt, or even an exterminator if nothing else seems to be working.
