How to Make a DIY Flea Trap in 3 Ways With Household Ingredients

If you’re looking for natural ways to kill fleas, you’ve come to the right place. These small but mighty insects can become a nuisance and potentially spread harmful diseases if not treated properly. Make a DIY flea trap from household ingredients to rid your home of these itchy pests. 

Why Does My House Have Fleas?

Fleas find their way into many homes for a number of reasons, and it’s often not your fault. 

Here are the main ways fleas get into your house: 

• On pets and stray animals

• From wildlife, like raccoons and squirrels, that come to your yard

• Humans who have been in infested environments

• Through cracks in the floor and holes in your window screens

• Gaps around your doors and windows

• On used furniture, clothing, and linens

Different things can attract fleas to your home, including an overgrown lawn, clutter, warmth, and light. 

How to Identify Fleas

Look for signs of fleas if you suspect them on your pet or in your home. Catching them earlier rather than later can save a lot of strife and expense. 

Here are some defining features of fleas and signs that they may be in your home:

• Tiny (1/8-inch long) oval, reddish-brown or black bugs

• Flat bodies

• Wingless bugs with six legs, including large hind legs for jumping

• Itching and irritation in your pets, you, or your family members

• Small, dark specks that resemble pepper (flea feces) on carpet, bedding, and pet areas

• Pale gums in your pets

Use a flea comb with fine teeth to look through your pet’s fur, or walk around your home with white socks to spot fleas that jump on you. If you don’t have pets but are still dealing with tiny pests, you might actually have bed bugs.

How to Make a Flea Trap

You can make three types of DIY flea traps with household ingredients, including dish soap, corn syrup, or double-sided tape. Set up traps in areas where you’ve spotted fleas, such as near where your pet sleeps or spends the most time. Fleas hide in spaces like pet beds, pet bowls, near linens, upholstered furniture, or carpeting. 

Dish Soap and Water

The best homemade flea trap is a mixture of dish soap and water in a shallow dish. The soap makes the bugs sink to the bottom. Lay a towel under your trap, and place the trap in an area where you’ve noticed fleas.

1. Pour water into a shallow dish.

2. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of liquid dish soap and mix it in with a spoon. 

3. Consider adding Alka-Seltzer to make the trap even more effective. 

4. Add a nearby light source, such as a desk lamp, and leave all other lights off.

5. Leave the trap overnight (the rest of the room should be dark except your light). Make sure no pets or children are in the space—electricity and water pose a significant safety risk should the trap or light get bumped.

6. Pour out the mixture and reset for the following night. 

Corn Syrup

Fleas stick to the corn syrup as they jump toward the light in this DIY trap. Make the trap in a shallow dish, such as a pie plate or cookie sheet with edges. 

1. Mix equal parts corn syrup and water and bring it to a boil in a pot. 

2. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool completely. 

3. Pour the mixture into a shallow dish.  

4. Turn on a desk lamp above the flea trap and leave all other lights off.

5. Let the trap sit overnight. Make sure no pets or children are in the space.

6. Clear the trap in the morning and reset it for the next night. 

Sticky Pad

Create a sticky pad with a light to attract the fleas and catch them when they jump.

1. Cover a piece of cardboard with double-sided tape.

2. Turn on a desk lamp near the trap, but leave all other lights off.

3. Leave the trap to sit overnight. 

4. Refresh the trap when it gets too full of fleas.

Risks of Not Addressing Fleas

The life cycle of a flea is long, up to 100 days. If you don’t get rid of fleas as soon as you notice them, you risk further infestation and complications for you, your home, and your pets. 

Here are the main risks of not addressing fleas: 

• Harder to eliminate, especially if they’ve laid eggs

• Severe skin issues and itching for you and your pet

• Constant scratching and skin breaking, increasing the risk of impetigo and cellulitis 

• Pet hair loss

• Allergic reactions, such as hives or rashes

• Disease transmission, such as flea-borne typhus and bartonellosis

• Anemia in pets due to significant blood loss 

• Financial strain

• Psychological stress

• Full home infestation in bedding, furniture, and carpets

Flea Prevention Tips

Here are the best ways to prevent fleas: 

• Regularly check your dogs or cats for fleas.

• Bathe your pets weekly to keep fleas at bay. 

• Vacuum and sweep your home regularly. 

• Clean window sills, vents, and gaps in your windows and doors. 

• Deep clean your pet’s favorite areas and their bedding. 

• Clean furniture regularly with wood or upholstery cleaner.

• Regularly wash sheets and bedding on a hot setting.

• Sprinkle baking soda near the base of your furniture. 

• Keep your yard well-maintained and remove clutter, debris, and lawn waste.

• Limit contact with stray animals and wildlife.

• Clean floors and baseboards regularly.

• Consult your veterinarian about using flea collars or topical treatments.

DIY vs. Hiring a Pro for Getting Rid of Fleas

A DIY flea trap can cost next to nothing if you have the tools and materials on hand. If you have to purchase a few items for the trap, you likely won’t have to spend more than $20 total. 

This DIY cost is a far cry from flea exterminator costs, which can range from $75 to $400. However, a flea trap is best used for a small problem and not a major infestation, which would require the help of your local pest control specialist.