How to Get Rid of Fleas in Your Bed: 4 Methods to Try

It’s not a fun process, but learning how to get rid of fleas in your bed can help eliminate the problem quickly. There are many eradication methods, including cleaning bedding and mattresses, applying flea treatments to pets, using an insect growth regulator, and hiring an exterminator. Here’s how to get rid of fleas in your bed using one of four foolproof methods.

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Why Do I Have Fleas in My Bed?

While fleas aren’t normally found in bedding, there are a few reasons why you might find a flea hiding there. If a household pet sleeps in your bed, any fleas found on your furry friend can travel to your comforter. In addition to pets, fleas can also appear in your bed if you’ve been in flea-infested areas or through handed-down bedding items. Since adult fleas mate and reproduce quickly, flea eggs can also end up in your bed and lead to a full-blown infestation. 

How Much Does It Cost to Get Rid of Fleas?

Hiring a flea exterminator costs an average of $270 per treatment, which may include vacuuming, spraying insecticides, flea bombs, steam-cleaning, and fumigating the property. The pest control service may need to come back for follow-up treatments about one month later if you’re still finding fleas, which can be common for large infestations. However, hiring a professional flea exterminator near you ensures that the fleas are gone quickly, efficiently, and safely.

How to Get Rid of Fleas in Your Bed

No one wants to find fleas in their bed, but fortunately, you can get rid of them by acting quickly. You’ll need to use at least one of the following methods for flea removal, but you’ll have better luck combining methods to ensure you get rid of those fleas for good. If you have fleas in your carpet, you’ll follow similar steps.

1. Clean the Bedding and Mattress

First, you need to strip the bed and start killing off the adult fleas and their larva. Fleas like some warmth, but they won’t survive at temperatures above 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius). Many methods of cleaning your bed and mattress will require some heat to kill off the fleas.

1. Wash the Sheets and Bedding

First, you’ll need to toss all of the machine-washable sheets and bedding into the washer and wash them on a hot setting. Make sure to dry bedding at high heat, too. To fully eradicate the problem, you’ll need to repeat this laundry process every day for at least two to three days.

2. Steam the Mattress

With the bed linens in the laundry, you can start cleaning the mattress where the fleas are hiding out. Start by vacuuming the mattress to eliminate as many fleas and larva as possible. Then, you can run a steam cleaner over the mattress to kill any remaining pests. 

Be careful with the steamer to avoid burning yourself. You may also want to test the steamer in an inconspicuous area first to ensure it won’t damage the mattress, headboard, or bed frame.

3. Treat the Mattress

If steaming hasn’t given you enough peace of mind or you still see fleas, you can also use a homemade spray to treat the mattress. Combine equal parts water and white vinegar in a spray bottle, then spray the mattress. Then, pour salt around the mattress, and let it sit overnight. Vacuum the mattress thoroughly.

2. Apply Flea Treatments

You can use treatments, like insecticides or flea powder, to get rid of fleas in your bed. You’ll also need to treat the source of the fleas by using flea medications for your pet with your vet’s guidance.

1. Apply Flea Powder

You can find flea powder at pet stores, home improvement stores, and online retailers. You’ll need to follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the label, but this is typically used to treat fleas in the carpet. Many flea powders are made entirely from diatomaceous earth, which is non-toxic. However, some products contain toxic ingredients, so you’ll want to keep pets and kids away from the area during the treatment.

2. Use Insecticides

While you may not want to use insecticides directly in your bed, you can use commercial sprays to help control fleas in the floors of your home. Follow the label instructions carefully, and heed any warnings about keeping pets and humans away from the treated area. 

3. Treat Fleas on Your Pet

Fleas aren’t just annoying to you; they can also be uncomfortable and even dangerous for your pets. Fleas can carry other parasites and bacteria that harm dogs and cats. If your pet has fleas, make sure to talk to the vet to get a treatment that will work for your furry friend. Getting rid of fleas on your pet can also help get these pests out of your home.

3. Use an Insect Growth Regulator

Insect growth regulators (IGR) may sound intimidating, but this flea-eradication method has been used since the 1970s. IGRs are spray solutions applied to infected areas. This treatment option stops flea development when sprayed on flea larvae. Since the larvae don’t develop, they die quickly, and then you can clean them off your bedding and mattress.

You can order IGRs online or purchase at big-box hardware stores. You can also purchase them through pest control companies. They come in spray and tablet form. The tablets are usually in a bait container where the larvae will collect. 

4. Hire an Exterminator

Hiring a flea control specialist near you is the best way to control a flea infestation, especially when fleas have made their way into your bed. The professional exterminators will typically use a topical treatment to kill fleas, but they may also use steam cleaning or fumigation. Since flea eggs and pupae are hard to treat, you’ll probably need to talk to the exterminator about follow-up treatments to get rid of the fleas for good. Hiring a flea exterminator costs between $75 to $400 per treatment, depending on the size of the infestation.

How to Prevent Fleas

Once you’ve eradicated the fleas in your bed, you’ll want to take some precautions to keep them from coming back.

1. Wash Bedding Regularly

You should already wash your bedding about once per week to clean away dead skin cells, hair, fur, dust mites, and other allergens. But washing your bedding in hot water and drying it on high heat can help kill off even a lone critter or two that make it into your bed from your pet’s skin.

2. Treat Your Pet

You should consult your vet about a preventative flea routine that is safe and effective for your pets. You may be able to try flea collars, topical ointments, shampoos, or even pills that can kill and prevent fleas. But even for options you can buy at the pet store, discuss treatments with the vet to keep your pet safe.

3. Stick to a Mowing Schedule

Fleas tend to hide out in taller grasses, so keeping your grass to the right height can make your lawn less enticing to these pests. The ideal grass height will depend on the type of grass in your lawn, but typically, it should be about two to three inches tall. This schedule could mean mowing once a week or once every few weeks, depending on how quickly the grass grows.

Once you find the right mowing schedule for your grass type, stick to it to keep fleas away. If you’ll be out of town for long periods of time, consider hiring someone to help out with the lawn, or you could come back to tall grass and a flea problem.

4. Try Natural Remedies

Some plants, including lavender, mint, eucalyptus, and catnip, and essential oils, such as citronella and peppermint, are known to naturally repel fleas. Be sure to keep these plants out of reach of pets, as some of them can be toxic to dogs and cats. As for essential oils, it’s best to use them if you have a flea problem but don’t have pets. Essential oils, applied to the skin or inhaled, can be incredibly dangerous to pets.

5. Vacuum Frequently

Vacuuming picks up particles that are hard to get using only a broom. It can pick up fleas and their larvae that linger on carpets and furniture. Also, make sure you vacuum into the corners and crevices where mites and bugs like to nest. 

DIY vs. Hiring a Professional Exterminator

If you only notice a flea or two, you can likely treat your pet, clean the bedding, and breathe a sigh of relief. But if you find fleas in your bed, the problem is likely widespread. You could spend hundreds of dollars on treating your pet and trying to control the fleas in your home.

Instead, your money is better spent hiring a professional exterminator. Fleas can live several months and reproduce fast, so even a few fleas brought home from the dog park can quickly take over your home. Professional treatments cost $75 to $400 each and can more effectively control a flea problem than DIY methods alone.

Signs of Fleas in the Bed

Before you take steps to get rid of fleas in the bed, you may want to ensure that you identified the pest correctly. After all, waking up with itchy bug bites could indicate a number of different issues. Here are some common signs that you have fleas in your bed:

• Itchy skin: You and your pet may be scratching your itchy skin as a result of flea bites.

• Flea bites: Flea bites appear on your skin as raised red bumps either in lines or clusters.

• Visible fleas: You’ll likely see or even feel the fleas crawling around in your bed.

• Flea feces: You may see tiny black specks, flea poop, on your sheets.