Where do Fleas live in the House?

Last Updated: January 24, 2024Categories: General tipsTags: 7.1 min read

Unfortunately enough, fleas can find a number of suitable spaces in your home to live. Fleas thrive in dark, warm, moist conditions and you may guess where such areas in your home exist. Moreover, fleas eggs do not have a substance that allows them to stick to the host and they fall off it. Which means they can be dropped anywhere in your home.

Where do fleas live in the house

That’s why, at Handymantips.org we want to help you prepare and spot the pesky creatures in time! Now lets begin,

Where do fleas live in the house - cat

How long do fleas live in a carpet?

Depending on the environment the fleas can remain a long time on your carpet.

The life cycle of a flea begins when an adult flea lays its eggs and they fall from your pet to the carpet. There can be up to 40-50 eggs a day. If the conditions are favorable to them – high and there is humidity they can hatch in about two days. At unfavorable conditions, they may take up to a couple of weeks to hatch.

After they hatch a flea larvae emerges. It is blind and seeks dark places which means that it will try to get even deeper into your carpet (or under old furniture). That’s why, one of the most important cleaning tips the experts have is keep your chores and and home inspections on a regular plan!

Fleas feed on organic matter and debris.

When 5-20 days pass, they will turn into flea pupae, which are wrapped in cocoons. If you fail to spot the infestation on time, you’re situation will only get worse.

The cocoon stage can go on for a very long time and you never know what lives in your carpet. If the conditions are not suitable for an adult flea to emerge, it will remain a cocoon for months or even years.

Unfortunately, cocoons are sticky and will not be removed by sweeping or vacuuming the carpet. An adult flea will be likely to emerge when it senses body heat, vibrations, or high levels of carbon dioxide, which can happen when your pet is near.




Important! Make sure you always clean pet stains off the carpet! If you fail to properly take care of stains, the scent of your pet might attract one and eventually more fleas…

Where do fleas live in the house - grass

Where do fleas live outside?

Fleas’ ideal living conditions are in a humid, moist and dark place where they can feed on organic material or blood from mammals.

They can be founded in tall grass, in shrubs, weeds, wood piles, debris, a dog’s house, a shed or a garage, outdoors furniture, and any other moist areas.

Overall, the places your pets visit the most in your yard are the places where you should check, clean on a regular basis and treat for fleas. Check your outdoor seating, such as the cushions of sofas and lounge chairs, inspect the rugs and even your patio swings.

And if you take your dog or cat outside walking, inspect them for fleas and other pests before coming inside the house.

Can fleas live in the garden?

As long as there are dark and moist places in your garden, they will live there.

Especially if your pets visit said places often. Fleas do not live in warm and sunny places so you can rule such places out. When searching for fleas in your garden, go to the places your pet goes to the most, and wear white knee-high socks. If there are adult fleas or a flea infestation you will easily see them on your white socks.

Then you should check the shady damp places such as the patio, garage, furniture, dog house, even trees, underneath your porch. Although, there are other places where your pets love to sleep or lay down, these are the least you should inspect.

Keep in mind that the larvae are not able to survive in areas with a lot of water. So, as a precaution, you can occasionally flood your grass, and if there are any flea larvae they will not survive it, thus keeping the fleas population in your yard more under control.

But beware! If might accidentally set the grounds for hidden water damage!

Where do fleas live in the house - dog

Can fleas live on humans?

The common dog or cat fleas that are torturing your pets prefer to be hiding in furry hosts!

The fleas bodies are built to easily navigate and hold on to fur, and our hairless bodies make it hard for them to stick on. Although, if there is a flea infestation in your home or, you can be sure that you will get bitten by fleas as well. Pet owners often neglect the need of adequate care after buying a quality dog bed, for if no treated against fleas on a regular basis, the amazing gift you bought for you dog might become the layer of a colony.

They may not live on you as a host for days but you will also become a source of blood for them for sure. Mostly you will feel their bits around the lower parts of your legs and ankles. And if you are allergic to them you will have an awful time because their bites can become very itchy.

So fleas are indeed a treat for humans, especially for those suffering from allergies!

Types of fleas and their preferred hosts:

All of the different species of fleas have certain preferred hosts.

  • Human fleas rather feed on humans and pigs, but they are not common for the developed countries, and are usually found in the wildlife or rarely in farms.
  • Rat fleas feed on Norway and roof rats, and can only infest a building if there are these types of rats present. This type of fleas can transmit organisms that cause diseases to people.
  • Hen fleas prefer birds. Usually found on farms, they stick to the host, and can be seen around the comb, wattle or eyes of the hens or other birds. They can bite people as well if they are constantly present around the birds.
  • Chigoe fleas they will not live on your skin, but can burrow into it or into people’s feet where they cause many health issues. Some include swelling and itching, but also skin ulcers or loss of toenails. But these fleas only inhabit subtropics and tropics, including Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America.

“The common cat and dog fleas are the ones that can infest your home and feed on humans as well. Unfortunately, the species seems to have adapted surprisingly good, and if you fail to contain it, an infestation might spread throughout your entire home, and at worst, nearby apartments and houses too.” Aaron Stark, the pet lover from Obey my cat.

Do fleas die in winter?

Fleas can live up to a week without a host, but that is only in a pleasant environment to them. It is not how things happen winter time, though.

Fleas are not as active during the cold months but can survive them if they live on a host that keeps them warm. Generally, adult fleas will die at 8°C or less, and for immature fleas, the limit is below 13°C. They will die in less than five days at -1°C (low-end extreme).


How long does it take for fleas to starve?

Adult fleas cannot live too long without a host but fleas that haven’t fed on blood yet can last longer. For adult fleas that have fed on blood the time is around four days to a week. Fleas still inside their cocoons can enter a dormant state and survive for more than 150 days.

“The places where they can hide and survive are your carpet, upholstered furniture, bed, other cracks. Pupae and larvae are the next stages of the eggs and they hide in your home as well. They feed on the faeces of adult fleas and can survive until they find a mammal to feed on.” says George Howard, a professional exterminator at 247 Pest Control, London.

Conclusion and takeaways:

Fleas are indeed a pesky critter and once infested, getting rid can bee a hefty and often expensive task. That’s why at Handymantips.org, we advise you to take precautions and regularly inspect your pets and furnishing at risk for the signs of pest infestations.



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  1. Alice July 30, 2020 at 5:18 pm

    This article is great, but needs basic editing. With all the errors it looks pretty unprofessional.