Flea Control Products

Some flea sprays kill adult fleas on contact; others leave a residual deposit that keeps working on treated surfaces for a period afterwards. Many also contain an IGR (insect growth regulator), which disrupts development so eggs and larvae do not reach adulthood. Powders work by physical action in the gaps a spray runs off - skirting joints, floorboard cracks and under furniture. Read our guide to knockdown, residual and IGR treatments if you are unsure which you need.

Spray for the large soft surfaces where eggs and larvae sit: carpet, rugs, upholstery and pet bedding. Powder for the narrow gaps a spray cannot coat, and where you want something that stays put. A heat and light flea trap for catching adults and showing whether numbers are falling. Most infestations need a spray plus something for the gaps; a trap on its own will not clear one.

Follow the manufacturer's instructions on each product. Keep pets and children out of treated rooms until surfaces are completely dry, ventilate where the label says to, and do not treat food preparation areas. If you have a cat, check the label before using anything intended for dogs - some ingredients, permethrin among them, are dangerous to cats. Pesticide-free sprays and powders are an option where you would rather not use an insecticide indoors.

Two to four weeks is typical. Sprays act on the fleas present at the time, but eggs and pupae keep hatching afterwards, so it takes repeated treatment across that window to break the cycle rather than one thorough application.

Yes, and it is commoner than people expect. Fleas arrive with previous occupants, visiting animals, wildlife using the garden, or through shared hallways in a block of flats, and eggs can lie dormant for months until warmth and vibration bring them out. The treatment is the same: hot-wash soft furnishings at 60C or above, vacuum daily, treat the harbourages, and monitor for two to three weeks.

Two different problems. If you are being bitten but treated rooms look clear, the likely cause is an untreated pet or a missed area - fleas concentrate wherever the animal rests, including a car, a shed or a spare room nobody uses. If bites returned a week or two after a treatment that seemed to work, that is the pupal stage hatching: pupae are sealed in a cocoon that treatments do not penetrate, and vacuuming triggers them. Repeat as the label allows and keep vacuuming daily.

Keep every pet on a veterinary flea treatment year-round, vacuum carpets and upholstery regularly and empty the cylinder or bag straight into an outside bin, and wash pet bedding at 60C or above. Fleas almost always arrive on an animal - a cat that goes out, a visiting dog, or a fox or squirrel using the garden - so that is where prevention has to happen. Our guide to stopping fleas quickly covers the rest.

Two to three weeks with no bites and nothing showing on a flea trap or on a comb through the pet's coat. If the problem is building-wide in a block of flats, or numbers are not falling after two to three weeks of consistent treatment, that is the point to call a professional.