Why Flea Bombs Don’t Work?

Many people struggle with flea infestation and resort to various means to solve the problem.

Flea bombs are examples of such to solve this problem.

Flea bombs are containers that release insecticides into a room as gas. Most people prefer to use flea bombs because it is a fast and easy way to exterminate fleas.

However, you cannot consider flea bombs as a long-term solution to a flea infestation.

Although using flea bombs is a quick way to get rid of fleas, it does not go to the root of the problem.

Hence, you may find that even after using flea bombs, you still find fleas in the corners of your house.

It is essential to understand why flea bombs don’t work and what other means can eradicate these fleas from your home.

This article will discuss the various reasons why flea bombs are not always efficient in killing fleas. It would also answer FAQs regarding why the flea bombs do not work and are not the best way to eliminate fleas. Keep reading to find out the reasons.

5 Reasons Flea Bombs Don’t Work

Homeowners employ various mechanisms to remove fleas from their homes.

The Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) recommends using a powerful vacuum, steam cleaner, or flea bomb or washing all bedding.

Using flea bombs is attractive to homeowners because it is an easy and fast way to kill fleas. However, it is not the most efficient method to eliminate fleas for various reasons.

About 70% of homeowners who use flea bombs do not observe any form of reduction after using the bombs, and sometimes, the fleas seemingly increase their number after the bombing.

1. Flea Bombs Have Alarms

Flea bombs are canisters containing pesticides that they release into a room as aerosols. They are similar to roach bombs and are also called foggers.

To activate a flea bomb, press the button and leave the canister containing the pesticide in the middle of the room.

The pesticides take about two hours to circulate in the room and kill the fleas.

A demerit of these flea bombs is that when they are diffusing the pesticides in the room, they usually make an alarm, which alerts the fleas.

The bombs generally kill the fleas on the room’s surface but alert the other fleas hanging around.

These fleas sense the bombs and go into further hiding, making it more difficult for the homeowner to get rid of them.

2. They Do Not Adequately Cover the Room

When using a flea bomb in a room, the container is usually placed in the middle. The method of disseminating pesticide by the flea bomb is called complete release foggers, a straightforward means.

When you push the button that releases the aerosols into the room, the components of the flea bomb land on the other side of the room.

Also, the fog cannot thoroughly circulate in the entire room because the bombs are usually placed on one side of the room, and they are not strong enough to get to the infested corners.

The pesticide fog usually sticks to surfaces where it lands and never goes farther than that.

Rather than killing the fleas, the pesticide contaminates the room’s surfaces and causes more harm to the homeowners.

3. They Do Not Kill Flea Eggs

Fleas are generally known for producing a lot of eggs. A female adult flea can lay up to 2,000 eggs in her lifespan, which can be up to 100 days. These eggs take two to three weeks to evolve into adult fleas.

If you have an infestation of fleas in your home, then you can be sure that flea eggs, larvae, and cocoons are also present in your home.

Unfortunately, flea bombs cannot kill flea eggs because their gaseous sprays cannot penetrate the cocoons where the eggs stay before they mature into adult fleas.

Hence, if you apply the flea bombs in your home, you will only kill adult fleas. You should be ready to deal with newly matured fleas two to three weeks later.

4. They Cannot Penetrate Fabric

Fleas are notable for being good at hiding in places you least expect.

Aside from this, they also lay their eggs in hidden places you may overlook if you do not pay close attention.

You might find fleas or their eggs in the tiny cracks of your furniture, the fur of your pet, under your carpet, or inside your garden.

This poses a problem to people who use flea bombs to terminate fleas because the insecticides in these bombs cannot penetrate surfaces and fabrics.

Thus, flea bombs can’t kill most of the fleas in your home because they are not usually on the room’s surface.

5. Fleas Are Difficult To Exterminate

Another reason flea bombs do not work is that fleas are extremely difficult to eradicate due to their special nature.

Fleas possess certain features that make them difficult to kill. One feature is their complex life cycle which spans from eggs to larvae to pupae to adults.

To get rid of them completely, you have to tackle them at every stage.

Their ability to lay many eggs is also a contributing factor, as an adult female flea can lay up to 40 eggs per day.

Also, fleas have the ability to jump very high, up to 100 times above their heights; hence, making it difficult to pin them down and kill them.

Furthermore, fleas can survive on very little food, making them live longer.

Conclusion

Fleas are common pests in the home, and getting rid of them as quickly as possible is necessary.

As a homeowner, you might be tempted to use flea bombs because they are easy to use, but you might just be causing more problems because they are ineffective.

Some of the reasons why they don’t work are: the flea bombs have alarms that alert the fleas, the insecticides in the flea bombs do not circulate in the rooms thoroughly, the insecticides cannot penetrate surfaces and fabrics, flea bombs cannot kill fleas eggs, and fleas are generally difficult to kill.