A common question from those dealing with flea infestations is, “How long can fleas live without pets?” This is exactly what we’ll explore in today’s blog post. The answer is somewhat nuanced, which requires an understanding of the flea’s lifecycle. Let’s jump into the world of fleas.
The Nuance
Fleas are often thought of as tiny brown insects that jump and bite, but this is only part of the story. Fleas have four key stages in their lifecycle, and only in the adult stage do they bite and jump.
This is important because the stage of the flea’s lifecycle affects how long it can survive without a host, such as a pet.
Before discussing the lifecycle, let’s first address how long adult fleas can live without a pet.
How Long Can Adult Fleas Live Without a Pet?
Adult fleas can survive up to two weeks without feeding. However, they don’t necessarily need a pet to survive—they can feed on humans or other mammals like rodents.
Fleas are commonly associated with pets because they thrive in animal fur, an ideal environment for hiding, feeding, and laying eggs.
In the absence of pets, fleas may live in carpets or fabrics, attempting to feed on nearby humans. However, fleas don’t live on humans because we typically don’t have enough body hair. They prefer the dense fur of long-haired animals, which provides a better environment for survival.
How Long Can Fleas Live Without Any Food?
If you’re trying to eliminate fleas by starving them, it’s important to consider the entire flea lifecycle from egg to adult. The life cycle of a flea starts as an egg. So when we ask how long it will take for a flea to die, we might look at the longest possible timeframe as a worst case scenario. As such we’ll hypothesise that the fleas are eggs, and we want to know how long will it take for all the fleas to die off completely?
To answer that, we need to examine the flea lifecycle.
| Flea Lifecycle Stage | Duration without blood meal | Food |
| Egg | 1 – 6 days | N/A |
| Larvae | 5 – 11 days | Dirt and flea faeces |
| Pupae | 7-14 days OR may go dormant for up to a year | N/A |
| Adult | 7 – 14 days |
Based on the table above, you can see that during the pupae stage, the flea can go dormant for up to a year.
If we add that year of dormancy to the upper limit of the fleas other life stages, we get a year and a month (13 months).
This means that a freshly laid flea egg might not die of starvation for up to 13 months if no blood meal (animals or people) was available.
Why do fleas go dormant?
Flea pupae can enter a dormant state, known as pupal diapause, in response to unfavourable environmental conditions. This allows them to survive without emerging as adult fleas until they are confident that there is suitable host nearby.
Once they emerge as adults, fleas will want feed immediately.
This adaptation makes it more challenging to eliminate flea infestations, as the pupae can remain hidden in the dormant state for extended periods.
So, in a situation where there were no pets or people for the flea to chow down on, it would trigger dormancy.
Getting rid of fleas
The best way to get rid of fleas is not by starving them, as this it’ll take too long. Instead, you would need combative action.
1. Treat Your Pets
- Use flea treatments: Apply a veterinarian-approved flea treatment on your pets, such as topical flea drops, oral medications, or flea collars. As your vet for product recommendations.
- Flea shampoo: Bath your pets using flea shampoo to kill any fleas on their fur.
- Flea comb: Use a flea comb to remove fleas from your pet’s fur, especially around the neck and tail.
2. Clean Your Home
- Vacuum thoroughly: Vacuum all carpets, rugs, upholstered furniture, pet bedding, and cracks in the floors thoroughly and regularly. Flea eggs and larvae can hide in these areas. Dispose of the vacuum bag or empty the vacuum cleaner immediately into a bag outdoors.
- Wash bedding: Wash all pet bedding, as well as your own bedding, in hot water above 50° C to kill any fleas or eggs.
- Steam clean: If possible, steam clean carpets and upholstery. The heat will kill fleas in all stages of life.
3. Use Flea Control Products in Your Home
- Insecticides: Use flea sprays. These can be applied to carpets, furniture, and pet bedding. Be sure to choose sprays that actually work, by reading customer reviews. Always follow the safety and usage instructions carefully when using any chemicals
- Diatomaceous earth: This natural powder can be sprinkled around your home to dehydrate and kill fleas. Be sure to use food-grade diatomaceous earth and vacuum after a few days.
- Salt or baking soda: These can be sprinkled on carpets and vacuumed after 24-48 hours to dehydrate flea eggs and larvae.
4. Treat Your Garden
- Flea control for the lawn: If you have a yard, use a flea spray designed for outdoor use or beneficial nematodes, which are microscopic organisms that feed on flea larvae.
- Keep grass short: Regularly mow your lawn and remove leaves or other debris where fleas may breed.
5. Prevent Reinfestation
- Regular pet treatments: Continue using flea treatments on your pets, especially during warmer months.
- Clean your home: Maintain regular vacuuming, especially where your pets spend time.
- Check pets frequently: Keep an eye on your pets for signs of fleas, especially if they spend time outdoors.
- Rodents: Resolve any rodent problems you might have in the property since rodents can be carriers of fleas.
Flea solutions for businesses
Fleas can cause significant disruptions for businesses, especially in industries like hospitality, retail, or care homes, where customer safety and comfort are paramount. A flea infestation can lead to reputational damage, unhappy clients, and even potential health concerns. For businesses seeking fast, discreet, and highly effective solutions, Merlin Environmental offers a trusted flea pest control service. With a 98% success rate on first-time treatments, nationwide coverage, and non-toxic methods, Merlin is well-equipped to resolve flea infestations while protecting your business’s image. Contact Merlin Environmental to ensure your flea problem is quickly and effectively eradicated.
