Flea traps may seem like a winner in your battle against fleas, particularly if you are wary of using chemicals on your pet.  Even better, not only are flea traps non-toxic, but they are cheap too.  The question is, do they work?

This post is about:

• How flea traps work
• Whether flea traps are an effective means of getting rid of fleas 

Flea Traps are Super Simple

Flea traps are very simple devices.  The trap usually consists of a sticky mat or disc , above which is a small electric light bulb.  The idea is that the light bulb gives off heat which attracts the fleas; they mistake it for an animal’s body heat.  Once the fleas hop over to the light they become trapped on the mat, which has become sticky due to the heat from the light.

Commercial flea traps have some form of guard or grate around them so that although the fleas can jump through, your pets or children cannot touch the sticky mat.

The Benefits of Flea Traps

There are a few benefits offered by flea traps:

• They are cheap.
• They are non-toxic.
• They can show up a flea infestation before you manage to detect it on your pet, so they are a good early warning system.

Homemade Flea Traps

Despite the fact that flea traps are easy to find and cheap to buy, some people prefer to make their own.  The usual method is to place a shallow dish of soapy water beneath the beam of a reading lamp.  My view?  Electricity and water don’t mix – don’t try this, particularly if a pet or child may knock over the lamp.

Can Flea Traps Get Rid of Fleas?

A flea trap is definitely effective in catching the adult fleas that are in its vicinity.  But it will only catch adult fleas, and it will only be a small proportion of the fleas in your home. Flea traps are completely ineffective against the immature stages of the flea life cycle, so you would need to use a second method of flea control to deal with them.

Read more about the flea life cycle - it’s essential to understand it if you are to effectively eradicate the fleas from your home.

In addition, the flea trap will only attract fleas that are near to it.  Most fleas will be attracted to the walking heat source that they are designed to find:  your pet.  So, unless you have wall to wall flea traps, they won’t compete with your pet’s warmth, carbon dioxide output and motion.

All this makes it sound like flea traps are a waste of time and money.  However, although they won’t rid your home of a flea infestation, they can serve as your early warning system that a flea problem is imminent.  This is particularly useful if you are not a fan of a regular spot-on or oral flea treatment, for instance if you rely on natural flea repellents.  The flea trap is ideal as your back up plan.

If you place traps near your pet’s bedding area and check it frequently, you will immediately see if there are fleas present, perhaps even before your pet has begun to scratch.  Once you know there is a problem, you should take immediate action to deal with the problem.

If you do detect fleas, you should always treat your home and your pet promptly.  The quicker you act to get rid of the fleas, the less they will breed and the sooner they will be gone.  Spot-on and oral treatments can be very effective, when combined with a thorough regime of vacuum cleaning your home.

Summary:

• Flea traps are cheap, simple and easy to use.
• Flea traps can be useful in detecting a flea infestation.
• Although flea traps will kill a small proportion of any adult fleas in your home, they are insufficient protection against a flea infestation.