Fleas are small, fast and stubborn. The few you see on a dog or cat are only a fraction of the problem: most of the population is eggs, larvae and pupae hidden in carpets, bedding and the shady soil of your garden. That is why a flea bomb or one wash of the pet bed rarely works. Send one request with your pets, floor area and what you have seen, and registered pest controllers in your area quote you directly. It is free and there is no obligation.
Why fleas keep coming back
An adult flea lives on the animal and lays up to fifty eggs a day. The eggs drop off into the places where your pet rests. They hatch into larvae that feed on flea dirt and hide deep in carpet fibre, then spin a cocoon. The pupa is the problem: it is sealed in a sticky, dust-coated case that sprays barely touch, and it can wait for weeks until it feels vibration, warmth or carbon dioxide from a passing animal or person.
This is why people see a fresh wave of fleas a fortnight after a treatment. It is not that the treatment failed. The pupae that were protected have simply hatched. A good plan expects this and includes a second visit.
What a flea treatment involves
The technician treats where the life cycle happens, not only where you saw the flea. Expect the following:
- Vacuuming first, then discarding or sealing the bag, because vibration makes pupae hatch and the spray can then reach the adults.
- A residual spray with an adulticide such as deltamethrin or cypermethrin, plus an insect growth regulator such as pyriproxyfen that stops larvae developing.
- Carpets, rug edges, skirting boards, under furniture, pet beds and car seats if the dog travels.
- The garden: shaded soil under trees, the stoep, kennels and the dry, sandy spots where the dog lies.
Wash pet bedding and soft toys at 60 °C, and keep people and pets out until surfaces are dry, usually two to four hours.
Treat the pets at the same time
The animals are the flea's transport and food, so they must be treated on the same day or the house is reinfested within days. Ask your vet for a tablet or spot-on product matched to the animal's weight. Never use a dog product on a cat, because some active ingredients are toxic to cats. Pest controllers do not treat the animals themselves.
Tell the controller about every pet, including rabbits and birds, so products and re-entry times suit them. If the pets are indoors only and you still have fleas, look for a source such as a stray cat under the house or a wild animal in the roof void. For a wider treatment, see pest control.
Sand fleas, the garden and cost
The "sand flea" in coastal holiday spots is usually a different animal, the sand flea or beach hopper, which does not live in your home. Real fleas can still breed in dry sand and under decks, so treating the yard matters where pets sleep outside.
Pricing is usually by floor area, about R4 to R9 per m², so a three bedroom house is often R650 to R1,800 including a follow-up. Compare quotes in our pest control price guide, and for a rental ask for a certificate through fumigation services.
What to include in your request
- Number and kind of pets
- Floor area in m² and carpeted rooms
- Garden, stoep or kennel to treat
- When the fleas started
- Whether the vet has treated the pets
Flea Control for different properties
- Homes and families: a spray of carpets, beds and the stoep, with the vet treating the pets the same day
- Landlords, agents and body corporates: a treatment before a new tenant moves in, with a certificate when a pet left fleas behind
- Restaurants and food businesses: rare indoors, but staff areas, storerooms and the yard are treated where a stray animal visits
- Hotels, guesthouses and lodges: guest rooms and pet-friendly cottages treated between stays, with the kennel and lawn included
- Offices, schools, clinics and shops: carpet and upholstery treatment where an office dog or a stray cat has been
- Factories, warehouses and mines: yards, loading areas and guard huts where stray animals bring fleas near staff
- Farms, grain stores and smallholdings: kennels, dog sleeping areas and farmhouse floors, using products suited to working dogs
- Exporters and freight forwarders: seldom needed, except staff housing and offices at depots where strays shelter
Frequently asked questions
How long until the fleas are gone?
Do I need to treat the garden as well?
Can fleas live on people?
Is a flea treatment safe for my pets?
Flea Control by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg