Can we all agree that nothing is as annoying as spotting fleas in your home hours after a thorough clean-up?
Fleas have, for the longest time, been associated with untidiness, but further research shows that it only gets worse because of the health risks posed by fleas and ticks. Fleas and ticks are believed to pose health risks like Lyme Disease, among other fevers and plagues that might affect both you and your furry friends. And even when then they don’t cause any disease, fleas may leave you itching intensely and scratching painfully for weeks, resulting in patchiness and loss of hair, or even skin infections.
So, how do you avoid fleas in your home, especially if you have an infestation? As daunting as it can be to reconcile with the facts – that you have an infestation of fleas, the job ahead of you can be a little smoother with the use of the right kind of fogger. Foggers are beneficial, and they can be quite effective in ending the fleas menace, especially because foggers work by covering everything literally in the rooms/ areas where they are set off. And with a good fogger, you’ll not only get rid of the existing fleas but also the eggs. Also, the ingredients left on surfaces after application will prevent the fleas from coming back after some months.
Besides killing fleas and eggs, most foggers are quite effective in killing bugs and other creepy crawlies like bedbugs, roaches, ants, spiders, and even ticks. So, if you are rather squeamish about any of these pests, investing in a home fogger could be an excellent option for you.
Below, we take a look at some of the best home foggers you could use to get rid of fleas.
Best Home Fogger for Fleas – Comparison Table
| Best Home Fogger for Fleas | Best For | Check on Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| Hot Shot Fogger6 With Odor Neutralizer | Best Overall Home Fogger for Fleas | Check Price |
| Spectracide 100046128 Bug Stop Indoor Fogger | Best Indoor Bug Killer | Check Price |
| Zoecon - Precor Plus Fogger | Best Fogger to Prevent Re-Infestation | Check Price |
| Adams Plus Flea and Tick Indoor Fogger | Long-Lasting Fleas Eradication | Check Price |
| Durvet 011-1135 No-Bite Multi-Pest Indoor Fogger | Best Water-Based Formulation | Check Price |
Best Home Foggers for Fleas
Hot Shot Fogger6 With Odor Neutralizer – Best Overall Home Fogger for Fleas
First on our list is this fogger from a household brand that we’ve seen and maybe even tried in the past. Hot Shot is known for this powerful fogger whose formulation reaches all cracks and crevices, getting rid of not just fleas but also ants, cockroaches, and spiders.
One canister of Hot Shot fogger can be used for spaces up to 2,000 sq. ft. and you could also use it in the kitchen, as long as your food and the food contact surfaces are covered. It a clear, no-stain formula that comes with an odor neutralizer, allowing you to get back to your home and sit comfortably after about 2 hours of application.
It kills on contact, and it’s recommended for use in heavy infestations. It also boasts long-term residual effects of up to 2 months where the fine, deep-penetrating mist will reach into the deepest cracks and crevices to kills the fleas and bugs you don’t even know are there.
It’s ideal for use in enclosed apartment spaces, basements, attics, boat cabins, crawl spaces, campers, sheds, storage areas, garages, trailers, etc.
Pros
- It kills fleas on contact.
- Works for up to 2 months
- No-stain or messy residue
- It comes with an odor neutralizer, and you won’t have to worry about irritating smells days after use.
- It kills most critters, besides fleas.
Cons
- It only kills the adult fleas, meaning you need many other after-treatment to kill the flea after the eggs hatch and pupae mature.
View price on Amazon
Spectracide 100046128 Bug Stop Indoor Fogger – Best Indoor Bug Killer
If you are looking for a fogger specially formulated to control all kinds of heavy indoor insect infestations, whether from fleas or other crawling, biting, or flying insects, this bug fogger might be a good option for you.
It kills insects on impact, and it will get rid of ticks, silverfish, houseflies, ants, brown dog ticks, spiders, roaches, and fleas, instantly. The best part is that it is a non-staining formulation that is water-based, which means that it will not cause any harm to your floors, walls, fabric, or furniture. It will not leave lingering odors behind, although you should follow the manufacturer’s instructions. The fine mist from this fogger will penetrate deep into cracks and crevices that the bugs hide in.
It comes in 6 ready-to-use cans, 2 ounces each, meaning that you can easily take care of the entire house at once. Just be careful to put away your pet dishes, toothbrushes, cookware, and kids’ toys before you start fogging the house.
Pros
- Fast action – within 2 hours
- No odors linger when you get back home.
- It’s non-staining and kills on contact.
- It doesn’t leave any wet residue.
- It kills flying, crawling, and also biting insects on contact.
- It kills bed bugs too.
- Large area coverage up to 2,000 cubic feet
- Easy to use
Cons
- You have to be away from the house for a minimum of 2 hours.
- Needs more than one treatment for desired effects
View price on Amazon
Zoecon – Precor Plus Fogger – Best Fogger to Prevent Re-Infestation
Fleas are persistent, and the initial infestation might be worse than anticipated, especially if the first treatment wears before the pupae and the eggs hatch and transition to adult flea. With this in mind, you may want to try out this Precor home fogger for fleas because it not only kills adult fleas along with their hatching eggs but also prevents the reinfestation of fleas for up to 7 months. And by killing the adult fleas and the hatching eggs while offering protection for up to 7 months thanks to the growth regulator incorporated, this fogger effectively breaks down the fleas’ life cycles, ending the fleas’ menace once and for all.
The effectiveness of this fogger comes from the fact that it’s made of powerful active ingredients, namely – S-Methoprene and permethrin, in 0.09% and 0.58% concentrations, respectively. Permethrin is effective in killing fleas instantly. The other ingredient formulated into this fogger is the Precor IGR that prevents the pre-adult fleas from starting new infestations during breeding by penetrating the hard-to-reach places where the pupae often hide; for example, pet beddings, carpet fibers, pet beddings, drapes, and floor cracks. This fogger further boasts a high yield, with the capacity to treat spaces up to 3,000 cubic ft.
Pros
- It kills adult fleas and the hatching eggs.
- Deep penetrating power into cracks and crevices
- Prevents the re-infestation of fleas for up to 7 months
- Kills fleas instantly
- Odor-free home fogger
- It kills fleas on all their lifecycles.
- Easy to use
Cons
- Some fleas build up resistance to this treatment.
View price on Amazon
Adams Plus Flea and Tick Indoor Fogger – Long-Lasting Fleas Eradication
At the end of the day, you want a home fogger for fleas that will not only kill the adult fleas but also destroy the eggs, larvae, and pupae. This fogger is formulated to do all that in an instant. It’s formulated with S-Methoprene, Etofenprox, tetramethrin, and N-octyl Bicycloheptene Dicarboximide, all-powerful insecticidal that will get rid of not just fleas but also ticks, mosquitoes, roaches, silverfish, ants, and spiders.
Besides killing fleas and getting rid of the insects’ whole lifecycle, this insecticide is all effective in preventing re-infestation by fleas for up to 7 months. For the best results, use it on upholstery, curtains, rugs, floors, and cupboards, or anywhere else the fleas could hide. You’ll be happy to know that you won’t have to worry about lingering odors or staining on the applied surfaces or fabrics.
Pros
- Destroys the 4 life cycles of the fleas from the eggs, larvae, pupae, and fleas that runs for 14-28 days
- The fogger offers protection for up to 7 months.
- No lingering odors
- Causes no staining
- Gets rid of spiders, cockroaches, bed bugs, mosquitoes, ants, and earwigs, as well as ticks and fleas.
Cons
- Stops working after some time
View price on Amazon
Durvet 011-1135 No-Bite Multi-Pest Indoor Fogger – Best Water-Based Formulation
If you are looking for an effective indoor fogger that you could use in the attics, storage areas, basement, garages, and even kennels and horse stables, this fogger by Durvet could be a good option for you.
It’s an effective fogger against fleas, and its power and effectiveness come from the fact that this fogger combines the power of 3 insecticides killing a wide range of infects from fleas and ticks to larvae and pupae of these and other insects. These ingredients make it effective in killing fleas on contact.
With one 6-ounce fogger, you’d be able to fog up large spaces up to 6000 cubic feet, as long as the area is unobstructed. It doesn’t have an unpleasant odor.
Pros
- Kills on contact (all biting, flying, and crawling insects)
- Water-based, non-greasy formulation
- No strong odors
- It can be used in large sheds, kennels, and stables too.
- Large area coverage
- Combines the power of 3 insecticides
Cons
- Some people note that you need more than one fogging session for the best results.
View price on Amazon
Ultimate Buying Guide for the Best Home Foggers for Fleas
Home foggers, also known as flea foggers or flea bombs, total release foggers, or just foggers, can be defined as fleas termination aerosols that work when a button is pressed on the aerosol can, resulting in the release of the pesticide-infused fog. This fog covers the entire space where the fog is released. The fog also falls to the ground sticking to surfaces, in the process, killing fleas, ticks, eggs, larvae, and other creepy crawlies.
With etymologists and home cleaning products’ manufacturers coming up with new products every so often, it can be confusing to identity one fogger over the others. After all, they are all said to be effective in getting rid of fleas. How then do you pick one out of the list of tens, if not hundreds, of potentially effective home foggers?
First, check out the ingredients incorporated into the fogger. At the end of the day, the effectiveness of the home fogger is tied to the ingredients that make it up, how the ingredients work, and whether they are a long-term solution or not.
- Ingredients in home foggers
S-Methoprene – this is a primary ingredient in most home foggers for fleas. It is an insecticide, and it acts as a hormone in insects, hence its use in killing fleas, flies, ticks, and beetles, among many other insects. S-methoprene is also effective in getting rid of the robust insects that would normally survive contact with other pesticides.
Pyrethrins – pyrethrins refer to a chemical compound blend made of at least 6 chemicals known for their high degree of toxicity to insects. Pyrethrins are naturally-occurring compounds extracted from some chrysanthemum flowers. The synthetic version of the pyrethrins is the pyrethroid, and it works (kills fleas) in the same way as the pyrethrins.
Two of the most common chemical compounds from the pyrethroid family include the permethrin pesticide, often used on livestock, clothing, feed, and food crops. Permethrin eliminates insects when they ingest or come in contact with it – it hinders the insects’ functioning of the nervous system, causing muscle spasms, paralysis, and subsequently death. Permethrins are, however, less toxic to dogs and humans.
Besides permethrin, the other ingredient you could look out for is etofenprox, a man-made pyrethroid that works by disrupting the insects’ nerve impulses in their nerve axons, killing the insects. Etofenprox has been shown to be quite effective in the tropics.
Piperonyl butoxide – This is the other common synthetic pesticide used in getting rid of fleas. Although it isn’t effective on its own, it works well when mixed with other insecticides like pyrethroids and pyrethrins. It’s almost non-toxic to humans, most mammals, and birds.
- Versatility and Efficiency
When shopping for the best home foggers for fleas, it’s important to keep an open mind, especially because the products often contain similar active ingredients, with the brand names being the only difference between them. But this doesn’t mean that you should pick the cheapest home fogger you come across. There’s more to this, and some though the ingredients will often look similar, you’d want to look at their compositions. A higher concentration percentage often means a higher level of effectiveness.
Just note that some of the pests might be resistant to the ingredients in the foggers. Others may be effective in killing adult fleas, but not the eggs or larvae, which is why you must be keen on the ingredients and the composition of the fogger, making sure that the one you choose kills the fleas in all the stages of their lifecycle. This is the only way for you to ensure the complete eradication of fleas from your home.
- Size of the area you intend to use the fogger.
Foggers come in various packages, depending on the price and amount of the product. If your entire home is infested, or rather, you have a large home, you’d need bigger packages with extra foggers so that you can spray your entire home frequently to prevent future infestations or re-infestations.
- Measures for preventing re-infestation
When shopping for foggers, you also need to find a fogger that would effectively prevent any future flea infestations and re-infestations. Such foggers have a long residual effect, which allows them to kill the fleas long after the initial fogging session. You’d also want to check out how the fogger regulates the growth of the eggs and how it will kill the eggs. Flea eggs can be dormant for a really long time before they hatch, which is something the pesticide should take care of as well.
- Safety levels
Since you will be using the chemical foggers around kids and/or pets, it’s important to ensure that the selected pesticides come with minimal or zero side effects to you and everyone in your home. It shouldn’t be poisonous or have lingering smells. And if you are asthmatic or have anyone struggling with respiratory issues, you’d want to pay more attention to the ingredients used and their safety levels to avoid irritation and inhalation issues.
- How much time would you have to be away from home?
The other important consideration has to do with the toxicity of the fogger, and consequently, the number of days you’ll need to be away from your home after fogging. With most foggers, you’d have to leave your home for about 2-4 hours or more because of the potential health problems resulting from the inhalation of the pesticide.
Conclusion
If you have been looking for the best home foggers that would effectively end the menace you and your pets and kids are struggling with, this article offers the a guide on 5 of the best home foggers for fleas. Hot Shot Fogger6 with Odor Neutralizer is the most effective solution, but if you are worried about re-infestation, then Precor Plus fogger would work well for you thanks to its 7-months residual effects.
FAQs
How do Home Foggers for Fleas Work?
One of the biggest concerns you may be having would have to do with not just the effectiveness of selected foggers but how they work.
For the use of the foggers, the first thing you’d have to do is to place the fogging components in a high-pressure can. Activate the can; then, once it has been activated, the aerosol will start to release the pesticide at a pre-set speed. Therefore, you’d want to leave the house once it’s activated for as much time as is recommended by the manufacturer or longer.
Now, once the fogger’s mist settles down, the mist will have a toxic effect on all the pests it comes in contact with. The mist also penetrates the smaller holes, cracks, and crevices that could be harboring the fleas.
For complete eradication of fleas, you may need more than one flea fogger. You’ll also have to repeat the fogging process regularly to ensure complete eradication of residual fleas and other critters, along with their eggs.
If you are not sure about the setup and activation processes, you could always seek the help of professionals or exterminators.
Where do fleas hide in your home?
Often, fleas hide in the cracks and crevices in your home, but they may also infest baseboards and wood floors, pant legs, socks, shoes, bed pillows, throw pillows, as well as the areas that your pets sleep, live, and play.
With adult female fleas laying as many as 40 eggs every day, infestation occurs quite fast, and since the eggs in the carpeting and bedding could hatch at any moment, fleas can be very troublesome.
Once the eggs hatch, the emerging larvae emerge as rice-sized tiny worms that are wrapped in cocoons where they enter the pupae stage of the lifecycle. The pupae remain hidden in fabric and carpet fibers, where they remain protected by the cocoon. From the cocoon, the adult fleas will emerge, and this often happens when they’ve received signals of the presence of a host nearby. The signals received include the vibrations you produce when you walk by and even the carbon dioxide we emit when breathing. Body heat is the other signal used.
That said, the flea eggs and the pupae are the toughest to get rid of because of their protective outer coverings.
How can you improve the effectiveness of a fogger?
Simple, use the fogger alongside other flea removal methods like flea sprays and flea collars for your pets.
