How To Get Rid of Fleas in the Yard

Fleas are pesky little critters that can wreak havoc on your furry family members as well as your home and yard. Fleas are more than just an annoyance—they can cause several diseases and medical conditions in pets and people.

Understanding how to get rid of fleas in your yard is a crucial step in eradicating them.

Why Are Fleas Attracted To Your Yard?

Although there are thousands of flea species in the world, only a few are found in the United States.

The most common are Ctenocephalides felis (the cat flea) and Ctenocephalides canis (the dog flea).

In your yard, fleas are attracted to piles of yard waste, leafy debris, and shaded areas, such as under a deck.

Fleas also seek out areas inside the home.

Only adult fleas are found on pets, with the younger stages living in these environments.  

Typically, fleas are attracted to:

• Heat. Warmth from people or pets draws fleas close.

• Movement. Fleas don’t have good eyesight, but they can better detect movement in good light.

• Light. Fleas are specifically attracted to green and yellow light, and they use shadows to determine where to jump to find their next meal. Intermittent or flashy lights are used to attract fleas to flea traps.

• Carbon dioxide. Fleas can detect carbon dioxide that is exhaled by potential hosts.

Signs There Are Fleas In Your Yard

It’s unlikely that you will see fleas in your yard, since they are so small and tend to hide under leaves and brush. However, the following signs can indicate that fleas are present:

• Itchy pets and people. Fleas are one of the most common pests that affect both pets and people.

• Fleas in your home or on your pet. Once fleas are on your pet or in your home, you can expect them to be anywhere your pet spends time, including in your yard.

• Flea dirt. Flea dirt, or flea feces, is left behind after a flea takes a blood meal. Flea dirt looks like black specks of pepper in your pet’s fur and is a telltale sign that your pet has fleas.

• Itchy red bumps, scabs, or hair loss. When a dog scratches due to a flea infestation, they compromise their skin barrier and normal bacteria. Yeast on the skin can overpopulate and cause a skin infection.

• Bizarre pet behavior. The intense itching caused by fleas can lead to bizarre behavior, such as rubbing against objects in your home, rolling on the ground, and biting at the skin and fur.

• Wildlife activity. Raccoons, opossums, skunks, deer, coyotes, stray cats, and rodents often carry fleas, which can lead to a yard infestation.

• The presence of other pests. Critters such as ants, ticks, and other insects are often attracted to similar environmental conditions.

• The white sock test. You can perform this test by walking in your yard wearing a pair of white socks and no shoes. If adult fleas are present, you will see them against the white background of the socks.

How To Kill Fleas In Your Yard

Killing fleas in your yard is an essential step in ensuring your pets remain flea-free.

Especially when dealing with a flea problem, it’s imperative to treat your yard, your home, and all household pets at the same time to ensure the issue doesn’t return.

You’ll want to:

• Clean up any yard waste piles

• Cut the grass short

• Clear any overgrowth

• Ensure any food or garbage stored outside is properly contained to avoid attracting wildlife

• Treat the yard with a pet-safe insecticide, either by yourself or a professional exterminator

Alternative yard treatments may not be as effective as traditional insecticides but can be helpful to some. Alternative treatments include:

• Cedar chips. Spreading cedar chips over the yard is said to repel fleas, since they don’t like the smell. Spreading these wood chips around the perimeter of your yard can also create a barrier to keep fleas out.

• Nematodes. Nematodes are microscopic roundworms you can add to your yard to get rid of fleas naturally. These worms eat flea larvae and other insects but are harmless to people, pets, and landscaping.

• Water. Flooding your yard with water will eliminate fleas, since no life stages can survive in water.

• Essential oils. Essential oils such as peppermint oil, sesame oil, cedarwood oil, and cinnamon oil are common ingredients in all natural flea and tick sprays for the yard such as Wondercide® and EcoLogic® Lawn & Yard Spray.

What Are the Best Flea Treatments for Your Yard?

Flea sprays are most effective for treating your yard. These products use insecticides and insect growth regulators (IGRs) to kill fleas. Many products use pyrethroids such as bifenthrin, which affects the flea’s nervous system.

When picking a treatment for your yard, it’s essential to choose a product that is safe for pets and wildlife; some pesticides can be poisonous and even deadly to animals.

You can also explore natural flea control for your yard.

It is usually recommended to treat your yard weekly for four weeks and then once a month to kill the larval stages as they hatch, since the insecticide won’t kill the eggs. It’s important to keep your pets off the lawn until the product is fully dry.

Flea traps can be used on yard furniture or in smaller areas where the spray might not penetrate.

Using consistent, year-round flea prevention medication on your pets can help keep fleas out of your yard as well.