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How to Kill Flea Pupae

| Updated September 26, 2017

Things You'll Need

  • Flea sprays, powders or other removal products.

  • Vacuum cleaner

  • Trash can

  • Soapy water

Flea pupae cannot be killed by normal flea killing methods such as using sprays or powders because of their protective coverings. So, special measures are needed to kill flea pupae, or a reinfestation of fleas will occur once they emerge as adults. Follow the steps provided to learn how to kill flea pupae.

The first step in the removal of flea pupae is to treat all areas of your home with a flea pesticide, powder, or other killing method. Doing this will kill all the living fleas, eggs, and larvae. While this does not kill the flea pupae, it will set the stage for killing some of them later, and to proceed without doing this would be futile.

Once you have treated all areas of your home, you will need to get out your vacuum. Using your vacuum cleaner will do two things in the removal of flea pupae. It will either suck up the flea pupae with still developing fleas in them, or it will cause adult fleas to hatch from the pupae stage. The warmth and vibration from the vacuum cleaner entice the adult fleas to come out. Once the adult fleas come out, they will be exposed to the treated area you provided, and will die.

To remove the flea pupae that were sucked up into the vacuum cleaner still in their developing stages, you will need to dispose of them in an airtight container outside of your home. If you have a bagless vacuum, you can dump the contents into a garbage can outside, and then clean the container outside with soapy water. The steps listed will ensure that the flea pupae are killed as well as the eggs, larvae, and adults, and should provide you with a flea free home. See the resources below for more information on how to kill flea pupae.

Tips

  • Make sure to treat your whole house for eggs, larvae, and adult fleas before trying to eliminate the pupae.

Warnings

  • Read and follow all safety instructions on flea removal products.