Few household pest control situations are more troublesome from a health point of view than the need to eradicate fleas from a carpet or carpets. Especially if the household is one that contains young children or is home to a couple soon planning to have kids.

Most Flea Remedies Are Toxic 

For this reason, within the larger context of homeowners tending towards "green" and safe solutions, it is highly advisable to opt for a non-toxic method of eradication. When analyzed, a solid two-thirds of the leading chemical flea control products on the market were found to be neurotoxic, with many containing ingredients that have been classified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as carcinogenic.

First Steps to Flea Control

At any one time, cat or dog fleas may be present in a residence in one of their four evolutionary forms:  egg, larva, pupa, or adult. The first phase of attack for getting rid of fleas in carpets is to use some good old-fashioned home cleaning techniques: vacuuming, shampooing of the rugs, beating of the rugs outside and so on.

Natural Alternatives

If none of these techniques works, the infestation may be more severe and require additional, targeted treatment. One of the most widely used safe flea eradication methods involves a solution made up on one part Borax (a boric acid derivative) and four parts salt. Given the fact that one female flea can produce up to 20,000 eggs over three months and that it can take up to six weeks for flea eggs to hatch, such a comprehensive plan of attack may be needed.

Once the two components have been applied together as a mix or separately, they can be more deeply penetrated into the carpet surface by means of a broom. Ideally, the mix should be left in the carpet for a couple of days before being vacuumed up, to dry out and kill the flea larva.