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Fleas are an extremely annoying thing and have been considered one of the most challenging creatures to get rid of. They can be at any place in your house, and if you have a pet, the chances of having fleas increase too many folds.
Different people have various remedies, tips, and techniques to remove fleas from your pets or rooms. These remedies can not only help you to get rid of fleas but may also assist you in stopping them in the future.
There are possibilities that some of the remedies may not suit you, and you look for some other methods that don’t require any human effort. Research and experiments have been conducted, and many people claim that cool air or temperature can kill fleas to a great extent.
Well, this is the part where the most common question arises: does air conditioning kill fleas? If you too have this question in mind, below is the detailed discussion that will go through almost all the minor to significant aspects of fleas and air conditioning that will surely help you in the end.
Can fleas live in air conditioning
Fleas can live in air conditioning but may not be able to live for a long time. Researches have shown that fleas can live efficiently within the temperature range between 42 degrees Celsius to 70 degrees Celsius.
This is the reason that makes an air conditioner a horrible place to live for fleas. It doesn’t mean that living inside the air conditioner will kill them immediately, but there are huge possibilities that they may not breed, grow and multiply.
Apart from cooling temperature, the dehumidification function also restricts them from living inside an air conditioner. Fleas are not able to survive in the air with 50% humidity. Do keep this fact in mind that fleas can survive for about 10 to 20 days in the temperature between 33 degrees to 42 degrees celsius.
If you want to kill fleas with cool air (which is not the best way of doing so), you will have to let them live at a temperature lower than a freezing point for more than five days.
Can fleas live in air vents
Fleas always look for a perfect place where they can live while having access to their food. They also need a proper place where they can easily breed, grow, and multiply. Air vents are considered one of the best and most common places where fleas and many other kinds of insects can be found.
Fleas usually look for air vents because this is the place that can allow them to make their way into the house without being killed. If you want to know about the time for which files can live and survive in air vents, it can be said that this time may never end forever.
Air vents have temperatures not more or less than the normal temperature of the outside environment. This is the reason that the first place you should check is the air vents and if there are any fleas or insects, immediately apply sprays and all other remedies that can kill them before fleas start getting into your pets’ skins.
Do fleas need air to live
Fleas do require oxygen to live and grow, but they can survive for some time without air. An experiment was conducted by a scientist in Palestine where he was studying various kinds of insects. He made two groups of fleas and let one group live in open-air while the other inside a bag with limited oxygen.
The experiment showed that the fleas in the open air were healthy and gave eggs to their maximum capacity. While the 25% of fleas inside the bag with limited air not only died, but the other 75% fleas laid eggs, almost half to the normal fleas. This thing clearly shows that less air not only affects their lifespan but their breeding process as well.
What temperature kills fleas?
Both freezing and extremely hot temperatures can kill fleas in days, months, or sometimes in hours as well. Experts and researchers claim that an adult flea can live for about two days at a temperature less than 8 degrees celsius.
When it comes to larva or pupa, they may not survive temperatures colder than just 13 degrees celsius. Although this temperature can kill them, it will not be an immediate action as you may have to wait for some days to get the job done.
Just like the cold temperature, fleas will not live for a long time in a hot temperature above 70 degrees celsius. Although 70 degrees is too much for them to live, they can survive in the range below 70 degrees up to more than 40 degrees celsius.
How to get rid of fleas in my air conditioner
There are many ways to get rid of fleas in your air conditioner. Do keep this fact in mind that fleas will be present in your home with all four of their forms, eggs, larva, pupa, and adult.
Killing an adult flea is not difficult as you can kill them by striking with a net stick or something else. But this will not bring any good results as you will be seeing a whole new generation of fleas within a few next days.
This is the reason that vacuuming is considered one of the best and most effective ways to get rid of fleas from your air conditioner, air vents, or even pet skins. Vacuuming will allow you to remove not only adults but their eggs, larva, and pupa as well.
Apart from these simple and most efficient techniques, there are a lot of other things that may assist you in the process. Some of the other best things to get rid of fleas ultimately include the following:
- Herbal Flea Killer Spray
- Dish Soap or Washing Soda
- Salt or Salty Water
- Baking Soda
- Diatomaceous Earth
- Lemon Spray
- Rosemary
- Flea Repelling Plants
To some extent, this thing is true that most of these remedies will only affect adult fleas while the eggs, larva, and pupa may survive. If you have applied all the remedies mentioned above, methods, and techniques but cannot get rid of all fleas, getting help from a professional team should be your last resort. They usually have experience in flea controlling and will bring your perfect results.
How to make sure fleas are gone from the air conditioner
The only way to see if fleas are gone from the air conditioner or are still inside is to inspect the system thoroughly. Fleas usually leave black poop marks or dots where they live. Apart from this, there will be black color fluid in the panels or vents of your air conditioners if they are living inside.
If you can see both of these factors in your air conditioner, there will be some fleas, if not money. You can also get an idea by inspecting the skin and hairs of your pets. This process will provide you with precise results as well.
If you are a pet owner, we also recommend you also read our previous in-depth guides such as do guinea pigs need air conditioning, do cats need air conditioning and can dogs get sick from air conditioning.
