Fleas and other pests seem to pop up at the worst time. If there's a disaster and you find yourself dealing with a bug out situation, the last thing you want to deal with is a flea infestation. That's why when you first notice these pests either on your dog or in your home it's best to try these techniques. But first, let's learn about when flea season is and how they get into our homes, to begin with, followed by some excellent solutions to that pesky problem.

When Is Flea Season?
Fleas can only hatch from their pupae (cocoon) under optimal conditions. According to PetMD, these conditions are typically 65-80 degrees Fahrenheit and 75-85 percent humidity.

These means fleas can survive and reproduce indoors all year long, as long as they have hosts to feed from, but they are especially prominent in the spring and summer months.

How Do Fleas Get Inside Your Home?
Fleas can enter your home many ways, and they can be carried by animals or humans.

Here are some of the most common ways for fleas to enter your house:

– From the back yard. Fleas can easily jump onto a host from the yard and be carried inside.
– From other pets entering your home. Do you regularly have other people’s pets over? This could increase the likelihood of fleas.
– From your pet’s exposure to other animals. This can happen at the dog park, at the vet, or anywhere other animals may come into contact with your pet.
– The neighborhood. If fleas are present in your neighborhood, they can hop onto you or your pet when out for walks.

Here are the steps to completely remove fleas from your home and yard:

– Treat the fleas on your pet
– Cleanse your pet’s belongings
– Treat the fleas around your home
– Cleanse your belongings
– Treat the fleas in your yard
– Repeat 2-4 more times

Home Remedies to Remove Fleas
The above steps is the most effective way to get rid of fleas in your home and yard, but many pet owners are wary of using chemical products or would like to save money and use items that are readily available in their home to remove fleas.

Luckily, there are a good amount of home remedies for flea removal. Here are a few:

– Bowl of Dish Soap and Warm Water
– Baking Soda
– Salt
– Vinegar Spray
– Diatomaceous Earth

Natural Remedies to Remove Fleas
If you're environmentally conscious, there are a few effective natural remedies as well:

– Diatomaceous Earth
– Lemon Spray
– Groom Your Pet With a Flea Comb

Keeping on top of fleas with tricks like this is just one of the many ways you'll need to take care of yourself and your family during a survival scenario. After all, bet you never imagined you'd learn TEOTWAWKI in preparation for a disaster, now did you?

It's good to know that one of the best tricks to know involves vinegar (yep, it always works). So stock up on plenty of vinegar and the other ingredients mentioned before it's too late post-collapse. Right now they're cheap, so you won't go broke trying to stockpile these pertinent supplies.

For some more tricks on how to get rid of your next flea blight, take a look at the steps in their entirety (and more detailed instructions) on Entirely Pets.