Will Any Dish Soap Kill Fleas? {How To Make Flea Traps With Dish Soap}

Have you heard about dish soap being able to eliminate or terminate fleas? Will Any Dish Soap Kill Fleas?

Why is dish soap so effective against fleas compared to other soaps? Are there special types of dish soaps that work better on fleas?

In this article, you and I will attempt to destroy this flea problem with dish soap like nobody’s business. Let’s do this!

Will Any Dish Soap Kill Fleas?

Yes. You can avoid the expensive brand names and go for any cheap dish soap options. They will create surface tension as a type of surfactant to drown fleas in flea traps or suffocate them on the skin and fur of your pet. Fleas and their eggs will die within minutes.

What Kind of Dish Soap Kills Fleas?

There are plenty of brand name dish soaps on the market that claim to wash your dishes better than the rest. Thankfully, none of that matters when it comes to killing fleas.

The trick to using dish soap is to create the surface tension that it naturally provides to trap or kill fleas without you needing to do much more to it.

Add dish soap to water in varying amounts. Start with one tablespoon for 1-2 cups of water and go from there. You can use any kind of dish soap.

How Long Does It Take Dish Soap to Kill Fleas?

Dish soap and water will kill fleas within minutes. Most people apply dish soap with water on a dog and let the lathered up solution remain there for 3-5 minutes.

Then, you can start rinsing the soap, water and dead fleas off your dog. It’s as simple as that.

Flea traps where dish soap is placed in a bowl or containers kill fleas within a couple of minutes after they unsuccessfully struggle to get out.

Does Dish Soap Kill Flea Eggs?

The good thing about flea eggs is that they are smooth. This means that flea eggs don’t stick well to fur or skin.

You will be able to wash off flea eggs with water and a little dish soap without a problem.

Flea eggs may return because using dish soap is a tool to kill fleas and their eggs, but it can’t prevent them from returning.

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How Effective Is Dish Soap on Fleas?

Dish soap is extremely effective on fleas. Fleas are able to float on water alone and they can easily get out of it.

Dish soaps create surface tension, much like a surfactant that traps fleas from being able to float. They sink and die within minutes.

Dish soap drowns fleas in containers, dishes or bowls. They also kill fleas on the skin or fur of your canine companion.

Do Fleas Drown In Soapy Water?

If the water does not contain dish soap, then a flea could live on for a week or longer. Dish soap creates a thick layer of film compared to conventional soaps, making it harder for a flea to float.

They will drown in a few minutes and have no hope of getting out.

All you need is a tablespoon or a couple of drops of dish soap in a solution of 1-2 cups of water.

What Type of Dish Soap Is Best for Fleas?

There is no need to stand at the dish soap aisle and become perplexed at the array of choices. Go for the cheapest option and get to work on killing these fleas with dish soap.

All dish soaps create surface tension to drown fleas. They also work well on skin and fur as they are non-toxic in small amounts.

All you will need is a tablespoon or two with warm water to get a nice lather going if you wish to apply it directly onto your flea ridden dog.

Can I Use Dawn Soap for Bugs in the Yard?

Fleas or bugs in your yard can also be treated with dish soap. You will need to find out their hiding spot. You do not wish to turn your yard into a bubble bath.

Nematodes, cedar wood chips or Diatomaceous Earth can be used instead of squeezing out dish soap all over your yard.

Some bugs are useful in your yard and you will end up creating a mass slaughter of all insects if you use dish soap everywhere.

How To Use Dish Soap as a Flea Trap

Follow the steps below to create a very simple flea trap with dish soap.

  1. Start by pouring a few drops into a low rimmed bowl of water. Measurements don’t need to be exact.
  2. If you would like an exact measurement, start with one tablespoon for 1-2 cups of water. 
  3. Use a light source from a lamp or candle or attract fleas over to the trap. 
  4. Fleas will enter the trap and the surface tension from the dish soap will cause them to drown. 

Repeat this process for a few days or until you stop seeing any fleas in the trap.

Is Dish Soap Safe for Dogs?

Yes. Dish soap is pH neutral and not acidic enough to harm your dog. Prolonged or daily use can dry out your dog’s skin and this is why we are only advocating its short-term use for getting rid of fleas.

Rub the dish soap with warm water onto your dog and let the lather sit for 3-5 minutes.

You will only need a tablespoon or 2-3 teaspoons of dish soap with 2-3 cups of water. The thicker your dog’s fur, the more dish soap and water you will need to use.

How To Use Dawn Dish Soap On Dogs

  1. Use warm water to fill a bath or begin showering your dog. 
  2. Add 2-3 teaspoons of dish soap. 
  3. Vinegar is optional because it doesn’t kill fleas, but they hate being near it. 
  4. Lather up with dish soap with water all over your dog. 
  5. Let the lather remain on your dog for 3-5 minutes. 
  6. Rinse, drain and dry your dog. 

The fleas should all be dead at this point and they should begin their descent down the drain.

Conclusion

Any type of dish soap will create the surface tension necessary to kill fleas and cause them to drown. We hope you are able to take care of your flea problem quickly and effectively with a little dish soap and water.

 

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