Booking professional flea control is one thing. Knowing what’s actually going to happen on the day is another. This walkthrough covers the booking call, what you do to prepare, what the technician does on arrival, the treatment itself, and what the days after the visit look like.
Key takeaways
- Treatment cost: $175 to $300 across Greater Melbourne.
- Treatment time: 60-90 minutes for a standard 2-3 bedroom home.
- Residual protection: 8-12 weeks after the visit.
- Stay-out window: 2-4 hours while product dries.
- Most homes need only one professional treatment per active infestation.
Before booking: what to have ready
When you call to book, the operator will ask a few practical questions to size the job correctly. Have these answers ready and the call takes about 5 minutes.
Information to have on hand
- Number of bedrooms in the property (the main pricing factor)
- Whether the property is single-storey or two-storey
- Whether you have pets, what kind, and whether they’re on flea preventative (NexGard, Bravecto, Advantix, or similar)
- How long the infestation has been going
- Whether anyone in the household has chemical sensitivities, asthma, or a specific health condition that affects product choice
You’ll get a quote on the call. Same-day or next-day bookings are usually available across Greater Melbourne. The technician will confirm a 1-hour arrival window the morning of the visit.
The 24 hours before the visit
A few preparation steps make the treatment more effective.
Vacuum thoroughly
Vacuum carpets, rugs, and any soft furnishings the day before or the morning of treatment. Vacuuming agitates flea pupae in their cocoons and stimulates them to emerge as adults. More adults emerging means more of the population is vulnerable when the spray hits. Empty the vacuum bag or canister into an outside bin straight after.
Pet preparation
- Wash pet bedding on a hot wash. Move it to a separate room before treatment.
- Don’t bathe your pet in the 24 hours before treatment. Flea-preventative residue interacts with the carpet treatment.
- Move fish tanks if possible. If they can’t be moved, close the lid and turn the air pump off temporarily.
- Cover bird cages or move them to an untreated room. Reptiles need the same precaution.
Clear the floors
Clear floors of clutter so the technician can spray skirting boards, under furniture, and into corners. Lift toys, shoes, laundry baskets, and floor cushions off the floor.
On the day: the treatment itself
The technician arrives in a marked vehicle. They’ll show you their licence (Victorian pest control licence number, you can ask if they don’t volunteer it). The first 5-10 minutes is a walk-through inspection so they understand the layout.
What gets sprayed
The treatment uses a low-pressure backpack sprayer with a combination of an adulticide (kills adult fleas on contact) and an insect growth regulator (IGR) (prevents eggs from hatching and stops larvae from maturing).
Application is targeted to:
- Carpet pile (where most larvae live)
- Skirting board edges
- Soft furnishings and pet sleeping zones
- Cracks in tile and timber floors
- Low-traffic corners where flea dirt has built up
Open lawn doesn’t get treated. Hard kitchen and bathroom surfaces don’t either.
Treatment time
Total time is 60 to 90 minutes for a standard 2-3 bedroom home. Larger or two-storey homes run longer.
The treatment receipt
You’ll get a treatment receipt before the technician leaves. The receipt shows the licence number, the products used (active ingredients), the date, and any specific notes for follow-up. Keep it for your records, real estate agents and insurance providers sometimes ask.
The 48 hours after: what’s normal
You and any pets need to stay out of treated rooms for 2-4 hours while the product dries. Once dry, the property is safe to re-enter. Children can play on the floor, pets can sleep on the carpet, normal life resumes.
You’ll see MORE fleas in the first week
The thing most people don’t expect: you’ll see more fleas in the first 5-7 days, not fewer. Cocooned pupae continue to emerge as adults during this window because they were protected from the initial spray. The residual product kills them as they emerge. By day 10-14 the visible flea activity stops. By week 3 the infestation is fully resolved.
Don’t vacuum for 7-10 days
Vacuuming treated areas in the first week strips the residual action out of the carpet pile. Hold off on vacuuming until day 7-10.
When (and whether) to book a follow-up
Most Melbourne households need only one professional treatment per active infestation. The 8-12 week residual protection handles any new fleas that emerge from cocooned pupae or arrive from outside.
When a follow-up is genuinely useful
- Severe infestations where the initial population was very large
- Properties with persistent outdoor flea pressure (homes near bushland, multiple outdoor pets, regular wildlife visitors)
- Rental properties between tenants where a clean clearance certificate is required
If you’re seeing live adult fleas after week 3, call us. We’ll re-attend at no charge if the infestation hasn’t cleared as expected. Most of the time it has.
Frequently asked questions
How quickly can a technician arrive?
Same-day or next-day across most of Greater Melbourne. Confirmed on the booking call.
Do I need to leave the house?
Only the rooms being treated, and only for the 2-4 hour drying window. You can stay in untreated areas (kitchen, bathroom, garage) during application if needed.
What if the infestation comes back?
If you see live adult fleas after week 3, call us. Re-attend is free if the original infestation didn’t clear within the expected window.
Are the products safe for pregnant women?
The products are registered with the APVMA for residential use and non-toxic to mammals at the application rate once dry. Mention pregnancy at booking if you’d prefer extra precaution, we can adjust products or scheduling.
Booking the treatment
For the comprehensive guide to flea control, see our flea control Melbourne overview. If you’ve decided you need a same-day exterminator, our flea exterminator service page has the booking detail.
If you’ve got pets that spend time outside, the indoor treatment alone may not be enough. See our outdoor flea control Melbourne guide for the yard add-on.
Or call (03) 4060 1090 directly.
