Study: Yes, Vacuums Kill Fleas. LiveScience. Dec. 17, 2007. Many a housekeeper has long wondered if vacuuming is sufficient to get rid of fleas. Finally, a study shows vacuuming is indeed an effective weapon. Experiments conducted by Ohio State University researchers on the cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis)—the most common type of flea plaguing companion animals, such as dogs and cats, and humans—showed that vacuuming killed fleas in all stages of life. Fleas have multiple life stages: Adults suck the blood of their host and females lay eggs on them. The eggs roll off onto the floor, furniture or pet bedding and hatch two to 14 days later. The insects go through three larval stages, the last of which spins into a cocoon to protect the pupa stage. New adults typically emerge within a week or two. [ See ]