Surprised researchers recently revealed that a standard vacuum cleaner abuses the fleas so much it kills 96 percent of adult fleas and 100 percent of younger fleas, Reuters said.

Glen Needham, associate professor of entomology at Ohio State University, studied the cat flea, or Ctenocephalides felis, the most common type of household flea.  He said no matter what vacuum a flea gets sucked into, it"s probably a “one-way trip.”

Writing in the journal Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, Needham suggested that the vacuum brushes wear away a waxy outer layer on insects called the cuticle. Without it, the fleas, larvae and pupae probably dry up and die, he said.

Researchers were so surprised by the findings that they ran their experiment several times, Reuters said.

This is great news for anyone with a flea problem in their household, since fleas spread diseases such as plague and can transmit worms.

“Vacuuming is a great strategy because it involves no chemicals and physically removes the problem,” Needham said.