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What Do Dog Fleas Look Like to the Human Eye

December 19, 2022 By admin

Want to know what dog fleas look like to the human eye so, to get rid of flea infestations as quickly as possible? In this article, we will outline those characteristics and what you should do about them.

No one wants to have a flea infestation. However, it happens due to diverse circumstances. It is possible to prevent it, but as long as we have pets at home, there is a higher risk of getting flea infestations.

Most people don’t know they have flea infestations until they find the bites on humans. We will talk about what dog fleas look like to the human eye to correct that error.

What do Dog Fleas Look like?

To know whether your dog has fleas, watch out for their behavior. A dog with fleas will be profoundly troubled. They will bite, lick and scratch themselves, around the tail, neck and head excessively. These are the areas we might likely find flea eggs and living spaces.

Because of the biting and scratching, the dog’s skin might become inflamed which you might notice, once you part their furs.

Another way to discover these fleas is by using a flea comb to check through their furs. Look for specks of dirt or pepper that might sometimes look like tiny insects. It is also possible to find fleas, especially around the head, neck and tail.

You can also find fleas by doing a thorough check around the home, especially in cracks, drapery, furniture or carpet. Search for flea feces. You can also moisten suspected specks, to see if they turn maroon or red, then you have a match.

A very ridiculous but effective way to check for fleas is by wearing long white socks and move around the house. Fleas usually jump on the ankles, feet and lower legs of humans. You can immediately single them out if you find dark, tan or reddish-brown insects jumping all around.

Do I Have to Own a Pet to Have Flea Infestations?

When people own fleas, they have higher risks of flea infestations. However, fleas can also infest homes without pests. This can happen if we purchase used furniture that has fleas. It can even occur if our neighbor has a dog or cat with fleas. If someone recently moved to a home where previous owners had pets with fleas, there might be a flea infestation. It is also possible to get fleas when wild animals (squirrels, skunks, raccoons, and opossums), mice or rats bring them home.

Should I Worry About Fleas on My Dog?

Flea bites might not be harmful to humans, but they can cause more problems for your little ones. Fleas typically consume the blood of host animals to survive. They prefer animals such as dogs, cats or other nonhuman animals as hosts. They do not voluntarily leave their host animals and can remain there for their lifetime. Even if they are forced to leave the host, they might return or seek a new host. Flea infestations can cause severe discomfort for the pets. Aside from the constant biting, licking and itching, the pet can have flea allergy dermatitis.

Flea allergy dermatitis is a severe and extreme condition. It occurs when the pet develops allergies to flea saliva. In these cases, the biting, scratching and itching will get worse. Intense irritation and infections may be the outcome. The pet might also have bald spots from losing hair and smelly skin.

How to Prevent Fleas on My Dog

To successfully control flea infestation, you must avoid it from occurring. Vets can recommend dog flea treatments to treat your pets. However, you should also take extra steps to prevent it, such as:

Vacuum and apply products with Insect growth regulators (IGR) in your home to destroy flea larvae and eggs before they mature
Spray the surrounding woods, garden, storage buildings, decks and woodpiles, with IGR containing products especially if your pet lives mostly outside. You can repeat this process using three to five applications, every 14 to 21 days.

You must realize that fleas usually live in a cocoon for up to nine months before they reach their adult stage. In that cocoon stage, most insecticides might not work. You must reapply those insecticides on a routine basis. Using the information, you now have on what fleas look like to the human eye, you can figure out if you have a flea infestation on time. Make sure you call the professionals immediately. They can help you get a clearer picture and act quickly before the infestation spreads.

Best Home Remedies for Fleas on Cats

December 16, 2022 By admin

Cats will forever remain our loyal companions. They keep us company and we enjoy having them around as pets. However, when we are not actually taking care of our cats and having fun with them, a whole lot of us settle down to watch funny cat videos on our phones and PCs. Naturally it breaks our hearts to see our cats come down with any form of harm due to the malaise of blood-sucking fleas. We’ve got some solutions for you as we bring you up to speed with our best home remedies for fleas on cats.

Commerical Products

Many commercially available products come with a lot of strict dos and don’ts that can be nerve-wracking. Therefore, it makes sense to try out these less complicated strategies. They are easy to source around. You may already have most of these ingredients. All you need to do is to try out the different remedies until you’ve got one that is suitable for your cat. You always should consult with your veterinarian to get advice on how to treat any bites. You also should ensure your cat isn’t allergic to any ingredients in these remedies.

Apple Cider Vinegar

There are diverse opinions as to the effectiveness of this remedy on cats. Some sections of pet owners ascribe to its effectiveness, others dismiss its potency. But I guess these naysayers are missing the point here. As a flea treatment, Apple cider vinegar will not kill fleas but can make your fleas very repulsive to these little critters. It will also remove allergens and yeasts that cause itching and rashes after your cats may have been bitten by fleas. Do well to make sure that you don’t spray this solution on open wounds to avoid creating new problems altogether.

Cedar Chips

Fleas are attracted by the right smells and also repelled by the ‘wrong’ ones. Cedar is one of the scents that repel fleas. Placing cedar chips around your cat’s bedding will go a long way in getting rid of fleas. You can also create a quick natural flea collar using cedarwood oil mixed with a drop of alcohol.

Rosemary

Fleas do not like Rosemary. The rosemary leaves can be grounded into powder and sprinkled around areas where your cat frequents, especially their sleeping areas. Rosemary will serve other purposes such as providing relief to itching that arises from flea bites due to its anti-inflammatory properties.

Aloe Vera Juice

Aloe vera juice is one of the natural flea repellents that appears regularly in our best home remedies for fleas on cats. You can create a spray from the aloe vera juice to be applied on your cat’s coat. The cooling effect of aloe vera can soothe itching and other painful sensations.

Again, it is not all parts of the aloe vera plant that are useful. The latex of the plant is dangerous when eaten by cats. Therefore, if you have aloe vera plants around the home, keep your cats out of the plants reach.

Lavendar

Lavender has got a very sweet-smelling fragrance to humans. This is not so with fleas, which finds the scent of lavender very unappealing. To utilize this knowledge, create a spray for your cats and apply it to their coats. This will repel the fleas more effectively. It is best to stick to the lavender obtained directly from the plant itself, as essential oils may be toxic to your cats due to their high concentration. Adopt our best home remedies for fleas on cats and you may be astounded by their outstanding results. In your fight against fleas on your cats, it is best you go all-natural.

Does Your Camper Have Fleas

December 15, 2022 By admin

There is nothing worse than a flea infestation, especially when it happens to your camper. It puts a dent in your plans, ones that you’ve probably had for a while. You can’t live alongside fleas unless you don’t mind the discomfort and risk of diseases. Knowing if your camper has fleas allows you to take steps towards treating it. Does your camper have fleas?

Signs of Infestation

1. Check you carpets

Adult fleas and eggs love hiding in carpets. It’s the first place to check. People and pets that move on the carpet both infect and get infected by the carpet. You can do a visual check on your carpets. Run your hands through it and try to find adult fleas, eggs, or flea dirt. You use a flashlight or magnifying glass to make it easier. Try paying attention to dark corners and under furniture.

2. Check your furniture

Cushions, couches, and other upholsteries improve the look and comfort of a camper, but they also provide hideouts for fleas. Use the same method you used on your carpets and be attentive to the cracks and edges. Check both the body of furniture and under it. You are looking for black or brown specks.

3. Check your bed

Fleas hide in bed and beddings where they feed on you while asleep or relaxing. They leave red welts on your skin. You can perform a simple visual check or inspect the bed outdoors. Remove all blankets, sheets, or beddings then inspect them separately.

4. Check dark corners.

Fleas hide from the light, and the cramped space in a camper has various dark corners. Check these corners carefully. You might need to move most furniture.

More Signs

1. Check for flea dirt

Flea droppings are one of the major hints of infestation. They look like black pepper, but you can confirm if the specks are flea dirt by spraying water on it. Flea dirt becomes red when sprayed with water because of the digested blood in it. It is easier to spot flea dirt if the interior of your camper hasn’t been disturbed in a while.

2. Use heat test

Heat attracts fleas, so place a lamp on the floor. Place on the carpet or near a place you suspect the fleas are hiding. Turn on the lamp and place a bowl of soapy water beneath it. Fleas will try to jump up to the lamp, and they will fall into the soapy water, and die.

3. Use the sock test

Wear a pair of white socks long enough to reach your knees. Then walk around the camper, especially on the carpet or sit on the bed or furniture, and nearby fleas will hop on your sock-clad legs. The fleas are attracted to your body heat and the likelihood of hiding in the socks.

Treatment

The next step is treatment if you discover that your camper has fleas. If you have a pet and it has been in your camper, then it likely brought the fleas. You have to treat the camper, your pet, and your house. Consult a vet for help, but you can use borax to treat your camper and house.

Prevention of Fleas Biting at Night

December 14, 2022 By admin

Flea bites are one noteworthy issue for pet owners all around the globe. These are little red swollen bumps in groups. Often these bites happen at night. Also, they accompany an inconvenience of tingling and several serious sicknesses. Flea chomps can cause Bartonella, Murine Typhus and Apedermatitis. In addition, they can cause various tape worms including Dipylidum Caninum. They can likewise move Borrelia burgdorferi which is an operator of Lyme ailment. The most common question asked at this point is “Prevention of fleas biting at night”

Flea Bites

For prevention of fleas biting at night several things should be looked at. Flea bites can be dealt with in all respects effectively by utilization of home cures. One interesting point is that bugs invest 90 percent of their life away from their hosts body, so it isn’t just the body that ought to be treated. In anticipation of treating flea bites one ought to likewise consider treatment of their surroundings to prevent future ones. If you have turned into an unfortunate casualty to bites the first exercise for you is to not itch or irritate the influenced zone. As an open injury would progress toward becoming a hot spot for bacterial disease. Additionally, your nails can likewise turn into a bearer for pollution of infection.

What if I Have Been Bitten

The first thing one ought to do if there should arise an occurrence of flea bites is to clean the influenced zone by washing it with warm water and cleanser. After that you will want to utilize antiseptics, for example, cotton plunged in liquor. Another option would be peroxide or rubbing alcohol to clean the bites. To ease the discomfort of itching get some information about antihistamines. Histamines are the compound in one’s body which oversees itchy feelings. Antihistamines stifle these hormones and eliminate the need to itch. Hostile to tingle creams which contain calamines are likewise great for this situation. If you’re tingling becomes serious, get some information about use of prescription meds such as hydroxyzine. In any case, these should just be utilized under specialist’s remedy.

Prevention of Bites at Night

To answer the question How do you stop fleas from biting me at night We are presenting some of the home remedies in following that will prevent fleas.

Aloe Vera can be utilized as gel legitimately taken from the leaf of plant or you can likewise buy packaged gel from adjacent store.
Sprinkling powdered tea on your lawn or at entrances of house will also prevent fleas.
Crushed leaves of basil or calendula blooms can likewise be useful.
A few drops of Echinacea can be used for flea prevention.
Use of tea tree oil is additionally prescribed
Apple cedar vinegar can likewise be utilized. You can apply it legitimately on your skin or you can utilize it in your day-by-day sustenance.
Lavender oil can also be used just as same.
Citrus natural products have a sharp acrid smell. Have a go at utilizing it so as to avoid bug chomps on open pieces of your body.
Garlic is likewise abhorred by insects. Their glue or increment in sustenance would likewise assist you with being shielded from bug chomps.

Next Steps

Now that you have ideas on prevention of flea bites, and the treatments you can use to reduce itch you’ll be better prepared! If your issues continue past a few days consult a physician for further assistance with bites. For fleas remaining consider contacting a professional exterminator.

Best Herbal Flea Spray

December 13, 2022 By admin

For most people who are huge pet lovers, at a point in time, their homes may become flea-infested. This is usually a major cause of concern. Our pets are at risk of frequent bites from these irritating pests. We ourselves are not spared their constant attacks. Finding a lasting solution may involve our searching frantically for the best herbal flea spray that actually works.

Why Natural Spray

Most people may resort to natural home-made products because these are usually safer and environmentally friendly. Your home may be one busy hub with lots of pets and young kids playing around — kids who are likely to want to get everything into their mouths. So, the last thing you need as a homeowner is a product whose safety level is in doubt.

Many flea spray products are dangerous and may cause health risks to our pets. It’s not advisable that they are used in the home, especially with young kids around. So, our next bet will be preparing our own home-made herbal flea spray product.

Preparing a Home-Made Herbal Flea Spray

We love our pets so much. Buying an over-the-counter product may prove counter-effective, as there are many ill-fated side-effects from the chemical-based flea spray products being put on there. The last thing we want is hurting our pets in the process of getting rid of their fleas.

So, we settle down to creating our own herbal flea spray. Done in the right way, our home-made product may actually rank in the best herbal flea spray in the market. To create yours, take the following steps:

1. Thinly slice fresh lemons

2. Pour about two pints of boiling water (that should be about 1.2 liters) into a bowl containing the sliced lemons and allow to steep overnight.

3. Drain the lemon water and pour it into a spray bottle.

4. Add a few drops of lemongrass oil and citronella oil.

5. Next, add the apple cider vinegar.

6. Next, add cedarwood oil.

7. Keep this mixture refrigerated for a few hours.

8. Proceed to apply to your pet’s furs. Be sure to shake well before use.

Using Spray on Pets

Ensure prior to spraying anything on your furry friend you contact your vet. Spray the mixture on your pet’s coat. Be careful to avoid spraying their eyes. Now, run your fingers through your pet’s fur to ensure the mixture reaches all areas. Applying this homemade flea spray once in three days will help protect your pets from fleas.

Our Top Herbal Flea Spray Picks

Maybe you’re too busy to prepare your own flea spray product. Then you can try out these products.

Greenfort Biospray: This is an all-natural flea spray for dogs and cats. It blocks the movement of fleas, stops the process of their breathing, and heals the wounds and skin damages occasioned by flea bites on your pets. It is made from Rosemary oil, Tea tree oil, and Granium oil. It is safe and effective for your pets.
Vet’s Best Flea and Tick Spray: This provides all-round protection for your pets and their immediate environment. It is made primarily from clove and peppermint oil. It fights active infestations and provides on-going protection. It can be used on upholstery, beddings, pillows, blankets, and carpets. You can also spray on outdoor patio rugs and furniture.
Sentry Natural Flea Spray: This is an all-natural flea spray prepared from the best plant-based ingredients such as peppermint, thyme oil, and clove oil. It is very effective against fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes, giving your pets all-round protection.

There are many more herbal products that may find their way to our best herbal flea spray compilations from time to time. So, you can either prepare your own homemade herbal flea spray from the recipe we’ve outlined for you, or you can try out the recommended products we’ve introduced to you, or better still, you can ask your Vet for a recommendation.

Can You See Fleas

December 12, 2022 By admin

Vampires have recently come into popularity with some wishing to even be bitten! This article is about a different and far less desirable type of vampire, fleas. They feed on blood and creep into homes. However, can you see fleas?

Fleas

Fleas are tiny creatures; hence, the question can you see fleas? They are brown insects with flat bodies, and a conspicuous back leg in place of wings. They make it into your home by hitchhiking on your pets’ skin since they are excellent jumpers.

Their Bites

A flea bite isn’t as painful as a wasp sting, but it sure leaves its mark. You feel itchy, and your body begins to swell in affected regions. These vampires are not that much interested in you; they are more interested in your pets. A bite every 5 minutes keeps your cat or dog itchy, sore, and uncomfortable. All the blood loss also causes your pet to get anemia and look pale.

Female Fleas

Female fleas lay up to 50 eggs per day. They stay out of your way and can survive for 100 days. So, a problem that started with only a few fleas can become a big announcement by a larger population of fleas screaming, “can you see me.” Fleas hide in beddings, carpets, and furniture bases. When searching for fleas, be on the lookout for small dark spots known as flea dirt, a mixture of blood and feces (all that sucking has to go somewhere right.)

Signs of Infestations

Scratching: Is your cat or dog getting frustrated and angry from scratching all the time? Fleas hide in thick furs and can spread to several places like the back of the head and neck and even to armpits. This excessive scratching could be a pointer to an invasion.
Restlessness: When your lazy cat starts staying awake longer, or your dog starts getting irritated and restless, it could be because of a flea infestation. All that fur that covers your pet comes at a cost.
Hair Loss: Not yours, you are only getting older. But when you start noticing hair losses in your pets, your flea problem just got more serious.
Reddened Patches: Flea bites look like small red spots and appear in lines. If you notice this on your pet’s body, you have a flea problem.

Treating an Infestation

Now that you are sure fleas have invaded your house, you can get rid of them by following the steps outlined:

Vacuuming: Usually, this is the most effective home method to combat flea invasion. All furniture should be moved, and hidden places exposed. The vacuum bag should be thrown away after vacuuming. Vacuuming is much more important than just cleaning the area and removing flea dirt – the force it exerts causes flea larvae to emerge from their hiding places, making your job effective. Depending on the seriousness of your flea problem, repeat vacuuming every other day for 10 days to a month.

2. Treating your dog or cat: Use a fine-tooth comb to inspect your pets’ fur carefully. Look closely for fleas in all of its forms: eggs, larvae, and adults. Dispose of any fleas you find in a bowl of hot soapy water. And be sure to enlist the help of your vet to determine the proper medication for your pets.

More Treatment Options

3. Washing or changing all beddings and pet beddings: this is quite straightforward; changing beddings completely is to be considered when dealing with heavy infestations.

4. Using dish soap: this involves trapping fleas in dish soaps. To prepare this, you would fill a bowl with a mixture of warm water and dish soap, when you are done, place it in the areas where you suspect high flea activity. Water and dish soap mixes to form a solution that acts as a glue, trapping fleas. This method should be repeated daily. It is most effective at night because fleas are nocturnal creatures.

Now that you can see fleas; they don’t have to make life miserable for you and your pet.

How Long Do Flea Bites Last on Babies

December 9, 2022 By admin

Your baby spends lots of time either in his or her crib or on the floor. If you get to notice any bumps or strange, tiny bite marks on their then it is likely to be a bite. Pets are fun to be with and are in fact friends to your babies. However the pests that typically accompany them such as fleas makes bonding hard. It is important as a parent that you identify flea bites on your baby early. It is normal to get worried but what you shouldn’t do is to ignore the problem. Ignoring bites can be painful and severe for your baby.

How long will the flea bites on your baby last?

When a flea bites your baby, wheals are likely to form around the bitten area (skin in the immediate area rises). Normally these fade in a few hours. However, within 24 hours an itchy welt could appear and fades within 48-72 hours. Scratching the flea bite at this point won’t make things any better.

The immediate reaction of the baby to flea bite is the whealing which occurs within the first 2-4 hours and is meant to fade quickly without causing much irritation. A delayed reaction, however, could last up to 7 days after the welt must have replaced the wheal. The welts are extremely itchy. They should start fading from the second day but there are cases where they persist in young ones for up to a week and even after fading still leave a pale red mark which could last for another week.

Secondary infections

You should know that rubbing on the flea bites on your babies can retrigger the wheals and even prolong its healing. Also, if lesions appear, do not scratch them. Scratching can break open their tender skin, release fluid and even cause crusting. This could predispose your young one to a secondary infection with usually presents in the form of lesion filled with pus in the form of boils. It could take up to 4 to 6 weeks for infections to heal and even when they do, the skin in that area could still be discoloured for a while longer. Some babies, however, are immune to flea bites. For such babies, they could get away with only a slight reddening of the skin, which usually fades within minutes to few hours.

First aid treatment for flea bites on babies

There are a few things you can do immediately you notice your baby has been bitten.

Use a strip of cotton wool soaked in baking soda solution and apply pressure to the bite area. This would help reduce pain and inflammation
Hot or cold compresses could help relieve the pain
If the baby is in pain and crying, you should apply a soothing lotion such as calamine lotion or aloe vera lotion to help relieve the pain

Essential oils from natural plant products like tea tree oil mixed with carrier oils like coconut oil and sweet almond oil can be applied on the bite site to reduce inflammation as well as prevent potential infection. Always consult a pediatrician before introducing new things to your baby.

How Do You Get Rid of a Flea Infestation

December 8, 2022 By admin

Fleas are a major headache for pet owners all around the world. They bring flea bites, infections and secondary infections along with them. But the worst part is that they bring along a lot of itching. Moreover, fleas reproduce at a very fast rate. They spend only 5 percent of their total lifetime on host body and during this time they can reproduce from 1 flea to 1000 fleas in 20 days. Moreover, fleas can lay eggs in almost all kind of fabrics which include your carpet, bedding, blankets, cloths and the list goes on. The most obvious question is “How do you get rid of a flea infestation?”

Fleas on Animals

According to a fact, fleas that you see in your animal’s coat are only 5 percent of the total population of fleas living in your home. And if you don’t do anything fast this population will flood your home. Here comes the most important question “How do you get rid of a flea infestation?” While you can kill a great population of flea on your pets by using anti flea sprays and shampoos, there are less, and more hectic solutions required to do same for your home. A flea spray or shampoo would only make your animal resistive against fleas and that too for 3-4 weeks only. To make your home resistive against fleas you would have to do some extra treatments.

Keep Fleas from Your Home

To keeps fleas off your home you would have to follow some steps depending on conditions in your home. Starting with the flooring if you have a tiled or wooden floor you would have to clean it by using a floor cleaner. Sometimes fleas can lay their eggs in cracks between the floors. If you have carpeting, then try to vacuum and wash it on regular basis. You would also have to vacuum your rugs and other furniture such as sofas and couches. You can also use carpet sprays. Since flees love dark places so use flea sprays and flea bomb in carpets, lining of furniture, under the furniture and cervices etc.

You can also fog your house in order to kill the infestation. Fogging can keep your house resistant to fleas for up to 7 months but in the end, it depends on the intensity of fogging and size of your house.

Fleas in the Yard

To make your yard flea free you would have to spray your yard with anti-flea spray regularly. Also, you would have to mow your lawn on regular basis because fleas love long grass. You can also plant trees such as mint, Echinacea, eucalyptus, lavender, garlic, tea tree, basil, cedar wood and citrus plants. These are not harmful for your pets and release fragrances which are disliked by the fleas, so they act as anti-flea.

Try to wash your pets bedding regularly. When doing a flea treatment always throw your vacuum bag after every cycle because fleas can hatch inside that bag as well. Wash all your pet toys and if you can’t wash them throw them out and bring new ones because you don’t want to make your pet angry. Most important make all above mentioned steps a habit or else it will happen again. We hope that you got your answer to “How do you get rid of a flea infestation?”

Can Fleas Live in a Car

November 29, 2022 By admin

Most people when they think of a flea infestation, think about their homes, or their pets. Rarely do other areas come to mind when considering whether you have an infestation or not. Fleas, however, are very resourceful and do not discriminate when it comes to where they will hang out waiting on a host. One place that you regularly are in other than your home, is your car. Can fleas live in a car?

Your Car and Fleas

In looking at whether you should be concerned about fleas being able to live in your car you should take a few things into consideration. First is where you live, what are the temperatures like there? If you live in an area where there is warmth and moisture you may have the perfect environment for the flea.

Doesn’t Heat Kill Them

It is no secret that fleas do not like heat as it does kill them. However, the heat must be above 95 degrees Fahrenheit. If the humidity is high, they will be less likely to die, and it may take longer for them to do so. The temperature range that is most ideal for them is 70 to 85 degrees and any humidity level that is above 70 percent is also ideal for them.

How to Eradicate Fleas in Car

If you see you have an infestation your first thoughts will be how to get rid of it, so your car becomes flea free. One of the more natural methods that can be used is something you may even have in your kitchen! Salt is a more natural option to eliminate fleas, and it can be table salt! Fine salt is what is best do not use thicker salts such as rock salts. Spray it around your car and especially pay attention to any areas where there is heavier flea infestation. Do not put it in areas that are difficult to get to. Let this sit for a few days and the salt will then dehydrate and kill the fleas. Vacuum up the salt and use a wet cloth such as a washcloth to clean any remaining residue.

Other Treatment Alternatives

If you are not looking to let salt sit in your vehicle for a few days. There are other alternatives to treat fleas. You can set flea traps or use flea sprays designed to kill them. Be sure to follow the directions for either product as they can contain chemicals. Getting fleas is never pleasant and your vehicle is the last place you want to see them! Finally, you can vacuum, and steam clean your vehicle, but you would want to if possible, use heavy duty equipment as household vacuums and steam cleaners can allow fleas to escape.

How to Avoid Getting Fleas in the Car

Unfortunately, sometimes it is not possible to prevent fleas from getting into your vehicle. You can always take preventative measures such as checking pets and yourself for fleas prior to getting in the car. You can also regularly clean your vehicle to ensure that fleas have nowhere to hide. While this is a troublesome issue it is not a hopeless one! Contact a professional exterminator if you suspect you have a serious infestation.

Can Fleas Live on Humans

November 28, 2022 By admin

Fleas are always a known nemesis to our pets. We do everything we can to keep them protected from these pesky little biters but what about us? Flea bites on humans do happen so are they capable of living on us as well? Can fleas live on humans? We will look and explore this unpleasant possibility!

What Are Fleas Preferred Hosts

When a flea has a choice between a human and an animal host, they will choose the animal host. One reason for this is because fleas know if they have an animal host with fur or feathers, they can better lay their eggs and reproduce. They also know if they are on an animal host, they are less likely to be disturbed. With humans there is more of a chance of them being knocked off. We are not ideal for their reproduction.

Types of Fleas

While there are approximately 2,000 types of fleas the most prevalent are cat and dog fleas. There is one species of flea that does prefer human hosts, but they are rarely found in the United States. This flea is the Pulex Irritans. While there are preferences for fleas they do not discriminate and if no other food source is available, they will go outside of their preferred meal.

Infectious Diseases from Fleas

Flea bites are not only annoying they can potentially cause disease. There are certain states that are more susceptible to different types of disease. In the western states the most common flea transmitted disease is the plague. For the southern states people are more susceptible to typhus. Furthermore, there is always potential for an allergic reaction if you are sensitive to the bite. You should look for signs of irritation, hives, or itching that is more intense than it should be for the bite. If you have any of these symptoms or common diseases spread from fleas, you will want to contact a medical professional.

Getting Rid of Infestation

If you suspect, you have a flea infestation in your home there are some things you can do to help eliminate them. You would want to ensure that any bedding your pet has is washed in hot water. If there are any toys that are made of cloth you would also want to wash them. You would also want to vacuum and ensure you dump the debris in a plastic bag away from your home if possible. You also would want to consider insecticides or contact a professional exterminator to help eradicate them so that you and your furry friends do not become reinfested.

Preferences for Pests

As you can see fleas will prefer animal hosts over humans but if one isn’t available humans are fair game! Fleas can spread disease to humans and cause potential allergic reactions as well. If you suspect, you are infested with fleas there are numerous things you can do to eliminate the infestation and give yourself peace of mind! We hope this helps answer your questions about what fleas’ preferences are!