Fleas originate from another infested animal. They easily spread between different animals and then make their way into your home when the pets come in for a visit or to sleep. Outside, fleas can typically be found in shady areas, near long grass or bushes, while they wait for a host to pass by.
The flea is a small and sneaky pest. They come from outdoors, hanging out on an animal host or in vegetation, depending on their life stage. Most often, fleas make their way indoors because pets catch fleas or because fleas (in any life stage) temporarily stick to shoes, clothing, or belongings that were left outside.
Most of the time, flea infestations begin when an outdoor dog or cat brings fleas inside. However, fleas can also get in on old furniture or the skin or clothing of a guest whose house is infested. Fleas don't often use humans as hosts, but they can travel on us.
The most common way for fleas to enter your home is when a cat or dog attracts fleas and brings them into your house. But, fleas can also enter another way.
Fleas can hitch a ride inside on articles of clothing, and can also be carried on the backs of animals, such as bats, raccoons, opossums, rats, and/or squirrels.
Fleas may not necessarily go away on their own without pets. While they might not have a host to feed on, their life cycle can persist in the environment. Implementing preventive measures is crucial for effective flea control.
Adult cat flea. The sensation feels like bugs, worms, or mites that are biting, crawling over, or burrowing into, under, or out of your skin. They must be there, because you can feel them, and you are even pretty sure that you can see them.
Steam cleaning your carpets, furniture and pet bed is a brilliant idea if you have a flea infestation. Thanks to the combination of high heat and soap, the fleas will be gone in no time.
An oral fast-acting tablet that contains Nitenpyram is the safest way to kill fleas on dogs instantly. You can also bathe your dog in hot soapy water with Dawn to kill adult fleas, but this is not a good long-term solution.
Fleas can be brought into your bed from pets or humans and through infested clothing or furniture. They do need a host to survive since they feed on blood, so it's unlikely that fleas can live on your bedding or mattress for more than a week or two without an animal present.
Fleas like hiding in crevices. Their populations are more numerous in places where they can feed (like pet bedding and living rooms) and reproduce undisturbed (like lower-traffic areas or in carpeting). They also inhabit upholstery, furniture, and other common household furnishings, especially where they can stay warm.
They thrive in any kind of messy or dirty environment, whether indoors or out, and so it is important to keep lawn mowed and yard space tidy. If you do have an infestation, sanitation is key: vacuum and shampoo carpets, wash bedding, and treat your furniture.
Fleas in the house are typically found in sleeping areas such as bedding, carpet, and mattresses. Fleas on humans are often found in areas that are closer to the ground, as fleas tend to grab onto clothing while a person is outside.
Adult fleas lay eggs that hatch into larvae and get everywhere — in carpets, between floorboards, in upholstery, and in your pet's bedding. So you might think you've accomplished getting rid of fleas, only to find a new generation emerging days to weeks after you've started treating your pet.
These include the right temperature, food supply, and humidity. Generally speaking, though, an adult flea only lives for 2 or 3 months. Without a host for food, a flea's life might be as short as a few days. But with ample food supply, the adult flea will often live up to 100 days.
Fleas mainly feed on non-human animals but can bite and infect humans. They can be difficult to remove from the home and can survive for more than 100 days without a host. Bites from fleas can trigger allergic reactions, but they will not often have a serious impact on a person's health.
You can get fleas in your hair, but they won't stay and live there. Human hair isn't thick enough to provide shelter for fleas, and most species of flea don't even feed on humans, anyway. If a flea jumps onto you from one of your pets, it will probably leave in search of better shelter.
Enquiries relating to suspected flea infestations have increased by 47% in a year, according to recent data from Rentokil Pest control, and the experts believe the unusual weather in 2023 could be the reason.
Getting rid of fleas is a difficult process due to the long lifecycle of a flea. Moderate to severe infestations will take months to control and require a four-step process for complete elimination: Sanitation. Thoroughly clean areas where fleas frequently breed.
A fleabite on a human may appear as a small, discolored bump. It may present with a ring or halo around the bite and may be in a straight line or cluster. Human and non-human animals are at risk of fleabites, which can be itchy and painful.
In addition to the chemical makeup, other people believe that fleas are simply attracted to some scents more than others. This is why they might prefer a certain individual due to their natural body scent, sweat, and/or the products they apply to their skin, such as soaps, shower gels, deodorants, etc.
Clothing provides no nourishment to them, so they're not going to hang on a piece of material for long. These pets know that they need a warm-blooded host to get fed, so they will find one as soon as possible. Though they might jump on your pants or shirt, they won't stay on there for more than 24 hours.
