Anyone with a pet knows that animals can get infested with fleas. What about humans? Can we get fleas too?
Flea markets and flea circuses sounds like a lot of fun, but how do you feel when you hear about a flea infestation? Probably not great. Maybe even panicked. Most pet owners protect their animals from fleas, but what about you? Have you protected yourself and your home? Is it even necessary? Find out now.
What Do Fleas Look Like?
Fleas can easily be mistaken for a number of other insects, such as lice, bed bugs, and mites. Fleas are very small, less than an eighth of an inch long, have a flat body, and are brown or black. Fleas don't have wings, but they can jump really high. Between their miniscule size and their ability to multiply rapidly, you usually have a big problem by the time you even discover it.
Fleas are most active during the warm months of the year, like most insects, and prefer temperatures around 75 degrees. In Virginia, this means that we have an active flea season from mid-Spring into mid-Autumn. Fleas can survive somewhat colder temperatures but become less active once temperatures begin to drop.
Can Humans Get Fleas?
Now for the big question. Can humans get fleas? Kind of.
Fleas will bite people. A lot. And their bites will leave terribly itchy, uncomfortable red bumps. Usually these bites will occur in clusters or lines, not like a random mosquito bite pattern. Fleas will even live in bed sheets, clothing, and similar places for up to a few weeks before moving on to find a more consistent source of food and shelter.
Fortunately, humans make a poor permanent home for fleas. Our hair, even at it's thickest, is not a hospitable enough shelter for fleas to multiply. Fleas will tend to live on humans only as a last resort of finding no other better host. However, they can wreak havoc on a person (and especially a pet!) even if they aren't living on you directly.
How Do I Protect Against Fleas?
In addition to the discomfort of the bites, fleas can transfer disease as well. They can give you Spotted Fever (Rickettsia felis), typhus, and even the plague (yes, it's still around and yes, it happens in the U.S.). In addition to the human infections, fleas can make your pet sick as well. They can transfer parasites, Bartonella, plague, and even give your pet anemia.
It's important to keep fleas out of your yard, home, and pet's hair. Make sure to consult with your veterinarian about the best practices for direct preventative treatment for your pet. In addition, keeping fleas out of your home and yard will be the best everyday protection for your family.
Like many other insects, keeping your yard free of debris or overgrown vegetation is the first step. Avoid excess moisture, such as standing water or overwatering your vegetation. Many times, DIY pest control will recommend using cedar mulch to deter fleas. While fleas may dislike the smell of cedar, mulch tends to become a breeding ground for other insects, due to its moisture and organic decay, and you may end up with infestations of other equally unwelcome pests, such as termites.
One sure way to reduce the incidence of fleas on your property is professional pest control. Preventative maintenance of a pest control barrier will deter not just fleas, but other dangerous biting insects like ticks.
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To learn even more about common Virginia pests, check out our pest library.
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