If you get bit by a flea, is it dangerous? How do fleas get into the home? These are all excellent questions, and we’re covering them today. Read on to find out more about these tiny pests.
Posing Health Risks to Humans and Their Pets
Sometimes people notice that their dog or cat has somehow acquired fleas. While they may pose an annoyance to your pets, many don’t know that fleas also have the potential to transmit disease to people too. They are not only a threat to your cat or dog but a risk to the health of humans as well.
Fleas are able to cause people to have a reaction in the form of allergic dermatitis, but that’s far from the worst-case scenario. Although it remains rare, fleas continue to be transmitters of the bubonic plague.
Do Fleas Really Bite People?
Fleas really do bite people in addition to pets. They are known for showing up during the warmer months and once they’re out, they’re hungry. Fleas will settle for the blood of any mammal and what’s worse is that they’re easily able to get inside human homes in many ways.
Fleas can jump up to 150 times their height and can get themselves into a variety of places as a result. They can hitch a ride on pants, by way of baskets or totes, and on shoes. Once they’re in, they’ll multiply quickly and infest all areas of the home, especially beds for people and wherever your pets are sleeping.
Since females live 100 days and can have up to 500 offspring during that time, it’s important to clean as much as you can to get rid of them quickly. Fleas can also appear in yards thanks to critters wandering through like skunks or raccoons, so it may not be your fault that they found their way in by simply letting your cat or dog outside for some fresh air.
How Can I Tell If I’ve Been Bitten by a Flea?
A flea bite can be told apart from a mosquito or tick bite because they are smaller in appearance. They’ll typically show up in groups or a line of three or four and can be found on the legs or by the ankles, as well as elbows, knees, waist, armpit, and groins. They will look like red bumps and will have a small halo that forms around the center of the bite.
Are Flea Bites Bad?
Flea bites can be dangerous. Pets can get allergic contact dermatitis or even induced anemia or tapeworms from fleas. People may be irritated by the painful itching of flea bites, while scratching could break the skin and cause a bacterial infection. Humans should also be aware that fleas are capable of transmitting bubonic plague and even murine typhus, which is a bacterial disease, to people.
Treating Bites
Bites go away without treatment but if your bites are itching, calamine lotion may be a good option. Clean out flea bites with soap and water and dry before applying lotion or even aloe gel. The best thing that you can do is stop an infestation of fleas for good so that you don’t get any more bites. Prevent infestations by vacuuming regularly and being sure to wash laundry, pet beds, bedsheets, and blankets frequently. Check pets for fleas once they’ve been outside and manage shrubs or trees that are overgrown that could hide flea-carrying rodents. Get in touch with a pest control company if you discover fleas in your home to stamp them out immediately.
