Short Guide To Flea Bites
Fleas do not discriminate when it comes to their food. They will eagerly drink the blood of dogs, cats and humans alike. They will also spread diseases to their host just as indiscriminately. Among these diseases and adverse reactions, you have allergic dermatitis and even the bubonic plague.
Will fleas bite people?
Unfortunately, fleas don’t shy away from biting people. They are parasites that will start to appear during the warmer season in order to feed on any warm-blooded mammal that they can latch on to, and this includes cats, dogs and humans. In order to reach its host, a flea will jump up to 150 times its body length, and once it jumps onto a dog or a cat, it’s only a matter of time before it enters your home. However, fleas can infest humans directly. If you are out on a picnic or on a stroll, a flea might jump on you and from there enter the home. Fleas also reproduce very quickly, often producing 400-500 offspring over a 100 day period. This means that an infestation can get out of hand very fast.
What does a flea bite look like?
Flea bites will look like small, red bumps, often having a “halo” around the center of the bite. What sets these bites apart from mosquito and tick bites is that they stay small and that they will appear in groups or in straight lines. When it comes to humans, the bites will most commonly happen near the ankles, legs, waist, groin, armpits, elbows and knees.
Are flea bites dangerous?
Not only are flea bites uncomfortable to deal with, they may also cause a range of problems. For pets, fleas are capable of transferring tapeworms, inducing anemia, and triggering serious cases of allergic dermatitis. In humans, a flea bite can transmit rare diseases such as murine typhus and the bubonic plague, although it does not happen often. One of the main issues with flea bites is that they can lead to excessive scratching, which in turn can lead to bacterial infections.
Treating flea bites
Flea bites generally go away without the need for any treatment, but there are creams and lotions that can ameliorate the effects of a flea bite. However, if you start to notice that you have fleas, it is important to get the infestation under control right away, before it starts to grow. Contact us today and we can help you get rid of a flea infestation.
