From House to House on Human Hosts: How Fleas Can Travel on Human Hosts
No matter how well you clean your home — and your pets — there is always a chance that fleas might invade. A common way that fleas infest homes is by hitching a ride on humans. Though fleas prefer to drink the blood of cats and dogs, they will feed on humans if necessary. This means that even if you don't have any pets, an infestation can still occur in your home.
Fleas Can Hitchhike on Human Hosts
If you have recently discovered fleas in your home, they might have found their way there by hitchhiking on a human. Have you had friends or relatives with pets visit your home recently? If so, even if they visited without their pets, they may have carried fleas into your home. Fleas can hide in human hair, clothing and shoes.
They won't hang around for long, since they prefer the blood of cats, dogs and rabbits. However, they may stick around long enough to find somewhere else to infest.
Cat Fleas Are the Worst Culprits
The most common flea to infest homes throughout developed countries is the cat flea. However, cat fleas don't just feed on cats. They will also feed on humans, dogs and rabbits, for example. If cat fleas find their way into your home, they won't live on you. Instead, they will seek out the nearest furry pet. But even if you don't own a pet, that won't stop fleas from infesting your home.
Fleas Can Live and Breed in Homes Without Pets
In a home without pets, fleas will live in carpets, curtains and furniture. Once in these areas, they will lie dormant until a meal comes along. At that point, you will begin to itch. Bites usually occur around your ankles because the fleas are jumping up from the carpet onto your legs. Your ankles are at about the pinnacle of the height that fleas can reach when jumping.
Unfortunately, a female flea can lay up to 50 eggs a day. Thus, even if just one or two fleas make it into your home, if one is a pregnant female, you may soon have an infestation on your hands. The key to eradicating fleas is to act quickly, before they can spread out of control.
If you suspect that you have an unwanted colony of fleas, hire a residential pest control service to kill them off quickly. Fleas aren't just irritating; they also carry diseases, such as flea tapeworm, which can infect children. As such, if you have a flea infestation, call a local pest control service immediately.