Human fleas: signs of parasitism and treatment of bites

1. Meet the human flea
2. Description of the parasite
3. Do fleas live on humans?
4. Reasons why fleas cannot live on humans
5. Where do human fleas live?
6. Exception to the rule
7. Why are human fleas dangerous?
8. How to protect yourself from parasites?

The main carriers of fleas into homes are domestic cats and dogs. Insects also move into the apartment on clothes and shoes, enter through basements and open windows. They annoy not only pets, but also other family members, leaving painful bites. Therefore, the question arises whether fleas live on humans, or whether these ectoparasites just come to visit.

Meet the human flea

Scientists have described 2,086 species, 200 genera and 15 families of insects. The official species “human flea” exists and belongs to the common family.

Common types of fleas

• Felines;
• Canine;
• Rat;
• Rabbit;
• Human.

However, do not rush to conclusions that there are fleas on people. The name of the insect does not indicate its habitat. All of the above types of ectoparasites feed on the blood of any mammals. For example, cat fleas bite cats, dogs, humans, pigs, and cows.

How dangerous are flea bites?

Fleas take a long time to adapt to new living conditions and food sources, but then their activity can be envied. There are a lot of bites on the body, they hurt and itch, and a burning sensation occurs in the damaged area. You can see what a flea bite looks like on a person in the photo below.

In addition to the feeling of discomfort, there is a risk of contracting a dangerous disease; the list of diseases carried by these parasites even includes plague, tularimia and rat typhus. About two hundred bacteria and viruses were found in their body. And this type of flea, such as sand fleas (fertilized females), even penetrates the skin, lives there and spreads safely. Even if we exclude the occurrence of serious diseases, itching and pain from bites provokes the appearance of ulcers and scratching. A person does not just suffer! Nervous disorders, insomnia, and irritability are common due to flea infestation.

Description of the parasite

The homeland of the human flea is South America. In the past, it was one of the main carriers of plague along with the rat flea.

The length of the body does not exceed three millimeters, the color is dark brown. A durable chitinous shell protects from damage, and bristles on the paws provide adhesion to animal fur.

The insect's jumps reach 30 centimeters in height and half a meter in length. The human flea has an excellent reaction, so it is almost impossible to catch it. He prefers cats and dogs as victims, but sometimes he doesn’t mind feasting on human blood.

The female is capable of laying up to 500 eggs. Metamorphosis into an adult insect takes from 2 weeks to one year.

Protective agents against fleas in humans

It is necessary to get rid of ectoparasites with the help of insecticides, and for protection you need to use repellents. These are pest control agents that repel insects from humans. The most popular repellents contain the following chemical compounds:

• diethyltoluamide;
• dimethyl phthalate (DMF);
• akrepom.

Deterrents are produced in the form of aerosols, lotions, creams, pencils, emulsions, and wet wipes. Essential oils of fir, juniper, pine, spruce, and lemon balm are used as natural repellents.

Reasons why fleas cannot live on humans

1. Temperature
2. No clues
3. Precautionary measures
4. Protection of future offspring

Fleas love warmth. The human body temperature is lower than that of cats, dogs and other mammals, so it is uncomfortable for insects to live on it.

Fleas require a thick coat of fur to stay on the victim's body and not fall off. Human skin is smooth. Can fleas live in human hair? No, either, because human hair is not as thick as animal hair.

Unlike other insects (ticks, mosquitoes, bedbugs, lice), fleas do not secrete an anesthetic substance during a bite. The affected person makes sudden movements and drives the insect away. The flea is forced to jump to avoid being caught. There is no point in living where you are constantly disturbed.

In order to preserve her offspring, the female flea lays eggs in secret corners: pet fur, carpets, baseboards, under beds and sofas. If they multiply on a person’s body and hair, then due to the lack of attachment, the eggs simply end up on the floor.

Signs of dangerous pests and the consequences of their bites

The fact that a person may have fleas in the house is primarily indicated by bites. They are found not only on the head, but also on other parts of the body. Pests bite very painfully, so it is impossible not to notice this moment. At the site of the insect’s “meal,” a reddish spot with a diameter of up to 5 mm or a blister forms, in the center of which there is a bloody dot. Flea bites on the human body do not go away within 3-5 days. People who are hypersensitive may experience allergic rashes or hives.

Flea bites

Research by scientists has confirmed the presence of more than 200 dangerous viruses and bacteria that bloodsuckers can spread if they bite a person. If there are fleas in a person’s hair, then there is a high probability of becoming the owner of the following diseases:

• encephalitis;
• salmonellosis;
• Siberian plague;
• brucellosis;
• tularemia and others.

Most often, fleas cause pulicosis in humans, which is characterized by the following symptoms:

• swelling of the lymph nodes;
• increased body temperature;
• headache, irritability, insomnia;
• poorly healing wounds on the mucous membranes and skin;
• allergic reactions in the form of profuse rashes in the bite area.

All these manifestations indicate that it is urgently necessary to get rid of fleas from a person. The struggle can be divided into two stages. The first is the elimination of the consequences of bites of dangerous insects, the second is the destruction of human fleas in domestic conditions. In order to remove the discomfort from the attack of parasites, you should carry out simple manipulations that will alleviate the suffering. Since there is no cure for fleas for humans, you can get rid of the unpleasant sensations yourself:

1. Treat the flea bite site with bactericidal soap or any antiseptic.
2. Apply ice to the wound to prevent inflammation.
3. Relieve itching with ointments or other medications.

Flea bites

If complications occur, you should consult a doctor for treatment with sedatives and antihistamines.

Exception to the rule

There is a separate type of ectoparasite that can live in the human body for a short time. This is a sand flea that inhabits tropical beaches. Distributed in Brazil, Nigeria, India. You should be careful when visiting tropical countries.

The sand flea strongly bites the skin and, thanks to its one-millimeter body length, easily penetrates into the deep layers, reaching blood vessels. It lives inside the human body for up to 7 days until the eggs finish maturing.

The sand flea is dangerous because it causes a serious inflammatory disease - sarcopsillosis.

What danger do fleas pose to people?

The most common consequence of these insect bites is pulicosis. It can occur due to the bite of any type of flea: cat, dog or human, since they can all be transmitted from one owner to another. The symptoms of this reaction are dangerous and similar to allergies:

• severe rashes at the site of the bite, sometimes leading to suppuration;
• the appearance of ulcers in the mouth and throat;
• swollen lymph nodes;
• increase in body temperature;
• insomnia and irritability, as well as headaches.

In addition, fleas, when they bite, are dangerous, regardless of the type: feline or human, since they are carriers of diseases such as plague, trypanosomiasis, as well as anthrax and encephalitis.

It should be noted that not every flea bite will lead to illness, but we should not forget about the danger.

Treatment of places where a bite is found is necessary, as more serious diseases can develop due to germs and bacteria entering the wound.

Why are human fleas dangerous?

Although fleas do not live on the human body, they can bite him at any time. Since the insect jumps to a height of up to 30 centimeters, the affected areas are usually the legs. If fleas have settled in the bed, bite marks will appear all over the body.

A red-pink spot with a black dot in the center appears on the affected area. It hurts and itches. The marks of numerous bites look terrifying. There is a risk of developing inflammatory processes and allergies.

Human fleas carry the following diseases:

• Tuberculosis;
• Typhus;
• Plague;
• Brucellosis;
• Hepatitis B and C;
• Encephalitis.

For people with weakened immune systems and children, insects pose a serious threat. Fleas also carry protozoan helminths (nematodes).

How to remove human fleas at home

To get rid of human fleas indoors, you should take a whole range of measures:

• do general cleaning;
• wash the floors in all rooms using vinegar (1 tablespoon per liter of water) and a couple of drops of essential oils of lavender, mint and other strong-smelling plants;
• wash baseboards and walls (if the coating allows) at a height of up to 1 m;
• vacuum over all upholstered furniture and carpeting (the disposable dust collector should then be immediately thrown into a trash can outside, and the regular one should be thoroughly drained outside, soaked in water and vinegar (1 tablespoon per liter of water) for an hour, washed and dried;
• wash all bedding and clothing;
• throw away all old unnecessary rags;
• take all blankets, pillows and mattresses out into the bright summer sun or frost for the whole day;
• treat all furry pets, if any, with anti-flea drugs.

After all these measures, you can begin to directly get rid of the bloodsuckers.

Flea remedies for children

In the case of children, the situation with fleas is complicated by the fact that parasite bites can be all over the body due to the child’s small stature. And the first thing to do is to properly treat the wounds so that the child does not scratch them, causing a secondary infection. The following are best suited for treating (lubricating) the affected area:

• aloe vera lotion (optimal for use in infants);
• Hydrocortisone cream;
• if you are prone to allergic reactions, the bite site can be treated with hot and cold compresses with a vinegar solution, which is created by mixing water and vinegar in equal proportions, or with plain water;
• a mixture of essential oils (tea tree oil, almond and coconut oil are mixed in equal parts).

If fleas are jumping in your child's hair, you can use lice treatments sold at the pharmacy. However, before using them, carefully study the instructions to know at what age you can use the drug and its contraindications. Shampoos with tea tree oil and scented lemon soap help get rid of fleas in your hair.

In children, flea bites can be found all over the body due to their short stature

Poisoning with special insecticides

If you want to get rid of parasites with the greatest reliability, you will have to resort to chemical industry products. So, you can use:

• sprays (aerosols);
• powders/dusts, in particular microencapsulated products;
• solutions/concentrates;
• crayons.

Aerosols (sprays)

Such drugs cause the death of insects after entering the respiratory tract. They act most quickly compared to other means and with their help you can get rid of parasites within 24 hours. The most popular drugs are Dichlorvos, Reid, Get, Raptor, Combat.

To use them you need:

1. Do a general cleaning of the room.
2. Remove food and utensils from the room.
3. Move furniture away from the walls.
4. Remove all uninvolved persons from the premises.
5. Wearing rubber gloves and preferably a respirator (or at least a cotton-gauze bandage), spray the walls with the product at a height of up to 1 meter, carpets and floors, all nooks and crannies and baseboards.
6. Leave your home for the time specified in the instructions.
7. Perform through ventilation for 12 hours.
8. Vacuum and wash floors thoroughly.
9. After a week, you can repeat the treatment in case of severe infection.

How to treat a room with flea sprays - photo gallery

After disinfestation is completed, the room must be thoroughly vacuumed to remove dead fleas, eggs and larvae.

During processing, all food must be removed from the premises to prevent toxic substances from getting on them.

Flea sprays are highly toxic, so it is advisable to carry out disinfestation wearing a protective suit, or at least gloves and a respirator.

General cleaning of the premises is necessary in order to get rid of flea eggs and larvae

Different brands of flea sprays have different effectiveness and duration of action.

Powders/dusts

The particular effectiveness of powdered products is due to the fact that they destroy not only adults, but also larvae. This is explained by the fact that small grains are found on organic matter, which the young generation of parasites feed on, and adult fleas collect the toxic substance with their paws and chitinous cover.

Particularly effective are microencapsulated products that adhere to all surfaces. In addition, after a certain time, the capsules burst, and the poison scatters in different directions, greatly enhancing the effect of the drug. Such products as Clean House, Fas-double, Baygon, Tornado are widely used today.

After general cleaning, the powdered product is generously poured into the most secluded places - under the bed, behind the baseboards, in cracks on the floor and in the ceilings (if any). The active properties of the dry powder are maintained for 14 days, after which it is either removed or renewed.

Almost all insecticidal powders for insect pests and parasites are very effective against fleas

In addition, a solution can be made from the substance, which can be used to treat all possible surfaces. For this:

• put on rubber gloves and a respirator;
• dissolve 20–40 g of powder (the amount depends on the degree of infection of the room) in 1 liter of warm water;
• all walls (if permissible), hard furniture, floors are washed with the solution, and the lower part of carpets and animal bedding is treated with it;
• after 4–6 hours, all surfaces are washed with soap and soda solution;
• if necessary, the treatment is repeated after 2 weeks.

To prepare a soap-soda solution, grate 50 g of laundry soap on a coarse grater and dissolve it in hot water (5 l), then add 50 g of baking soda.

Solutions/concentrates

The solutions are most often used by professional exterminators, but you can also use them yourself. Among the popular remedies: Executioner, Sinuzan, Butox-50.

For use:

• do general cleaning;
• move the furniture away from the walls;
• remove all food products and remove children and animals from the premises, as well as all uninvolved persons;
• the product is diluted in water according to the instructions;
• treat all surfaces with it at a height of up to 1 meter;
• leave for the time specified in the instructions;
• After applying the product, do not wash it off for a week.

To get the product into deep crevices, you can use a spray bottle. When processing, be sure to wear rubber gloves to avoid chemical burns.

Flea solutions show high effectiveness, but are highly toxic

Flea crayons

An excellent means of preventing the appearance of fleas are crayons like the well-known “Mashenka”. Draw chalk lines in all secluded places, under the rug near the front door, and so on. This should be done in places inaccessible to children and pets. Crayons can also be used as an aid in the fight against fleas.

Getting rid of fleas with cold

Another fairly effective method of getting rid of human fleas is freezing the premises. True, using it is quite problematic - you may encounter a serious confrontation between neighbors in an apartment building. And it is imperative to warn them, because if your heating pipes burst, they (and you too) will be directly affected. And then you will face not just a loud scandal, but also, most likely, problems with the housing office, and you may have to pay a considerable fine for damaging state property. And in the event of a lawsuit from a neighbor, they will probably have to make repairs at their own expense or compensate for its cost.

Therefore, it is best to use such a tough method of fighting fleas in a private home, following important rules. So, before opening all windows and doors, all utility lines must be thoroughly insulated. To do this, they can be wrapped with heat-insulating material, in extreme cases, foam rubber or old rags.

Fleas die at a temperature of -20 degrees Celsius, and it is clear that it is quite difficult to achieve such a temperature in the house. However, freezing will take effect very quickly - after just 10 minutes of being in such a “freezer” they die. However, we repeat, you will use this method at your own peril and risk.

How to get rid of human fleas using folk remedies

In some cases, it is dangerous to use chemicals in the home due to allergies, small children or pets. And then folk methods come to the rescue. There are several such recipes that can quite effectively get rid of bloodsuckers if their population is not too large.

Herbal infusion

To prepare the infusion you need:

• take 2 teaspoons of tansy and wormwood and 4 teaspoons of eucalyptus (all plants in dry form);
• pour 250 ml of boiling water over the herbs;
• stir and leave to infuse for 10 hours;
• Pour the finished product into a container with a spray bottle and treat walls with it at a height of up to a meter, carpets, floors, upholstered furniture and toys. The pungent smell should drive the parasites out of your home.

Coniferous wood shavings

Pine shavings can be scattered in all corners and stuffed into the animal's bedding. The smell of pine needles is intolerable to fleas.

Citrus peels

Using the skins of oranges, lemons, grapefruits, tangerines, placed in all possible places, you can repel parasites for a long time. In addition, with this product you scent the room.

Garlic

Because of the pungent odor, fleas strongly dislike garlic. To get rid of parasites, it is cleaned, and the cut slices are laid out on all possible surfaces.

Folk remedies for fleas allow you to get rid of parasites without harm to health

Vinegar, cologne and camphor

To use the product:

• mix camphor alcohol, floral cologne and vinegar in equal quantities;
• The solution is sprayed on all carpets, baseboards, cracks and other secluded places.

Soda and salt

To use this product:

• take 2 glasses of water heated to 30–40 degrees and half a glass of soda and salt;
• dilute dry ingredients in water;
• the resulting solution is sprayed onto floors, walls, carpeting, and upholstered furniture;
• a day later they do a high-quality wet cleaning.

In fact, it often turns out that the most popular folk remedies like wormwood and tansy do not have any negative effect on parasites at all. Moreover, dried plants serve as an excellent springboard for fleas to accurately jump onto their prey. And the only consolation can be that by such means you do absolutely no harm to yourself or your loved ones.

By the way, in this article the author does not specifically mention methods such as, for example, spraying with kerosene. From personal experience, we can say that with such substances you will smoke out your household faster than parasites. Also, do not forget that after using such a product, your home is extremely fire hazardous. And getting rid of the pungent smell of this flammable substance is very problematic.

In the cold season, thick woolen tights, knee socks or high socks can be used for mechanical protection against human fleas. Although the parasite jumps quite high, such an obstacle may well prevent it from biting. This type of protection is especially relevant for small children, who can also wear a sweater and pants made of thick material. But in the mid-season period, try smearing your feet with Zvezdochka balm, the pungent smell of which can repel fleas.