Black fleas are the collective name for several species of blood-sucking insects that parasitize cats, dogs, rats, rabbits and humans. These jumping insects are prolific, they not only spoil the home atmosphere, but also pose a danger to apartment residents. One sexually mature female can become the founder of a large colony of pests, therefore, when single individuals appear, urgent measures must be taken to destroy them.
Black fleas.
Features of fleas
Fleas in a black apartment are quite nimble insects. They come from basements or are brought in with pets.
Fleas can go hungry for up to 100 days! Insects tolerate temperature changes well. Insects are able to jump up to 30 centimeters. The optimal humidity for life is 70%. If it is lower, the larvae will die. The optimal temperature is considered to be from 18 to 26 degrees.
When parasites bite, they inject a special substance, but infections are transmitted through blood sucking, as well as through feces, which the insect successfully leaves on the host’s skin. Infections can exist in the body of fleas for a long time.
Fleas move from basements or are brought in with pets
Damage caused
In an apartment, black fleas pose a serious danger. They drink the blood of victims, and after that, after a while, they go for the blood of the next owner. As a result, a huge number of infections are transmitted through the insect. Some of them can be fatal:
- encephalitis;
- hepatitis;
- anthrax;
- plague;
- typhus
Fleas carry a huge number of infections
Parasites in the home can cause a person to develop helminthiasis. Fleas often hide in hair. Finding them in an apartment is quite easy. It is necessary to lay out clean white sheets on it.
Important! Fleas can grow in a clean room. They hide in pillows, mattresses, carpets, and on pile surfaces.
Parasites appear in the apartment with animals and old things. They can move from neighbors. Insects appear in the house and with rats. If parasites appear in your apartment, you should act quickly, due to their rapid reproduction. Otherwise, after a week the infection will be extensive.
How did the black flea get into the house?
Thanks to their jumping ability, fleas easily travel long distances in search of a new place of residence and, most importantly, a new victim. Even the cleanest house is not immune from their appearance.
Methods of entering a person’s home can be the following:
- On the body of mammals, primarily domestic animals - cats and dogs. But fleas can also travel in the fur of mice and rats.
- From the basements of houses, where parasites often live due to high air humidity. Therefore, residents of the first floor should be on alert.
- From public corridors.
- Along with things brought into the house. When purchasing furniture and other items (mattresses, carpets, etc.), especially used ones, it is imperative to treat the purchase against pests.
If fleas appear in the house, you need to immediately begin exterminating them. Otherwise, they will not allow you to live in peace and will regularly increase the population size.
Methods of disposal
If fleas with a black color appear in the house, you should not delay the process. Urgent action must be taken.
Treat your pet. It is better to do this in advance, and not when the animal has already begun to itch. It is easier to see parasites behind the ears - the skin there is lighter, the blackheads are clearly visible. Proceed with caution to avoid infection. Insect bites are similar to mosquito bites, but smaller and leave scars. In an apartment, fleas can be seen behind baseboards, on furniture, and clothes.
One of the stages of getting rid of fleas in an apartment is treating the pet
We also invite you to find out how fleas differ from lice by reading the corresponding article on our resource.
What to do
- When getting rid of parasites, you should start with the simplest thing - cleaning. Wash your laundry and hang it out in the fresh air. Wash floors, baseboards, window sills. Remove dust from cabinets. Vacuum carpets and upholstered furniture.
- If you don’t have the desire or time to do general cleaning, call a special service. She will help quickly.
- Methods for getting rid of insects can be different. The action of the insecticide gives a good result. Spray Dichlorvos on walls, floors, ceilings, and furniture. Close the door and do not enter the room for several hours. Then you can ventilate the room.
- Then you shouldn’t wash everything in the house right away. The parasites will die, but the eggs will live for a week. If the procedure does not help, you should repeat it.
When getting rid of parasites, you should start with the simplest thing - cleaning
Appearance
The flea's body length is about 3 mm . These insects are flattened on the sides, so they are not easy to crush .
They are covered with a durable chitinous shell, which also provides them with reliable protection.
There are sharp claws at the ends of the flea's legs, and the insect's body is covered with bristles, thanks to which it easily clings to fur, skin or fabric .
The hind pair of legs of the parasite is much better the other two. Thanks to it, the flea can make long jumps , moving quickly and avoiding danger. The eggs of these insects are very small , and it is almost impossible .
During its life, a flea goes through a full cycle of transformation . This means that insect larvae differ significantly from adults . They look like little worms.
Folk remedies
- Fleas can be killed by cold. There is no need to do anything; the parasites will escape on their own.
- Pine sawdust performs well. They can be spread under animal bedding. For fleas, the smell of pine is extremely unpleasant.
- Animal wool is treated with a decoction of tansy, eucalyptus and wormwood leaves. The leaves are simply poured with boiling water and allowed to brew. The method is good for preventive purposes.
- In the house, calamus or wormwood leaves are placed in corners and cabinets. In one of our previous publications, we also talked about how to use eucalyptus in the fight against fleas.
- A mixture of baking soda and salt is effective. The substances are mixed in equal parts and poured onto the carpet. They wait until the morning and vacuum the lint.
- You can make a preventive shampoo and wash the floor with it. To do this, add a decoction of nettle and calendula to the soap solution.
- Animals can be bathed by dissolving a pack of salt in a bucket. It is necessary for the pet to be in such a “bath” for 4 minutes. Afterwards he should take a shower.
Preventive measures
As in the case of organ diseases, it is better to prevent infestation of premises by parasites in advance than to try to correct the situation later. If arthropods have already been eradicated from an apartment or house, it will not hurt to adhere to basic rules that will avoid the reappearance of foreign inhabitants. So, in order to prevent fleas from fleas, it is recommended:
- Regularly treat animal fur with drops and sprays, purchase and change flea collars, especially if the cat or dog is often outdoors.
- Check whether rodents have access to the house, basement or cellar. If rats or mice are found, treat the premises and remove the animals.
- Regularly inspect basements and attics of apartment buildings to avoid mass reproduction of parasites. To eliminate fleas, use powders or liquid sprays once every 3 months, preferably in warm weather.
- Inspect and thoroughly wash all clothes that a person has worn in the basement, attic, in the forest or hunting.
- Treat and wash bedding, houses, and beds for pets.
- Promptly carry out wet and dry cleaning of the room, wash and vacuum the cracks and baseboards so that no larvae remain there.
In any case, when carrying out treatment of the territory yourself, it is best to use proven means, the effectiveness of which has been previously proven.
Consequences of bites
The shins and feet most often suffer from fleas. Less commonly, lesions can be seen on the hands. Blisters form at the site of the bites. Swelling may develop and turn into blisters.
Flea saliva contains a special enzyme that causes inflammation. But the reaction can also be individual. Some people tolerate bites calmly. Others experience an acute reaction, including scabies and hair loss. Ulcers may form at the site of the wounds. The situation becomes more complicated if there is an allergy to parasites. By making a bite, the flea retains the infection in its body. She can bring it to people throughout the year. Insects often wander from one donor to another. Infected parasites are dangerous. They can “reward” a person:
- erysipelioid;
- plague;
- pseudotuberculosis;
- typhus;
- tularemia;
- anthrax;
- brucellosis.
Flea saliva contains a special enzyme that causes inflammation.
A flea can carry worms. You should get rid of it as early as possible.
How to protect your home from parasites: preventative measures
It is impossible to get rid of fleas once and for all; to prevent their appearance, the following preventive measures must be observed:
- carry out wet cleaning weekly, paying special attention to hard-to-reach places;
- clean outdoor shoes upon returning home;
- put flea collars on your pets or treat them with products to prevent infection by blood-sucking insects;
- change bed and underwear regularly;
- regularly steam pillows, mattresses and blankets;
- When washing the floor and wiping dust, add detergent and essential oil to the water;
- periodically wash the floor with bleach or insecticides;
- regularly vacuum or beat out carpets, rugs and upholstered furniture;
- wash soft toys regularly;
- monitor the cleanliness of pet items (cages, beds);
- Avoid cluttering your home and storing rags.
