Fleas live on pets, mammals, in carpets, in sofas as well as other household and farm goods. In a typical room, 5 percent of the fleas will be found on pets, 10 percent flea cocoons in the carpets, 35 percent flea larvae and 50 percent flea eggs, again in the carpets.
The Flea life cycle is similar to the butterfly life cycle. Female Fleas lay eggs that turn in to grub-like larvae. The larvae then develop into pupae and settle inside a cocoon. They wait for a host to start their life and suck blood.
When something warm moves by the pupae, they unzip the cocoon and jump on the animal or human body. All this happens in three seconds and the flea can jump as high as four feet.
Fleas feed on blood, and a flea can live without a blood meal for 100 days. A female has to have a blood meal to lay eggs. In addition, it lays eggs within 36-48 hours of having the first blood meal. A female flea can lay 2,000 eggs in her lifetime.
Homes can become infested with fleas due to pets that bring the fleas into the house, or because visitors unwittingly carry fleas into the space and leave them behind. In a short period of time, the occupants of the home begin to notice the pets are scratching a great deal and the humans in the house also begin to itch. Fortunately, it is possible to get rid of fleas in a short period of time by following a few simple steps.
One of the first steps to remove fleas is to quarantine any pets in the home. An easy way to accomplish this is to house your pet with a veterinarian for a couple of days. During that time, the vet can initiate treatments to remove all residue of flea infestation from the skin and the coat of your pets. This will help to provide your dog or cat with immediate relief and prepare them to return to your home after you have completed the flea removal process.
With your pets safe and undergoing a safe flea removal series of treatments, you can turn your attention to ridding your home of the pests. Begin by collecting all textiles in the home. This includes draperies, bedding, rugs, throws, and tablecloths. Wash everything in soapy water. This will help to kill any eggs deposited on the material. You can then brush the surface of the fabric to remove any traces of eggs and any larvae present. By washing everything, you get rid of fleas, eggs and larvae and begin to whittle down on the infestation.
Continue your quest to get rid of fleas by vacuuming all carpeting and upholstered furniture. Don’t overlook bar floors or any spot where dust could collect. Fleas can hide in dust with the greatest of ease. After vacuuming, remove the bag from the vacuum cleaner and fill it with hot soapy water. This will kill any fleas that were picked up during the cleaning. Toss the bag and its contents into an outside trash container.
After doing all you can to get rid of fleas, it is time to call in a professional pest control service. They can steam clean the carpeting and upholstery and remove any remaining eggs or larvae that the vacuuming did not pick up. Flea removal services also make use of a heat treatment to go over the carpeting. Fleas hate intense heat and the process will get rid of fleas at every stage of development.
As one last step, use natural flea removal products that are formulated to kill fleas that are lurking in the grass around your home. This is especially important if your pet spends a lot of time outside. Once you are sure your efforts to get rid of fleas have made your home safe again, retrieve your pet from the veterinarian and return to your normal routine.
Fleas are a pesky problem, but not something that cannot dealt with easily. By cleaning the home thoroughly and following up with aid from professional services, you can get rid of fleas and make your home comfortable once more.
Flea bites can give rise to a number of allergy problems, therefore, one should not neglect flea bites symptoms and seek medical help immediately. Here is an overview of the symptoms and treatment for flea bites on humans.
Fleas are known for their insatiable appetite. They bite several hundred times a day giving rise to irritation and at times also allergic dermatitis. They pose a threat not only to humans, but also pets. Human fleas are known as Pulex irritans. Fleas can be transmitting agents of tapeworm larvae, bubonic plague, stomach flu and murine typhus. The flea infestation is normally seen in the summer months, when the pet gets the infestation inside the house, or after visiting an area infested with fleas, humans themselves become carriers of fleas. The infestation spreads to the carpet in the house and eventually to the clothing and the human body (and pets, if any at home). At times, it has also been noticed that the fleas infest the house after a mild winter even if there are no pets at home.
Identifying flea bite is not difficult for the appearance, it has. The common symptom of flea bites seen on human beings is a small bump, with a tiny puncture in the center caused by the flea bite, surrounded by a red halo and itching on the spot. If you have to take a careful look at the bites, you will see that the bites did bleed, which led to formation of scab on the bites. Another common characteristic of flea bites, is that there will be more than one bite in the same area. In some cases, painful welts may be formed on the area of the flea bites, especially when a person is allergic to flea bites. These bites are usually found on the lower legs and around the waist area. They may also choose areas, where the clothes are the tightest. The fleas have small bristles, which enable them to move upwards to the waist area. Flea bites can induce different reactions from different people. The reaction primarily depends on the sensitivity of the person. There are some people who are not affected by the flea bites at all. Children are most prone to flea bites. Flea bites are commonly seen around the leg, feet, waist and between folds of skin.
How to cure flea bites? Here are some of the steps you should take for flea bites cure.
It is extremely important that your do not scratch the affected area. The fleas defecate while they bite. If you scratch the affected area, you are spreading the bacteria all over your body. Therefore do NOT scratch the affected area. Scratching leads to open wounds and secondary infections.
The first and the foremost step to wash the affected area with an antiseptic soap or lotion. Avoid usage of warm water to wash the affected area. It is advisable to use cold water, as warm water triggers off itches. Tea tree oil can also be used to clean the affected area. It will also reduce the itching.
Adding liquid soap along with lemon juice to bath-water will help in getting rid of fleas. The areas to check, if fleas are hiding are hair, toes, nape, behind ears, back of knees, in case of women under the breasts, etc.
The flea bite affected area usually has a swelling. Use of cold compress is suggested on the affected area. Cold compress helps in reducing the swelling.
In case the affected area is swollen and red, mild steroid cream can be applied. A steroid cream will help in reducing inflammation. Calamine lotion if available at home can also be applied to the affected area.
If the itching is unbearable, an anti-histamine can be consumed orally. Anti-histamine will help in reducing the itch.
In case with all the above mentioned cures for flea bites do not work and the condition aggravates, a visit to the physician is called for; especially if there is a discharge from the bites.
If you notice symptoms like headache, fever, body ache, nausea and rash, they all can be symptoms of murine typhus. It is very important that you consult your physician, if you notice these symptoms. In case the symptoms aggravate, you might need hospitalization.