Flea bites - All you need to know

You do not see fleas on humans as much as we do on animals. When a human is bitten the fleas have more than likely come from a cat or dog. Flea bites are often found in large clusters, usually below the knee; around the ankles and on the feet. You can also get flea bites on the arms if you have been stroking or holding an animal. The bites appear as little red dots, however some people can develop an allergic reaction to them. Although this happens rarely, you can get awful diseases from the bacteria and viruses that fleas carry.

Studies have shown that fleas can store 15 times more blood than their own weight. They have lots of short spikes on their limbs which allows them to stick firmly to their victim. Once the victim’s skin has been penetrated by the flea, they inject their saliva. The saliva contains more than 15 different substances that may cause severe allergic reactions. Dogs are especially sensitive to this and may develop allergic reactions after just one bite.

All fleas are parasites, and they must feed off mammals to survive. The female flea also needs blood to reproduce; in fact, they need to be fed two-three times every day. They only need to mate once in a lifetime to be able to reproduce. Fleas don’t just bite because they can – they bite because they need the blood to survive.

Insect bites are not only an annoyance, but they are a potential threat to both humans and animal’s health. Luckily, flea bites on mammals are nowhere near as dangerous as other insect bites. As mentioned previously, fleas can be carriers of many types of bacteria and viruses, and they are also known to transmit tapeworm. Even if the fleas are not disease ridden, they can still send the victim into a frenzy if they have become a target of the bites.

Flea bites look like very small, red dots, usually located around the ankles and feet. When the bites start to itch this could cause skin infections and inflammation, so it is very important that you try not to do this, as hard as it may be! If you do not do anything about the flea bites, they will end up getting worse and worse and will cause a great deal of irritation. Tea tree oil acts as a natural deterrent for fleas, so if you are being bitten, apply this to the affected area(s).

To get rid of the fleas in your household, I would recommend the Pest Expert bespoke kits for all levels of infestations. You can find all our professional products by visiting www.pest-expert.com. All our kits come with full instructions with a step-by-step guide. However, if you need more technical advice then give our technical team a call on 0114 258 2407 and we will be more than happy to help.