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Fleas are greedy and will bite just about anything that wonders by. This includes humans. You’ve heard of dogs and cats having fleas but what do fleas do to humans? Well they have the same affect on us as they do on dogs and cats. The only difference is that pets have fur so its easier to hide on them than it is for them to hide on humans.
Flea bites can cause severe itching, rashes, and sometimes infections. Fleas on humans can be frustrating but can easily be dealt with. You may have just a few bites on you from a friends house or from laying down in the grass outside. This is easy to fix and can be tolerable.
The thing you want to try and avoid is an infestation. I’ve been in houses where I couldn’t go anywhere without a flea being somewhere on my body. It drove me crazy!
I’m going to teach out what steps to take to take care of flea bites on humans and how to treat a flea infestation.
How do fleas get into your home
If you can find out how fleas are getting into your home you can find out how to keep them from biting you. Usually fleas are carried into your home by a pet or by you. If you let your dog out for a bathroom break there will likely be fleas outside waiting.
When your pet comes back inside they fleas will hide in their fur and its all downhill from there. They will bite your pet giving them the blood meal they need to lay eggs.
If you don’t have a pet then the same thing probably happened with you. They could have latched onto you and enjoyed the ride into your home.
How to reduce itching
You can reduce itching the same way you would with any other bug bite. You can use any of the following to reduce itching.
- Apply honey to the bite
- Over the counter Antihistamines such as Benadryl
- Ointments containing Lidocaine or Benzocaine
- Aloe Vera
Make sure that you avoid itching as much as you can. If you itch the bite it can lead to infections. If your bite starts to swell or become really red it may be infected. Go see a doctor as soon as possible to treat the infection before it becomes dangerous.
How to get rid of fleas in your home
If you find fleas or flea bites on your body then its likely that you also have fleas in your home. If you don’t want to be bit by fleas anymore you’re going to have to get rid of the fleas in your home. The longer you wait to do this the larger and more problematic the fleas will become.
Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous Earth is a harmless and great way to take care of large flea infestations. Diatomaceous Earth is the fossilized remains of aquatic creatures called diatoms.
All you have to do is spread the diatomaceous earth around you home and let it sit. While the diatomaceous earth is sitting the fleas will breathe it in. It will then absorb the moisture in their bodies causing them to die.
You can leave the diatomaceous earth on the ground for a few hours or a few days depending on how bad your infestation is and how often you will be in your home.
Keep spreading the Diatomaceous earth and vacuuming it up until your flea infestation is no more.
Flea Spray
Not one of my favorite methods of flea treatment. Some chemicals used in fleas sprays can be toxic and harmful. There are plenty of all natural flea sprays out there like Vets Best Flea Spray.
You can spray it on your pets, carpeting, clothes and anything else you may believe have fleas on them. As long as you use something all natural it wont cause any sort of harm to you, your family or your pets.
Flea Foggers
Another solution for a large flea infestation. Flea foggers are used when your infestation is getting out of control. You will have to use the flea foggers and leave them in your home for long periods of time. This means your going to have to take you and your pets out until the flea foggers are done doing their jobs.
If you want to learn more about flea foggers and how to use them check out my article here.
Flea Steamer
My favorite method of flea treatment. This is the more expensive solution to flea treatment but its incredibly effective. Fleas and their eggs and larva can’t live in the high temperatures that flea steamers produce.
The steamers are able to penetrate deep into your carpeting to kill any hiding fleas. Steamers are pricey but they are a great long term investment. All you need to do is repeatedly steam your carpet until the infestation is completely gone. You’ll also get cleaner carpets in the process.
Another way to make it more sure the fleas are gone is by mixing diatomaceous earth and the steamer. You can sprinkle the diatomaceous earth then vacuum and steam it out of their carpet.
