What Do Flea Bites Look Like? | Get Rid of Fleas

Identifying Flea Bites

Since flea bites can look like the mark of another insect, it’s often hard to determine them initially. Some folks aren’t bothered by the bites, while others are sensitive to them and seem to attract pests. The flea bite is often a tiny, red, raised bump that itches. They’re usually found on the lower legs, ankles, or feet but can be anywhere on the body.

The reason they become raised is due to a reaction to their saliva. Just like your dog or cat might have an allergy to the flea’s spit, you, too, can be allergic. The intense need to scratch the bump is common, and it’s best to use a cream that can remove the itch to prevent secondary infections.

People often confuse a flea bite with that of mosquitoes or bedbugs, which often requires more detective work to discover what’s invaded your home. To prevent these bites, it’s essential to control your living environment and ensure that your pets are adequately protected with preventatives.

The Anatomy of the Flea

Fleas are tiny and only get to be around 1-4 millimeters in length. Their small, flat bodies allow them to jump from one surface to another quickly, and they can easily maneuver through your pet’s hair. Ironically, these incredible jumpers can leap up to 150 times their body length, which is a pretty good distance for such a small pest.

The flea is part of the ectoparasite family, which means they feed on blood to thrive. Their mouth is designed to pierce the skin so that they can consume blood. While they prefer to feast on rodents, dogs, cats, rabbits, squirrels, and other small animals, they will use human blood if nothing else is available. Did you know that some flea species will even feed on birds?

Fleas are sensory insects that can detect things like heat, vibration, and even carbon dioxide, and these senses help them find their next meal. This is how they can detect you walking throughout the home, and they can latch onto you with ease.

Life Cycle

Like many insects, the flea will go through four distinct phases: the egg, larva, pupa, and adulthood. It takes weeks to months to go through all these stages, and the duration depends entirely on the environment where the egg was laid.

One reason you have so many problems with fleas once they get into your home is the number of eggs a female can lay at one time. One pesky female can lay hundreds during her life, so can you imagine what a couple hundred ladies could do in your house? It’s no wonder people have rapid infestations in the blink of an eye. Also, eggs in your home will hatch much faster due to favorable conditions.

Identifying a Flea Infestation in Your Home

There are many ways that you can identify if you have an infestation in your home. One of the first is by observing your pet’s behavior. If you have animals, they’re prone to fleas during the warmer weather, so any excessive scratching should be notated.

It’s important to note that just because an animal scratches or digs doesn’t necessarily mean they have fleas. Allergies can also cause animals to scratch incessantly, so you need to do some further investigation to find out the root cause. It’s also possible that you can have fleas in your home without having pets. Remember, fleas can easily hitch a ride on your pant leg.

Additionally, if you’ve just moved into a place that previously had animals, they may have left some fleas or sneaky eggs that will eventually hatch. One way to check for a flea problem is by putting a glue trap on the floor. Since fleas like to jump around, the glue trap will capture them and give you the evidence you need to verify a serious problem. Glue traps are cheap and very effective but won’t help you eliminate the issue.

You should invest in a flea comb if you have animals. You can run this comb through their fur, and you may be surprised by what it uncovers. There can be live fleas, but you might also pick up flea dirt. Flea dirt is the fecal matter left behind by these insects. It’s small pellets of feces that are made of blood.

If you run your hands through your pet’s hair and feel little gritty grains that feel like coffee, they likely have a flea issue. It’s called flea dirt because it looks like specs of soil, but when you put these pellets on a wet paper towel, they will turn red due to their chemical makeup. You may also find flea dirt in their beds or on furniture where your pets lay.

Flea Allergens

Some pets are allergic to flea bites, so they scratch, lick, and drive themselves crazy. Part of the problem is the saliva that the flea excretes. If your pet is being bitten repetitively, it can tear the hair out in an area with many bites. The saliva causes allergens to form on the skin, and they go mad with the need to scratch.

Some folks often mistake these areas for hot spots, and while they are ‘hot spots’ per se, they’re caused by fleas rather than yeast on the skin. Fleas can cause significant discomfort to pets and humans, and prompt treatment is necessary. The situation can get out of hand quickly, so you need to move fast due to the rate at which they can reproduce.

The Dangers of Fleas

These pesky insects can be a severe danger to both you and your pets. Not only can they cause allergies known as dermatitis, but they can cause secondary infections due to the constant scratching. The skin of you and your pets has a natural barrier that helps to keep bacteria at bay. When this protective layer is disturbed, it can cause an infection to form. If you have flea bites on your legs and scratch at them, you’re increasing the chances of infections.

Another common problem with fleas is that they cause anemia. When you have a severe infestation where a pet is covered, each flea drinking blood can reduce its volume. Fleas can drink enough blood to make a pet anemic. You can identify anemia by lethargy, weakness, pale gums, and the underside of the eyelid being white rather than pink or red. Any pet with anemia must be seen by a vet immediately.

Fleas can also transmit diseases to you due to the various hosts they use to feed. Remember the Bubonic Plague or The Black Death back in the 14th century? An estimated 75 to 200 million people lost their lives due to fleas. The ability to wipe out nearly half of Europe is no small feat, and it shows just how dangerous these insects are to humans.

If you see rice-like grains around the rectal area of your pet, they may have contracted tapeworms from fleas. Tapeworm larvae can get into your pet’s mouth when they chew on a site where a flea has bitten. The infestations of tapeworms can cause your pets to have gastrointestinal problems, which can be painful and costly to remedy.

Finally, the stress and discomfort a flea infestation can bring shouldn’t be ignored. Constantly scratching and having things crawl all over your body can cause behavioral changes for you or your pets.

Steps to Remedy a Flea Infestation in Your Home

As pest control professionals, fleas keep us hopping during the warmer weather. We often get calls from customers who are frantic and ready to throw out furniture or rip up carpets to get rid of them. Thankfully, there are effective treatments that can restore the peaceful calm to your home.

It’s not enough to eliminate all the live fleas bouncing around, as you must also be concerned about the eggs that haven’t hatched. Many people get rid of these insects and think they’ve won the war, but two weeks later, they’re back to square one. The eggs have hatched, and the problem has begun all over again.

The first and foremost thing to do when you have a flea infestation is to go right to the source, which is your yard. Treat your yard with products that can get the problem under control, as fleas from the outdoors are continually coming inside. Some areas are more prone to fleas than others, such as land with woods nearby or those that have a water source.

Next, you need to treat your pets. Treating your pets is not always as simple as giving them a pill. You must bathe them, remove flea dirt and eggs, and medicate inflamed skin. A trip to the vet is warranted to get the proper medications to make them comfortable and keep them safe.

It’s advisable to wash all the bedding and any fabrics where the fleas might have been, as they can lay eggs in those locations. Use hot water and wash the pet beds frequently when fighting an infestation. Your vacuum will be your best friend during these times, as you can use the upholstery tool to get into places you usually couldn’t reach.

Ensure you don’t leave any cracks or crevasses untouched; these are excellent spots for eggs or fleas to hide. Once you finish vacuuming, it’s time to empty the container. Never leave a container with fleas and eggs inside your home, as they can crawl out, and the eggs can hatch. Remove the contents, seal them in a bag, and take it outside to the garbage.

Considering Professional Pest Control

There are many ways to fight an infestation, and the size of the problem often dictates the measures you should utilize. Some people try flea bombs that spread chemicals throughout the home, killing anything in their path, while others try natural oils and scents that fleas loathe.

You might not know that a professional pest control professional can help you get the problem under control quickly, and it’s usually much more cost effective than trial and error with over-the-counter supplies. We can take the situation in hand using expertise and products made for serious issues.

After your home has been treated, you’re not out of the woods yet. Getting your home completely free from these pests can take multiple treatments, and it can be a lot of work. Once you’ve eradicated the infestation, you must take preventative measures to ensure your home stays flea-free for the long haul.

Call us for immediate help with fleas. The longer you wait, the more time you have for them to multiply, and the problem will only worsen substantially. One phone call is all it takes to have our support and help in this trying time.

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