Do Fleas Live on Humans?

If you’re wondering, “Do fleas live on humans?”, then you’re not alone. In fact, fleas aren’t common on humans. Fleas need a host that has hair and feathers to breed. They must be on the host for 12 hours in order to lay eggs. That’s a pretty long time to be on a human, and fleas rarely feed on humans for that long.

Fleas can jump from a pet onto a human, but most of the time, they don’t stay on human skin. They are found on pet bedding, upholstery, carpets, and furniture. Fleas like to hide in carpeting, cracks in hardwood floors, and furniture. This is why you should be careful about keeping pets indoors. If you want to prevent flea infestations, you should wash your bedding regularly.

Fleas can carry several pathogens, and their bites can make a person sick or even cause death. Some humans contract plague from flea bites, and plague remains a risk for human populations in the United States. Other human diseases, such as typhus, can be transmitted by flea bites.

Fleas live on animals and can survive in humans if they find a blood source. Humans are less attractive to fleas because they don’t have body hair. However, this doesn’t stop them from biting humans. Human fleas are about 1.5mm long, flattened from side to side, and are very difficult to remove from the human body. They also have enlarged hind legs that allow them to jump. The males have coiled genitalia, making them harder to remove from hair.