How Fleas Use Humans As a Host
WouterFleas are small, flat insects. Most of them live on cats and other animals and rarely infest humans. Humans may be infected with fleas if we have pets or if we come in contact with pets’ feces. Regardless of the source of the infestation, it is important to know how to treat flea infestations. One of the best ways to treat flea infestations is by using an on-animal treatment that kills the newly emerging adult fleas. This is important because adult fleas lay their eggs and feces off the host they infest.
Fleas can’t jump higher than the human ankle, so they must access people through the feet. One of the best ways to prevent flea bites is to wear insect repellent with permethrin. Another good way to prevent flea bites is by tucking pant legs into socks.
Adult fleas that have cocooned themselves in a human host usually live for up to five months before emerging. In the meantime, they remain quiescent and wait for a suitable host to emerge. These fleas rely on pressure and heat cues to determine their location, and a human host can simulate those cues by resting on the cocoon.
When fleas emerge from their cocoons, they move from one place to another. They can also crawl on the host’s skin, though this is not a common way for them to move. Despite this, they can also jump from one part of the host to another. Fleas are most likely to be found on humans if they find a warm body to feed on.
