How to Protect Yourself and Your Family From Fleas

Fleas are tiny, external parasites of mammals. They feed on the blood of the host. There are over 2,500 species of fleas. Fortunately, most fleas are harmless to humans. However, if you have a pet that has fleas on it, you should know how to protect yourself and your family from fleas.

Fleas are brown and tiny parasites that live on cats and dogs. While they cannot live on humans, they can bite you. Dog fleas, for example, are not very common in the United States, but cat fleas are. These pests can also infest rodents, birds, and livestock.

In the United States, most cases of flea-borne diseases occur abroad. The virus that fleas carry is called murine typhus. The virus is carried by flea feces and is rarely transmitted from human to human. Treatment for murine typhus usually requires antibiotics.

Fleas prefer to live on the fur of pets. Humans, by contrast, have relatively hairless skin and do not support the life cycle of fleas. This makes humans hard to attach to, and they do not provide enough heat for the fleas to breed and survive. This makes it difficult for them to complete their life cycle. Human fleas are usually found on the legs, arms, elbows, and knees.

Fleas are a major nuisance, and they can make your home and yard a flea-ridden nightmare. Fleas are most common in shady, moist outdoor areas, and they are often carried by wildlife. Wildlife also deposit their eggs and larvae in yards.