Why Fleas Don’t Like Humans
WouterWhile fleas are generally considered not to like humans, their saliva contains proteins that keep the blood flowing, and the body reacts to these proteins, making them itchy. Some fleas, called chigoe fleas, are attracted to humans, where they can burrow into the host and lay their eggs.
If your home is contaminated with fleas, washing your bedding is essential. Changing your bedding regularly is one way to kill the flea larvae, and washing your bed linens can also kill adult fleas. Keeping the carpets and furniture vacuumed regularly is another effective flea prevention method. Vacuuming also helps pre-emerging fleas emerge from their dormant state.
Once you’ve eliminated a flea infestation, your home should be free of fleas within eight weeks or more, depending on the severity of the infestation. After a month’s time, the eggs that were laid a month ago should have emerged as adults. After that, they’ll either starve to death or die. Fortunately, there are some flea control methods you can use to speed up this process.
Fleas can lay over 2,000 eggs during their lifetime. In addition to being itchy, they can spread diseases like typhus, plague, and bartonellosis. In recent years, plague has been linked to prairie dogs, and some fleas still transmit the disease on occasion.
