Can Fleas Live On Humans Without Pets?
Fleas are generally regarded as a pest which affects animals. It’s usually your cat or dog who has to deal with fleas. But what a lot of people may be wondering is this: can fleas live on humans without pets? The unfortunate answer is: yes. We have clients with no pets whatsoever calling us for flea control in London all the time.
Why do fleas live on humans?
You do not necessarily need to have a pet to be affected by fleas. So why can fleas live on humans without pets? The reason why is simple. It’s basically because fleas are not endemic to pets. Fleas are found everywhere in nature. Yes, while they do need blood to survive, they don’t need to get this from your pets. Fleas can live anywhere they find a host with blood to feed on, including human beings.
Believe it or not fleas can live in your hair, your clothes or any other part of your body. Remember, these insects are incredibility tiny. They cannot be seen by the human eye. If you’re itching and scratching it could mean you have fleas. Not something most people want to think about!
So can fleas live on humans without pets?
Can fleas live on humans without pets? Well, they do not necessarily need to be attached to a host the entire time. Fleas can easily survive several days without food. One way they get into the house is from the outside. Remember, fleas are found in nature. This means that anytime you go outside, there is a possibility you could bring them inside.
It’s very easy to sit down on the grass outside and bring in fleas that way. In fact, this happens all the time. Fleas can also be brought into your house on pieces of old furniture. Or simply through entering via a window, door or some other entrance. You can also bring fleas home when travelling.
Fleas can easily migrate from pets and move about. In fact, fleas are perfectly capable of living in your carpets, furniture, curtains and bedding. These pests are basically able to live anywhere in your house and will hop around until they find a host. Whether that is you or one of your pets.
Can I prevent fleas from being a problem?
The best way to keep your home free of fleas, and do your bit towards your own residential pest control, is to clean. You should vacuum your carpets as frequently as possible. Also pay more attention to your pets. Ask your vet about using anti-flea shampoo, or other measures you can take. Also routinely wash their bedding.
This is all very well, but the unfortunate truth is that fleas are almost microscopic. This makes them extremely difficult to get rid of. For this reason, most people will require the assistance of an exterminator. In the past the most common technique was to fumigate the house. Today there are far better methods. These methods include heat treatments.
What is the ‘heat treatment’ method?
This is a great new way to kill pests you’ve probably never heard of. What’s great about this method is that it’s chemical free. Yes, that’s right, there are absolutely no chemicals used with this method. This method is effective for all kinds of insects, not just fleas. For example, heat treatment for cockroaches as well as bed bugs and moths works very well. How it works is simple. All pests have something known as a thermal death point. What this means is that there is a temperature beyond which they cannot survive. Can fleas live on humans without pets? Not with heat treatments!
Heat treatments are also vastly more effective than fumigation. Many pests have built up an immunity to pesticides, but no insect can survive heat treatments. Bottom line: can fleas live on humans without pets? Unfortunately yes, but you don’t have to put up with this problem. Contact us today for fast effective flea control.