Fleas can enter your home in so many ways. They may hitch a ride on a beloved cat, dog or other pet, enter on a piece of furniture, clothing or even another person. Once they are here though, they can cause all kinds of problems for you and your family, and they aren’t easy to get rid of.
Read on to discover how fleas are bad for you, and how to rid your home of them as quickly as you possibly can…
How bad are fleas for humans?
We all know that fleas are terrible for pets. They can cause irritation on their skin and lay eggs, bite and harm their host. What many people forget to consider is how harmful they can also be to humans. While they don’t actively live on our skin, fleas can still leave itchy and unsightly bites, but that annoyance can be the least of your worries.
Fleas can be bad for humans in several ways, but the main and most important one is that they can spread disease. Some of the diseases that fleas can carry and spread include:
- Typhus – this allows bacteria to enter the bloodstream. Symptoms of Typhus include fever and chills, nausea and vomiting, stomach pain, a cough, a rash and more.
- Tungiasis – more often found in tropical climes, this can give you multiple lesions which can become infected and cause a whole host of problems.
- The Plague – this last one sounds the most frightening, and indeed it is and can be a serious disease. It is not, however, quite the disease we know from history so don’t worry about it spreading like wildfire through your home and community. It presents as headaches, chills, a fever, weakness and swollen or painful lymph nodes.
As you can see, the potential complications that can come from flea bites far exceed a little itch, but even that is unpleasant enough. They can also trigger allergies, as well as the harm they can cause to your household pets, and shouldn’t be underestimated when compared to other pests like rats and cockroaches.
It is therefore of the utmost importance that you keep your eyes open for signs of fleas. These can include itchy bites, but specifically small ones around the ankles and feet. Pets should be regularly treated, but fleas can still enter on your clothes, furniture or at any opportunity given to them.
How do I get rid of fleas in my house fast?
Now, when people do have fleas in their homes, the first question they ask is how quickly they can get rid of them. The answer always disappoints. Fleas are notoriously difficult to get rid of due to their long life cycles and the sheer number of eggs they can lay. It can take months to be sure that you have actually got them all.
That is why proper pest control is so important. If you truly want to get rid of fleas as quickly as you can, you should ensure that you hire a company like Expert Pest Control in the Blue Mountains to do it. They will not only rid you of your current infestation, but provide treatments and measures to make sure that they don’t reoccur.
If you want to try and get rid of fleas on your own, some methods you can attempt include:
- Vacuuming – daily vacuuming can help remove fleas, and the strongest vacuum cleaners can even pick up the eggs that are left if you can get into all the right areas.
- Steam cleaning – steam cleaners are one of the best ways to kill fleas and their eggs as well. The high temperatures are more than fleas can survive, and the right kind of steam cleaner can also be used on furniture as well, meaning you are more likely to get as many as you can.
- Washing – though it sounds obvious, regularly washing your bedding (and any belonging to your pet) can help rid your home of fleas. You do have to wash at a high enough temperature as some lower heat washes don’t always kill all the eggs.
- Sprinkling salt or baking soda – this is a bit of a home remedy, but has been shown to be mildly effective. You simply sprinkle the salt or baking soda on your bed, carpets, furniture and so on, and then vacuum it up after a few hours.
Will fleas go away on their own?
One of the most important things to remember about fleas is that they will not go away on their own. Even if you lost a pet, for example, they would still consider feasting on you. As long as they can still find a host to feed off, your fleas will not be going anywhere.
If there are no hosts at all, for example, if you had fleas in a home that is vacant for half the year, the fleas would eventually die off. However, this process can take upwards of 5 months. Fleas can remain dormant in their pupae state for this long instead of maturing into adults that need to feed more often.
For those of you planning to wait it out, considering that fleas live for less than a year, remember that a female flea can produce 50 eggs in one day. Waiting for fleas to go away or die on their own is not an option. Proper pest control is the only way to rid yourself of fleas, and prevent another wave hatching straight away.
Final thoughts
Fleas are a pest that is dangerous to far more than just your beloved pet. They can bite humans, which if scratched can cause infections, but can also spread diseases that can be very serious indeed. If you are concerned that you may have fleas in your home, don’t hesitate to reach out to professionals for guidance and help.
Pest control experts can swiftly and effectively eradicate your flea infestation, and help to prevent any repeat infestations in the future. Don’t delay, get your pests under control today.
