Do Fleas Live on People?

Flea bites can be quite easy, and when you spot them on your pet, you may be worried about all of the work that you will need to do to get rid of the fleas. You may be worried about needing to clean and treat your pets and your home. The most common flea to affect your pets is the cat flea. If you have any flea bites, you may also be wondering if you need to treat yourself or your family for fleas.

While cat fleas do feed on humans, they do not live on them. After feeding they will jump off of you to look for a new victim. This means you do not need to worry about treating yourself or family members when you begin dealing with a flea infestation. Clearing up the infestation on your pets and in your home will solve the flea problem.

Treating Your Pets

The first step is treat your pets for fleas. You can give them a bath in flea shampoo and then use a flea comb to remove the rest of the fleas from their fur. This treatment will kill any adult fleas that are on your pets. In order to prevent future flea infestations or from them picking up any fleas that are currently eggs or larvae, you should start using a flea preventative, which can be a flea collar, oral medication or drops you apply to the back your pet. Your vet can help you choose the best treatment.

Treating Your Home

The next step in clearing up the flea infestation is treating your home. It is important to wash bedding and clothes where fleas like to hide. You need to vacuum carefully both the floor and the upholstery. Even with the careful cleaning, it may be difficult to get rid of fleas without a treatment. There are a number of treatments you can purchase at a store, but they can be messy and time consuming. The best option is to contact a professional who understands the life cycles of fleas, and can effectively eliminate the adult fleas and prevent them from reproducing.

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