Is It Possible To Get Fleas In Your House Without Pets?

Fleas are most commonly associated with pets. In fact, most people don’t see fleas as a human problem at all. If you have fleas in your house, it’s because your pets brought them in, right? What you have to realise is that nothing could be further from the truth. It’s more than possible to get fleas, even if you don’t have pets. In this article, we’ll explain why, as well as what you can do about this problem.

Fleas in your house: why this happens and how to prevent it

What most people don’t understand is that fleas exist in nature, entirely independent of pets. Yes, believe it or not, there are around 2,500 species of fleas which live out in nature. These fleas are mostly found in places like long grass, sand, leaves, woodland, forests and in shrubs. Fleas basically live in any area where they can find warmth and shade.

As you know, these fleas live exclusively on blood and this is how they transmit diseases. They are continually on the lookout for any creature with blood in its veins. These fleas aren’t picky at all. They feed on any type of animal, including humans. What usually happens is this. You go out somewhere like a park, or a forest, or even into your garden. The fleas jump onto your body and hide amongst your clothing. You then go back into the house and the fleas jump off. They find a place to live such as your carpets, and begin to breed. Before you know it you’re facing a full scale invasion.

Fleas or another biting insect – how will you know?

But how do you know if this is actually true? Are you dealing with fleas in your house hiding in unusual places, or some other biting insect? To determine this, you have to look for the signs of fleas. These are quite difficult to spot. First of all, look for flea dander. This is a fancy name for flea faeces. This dander looks similar to small black grains of sand. You’ll most often find this in your carpet. Also look for flea eggs. These look like small grains of white sand, or salt. You may also see fleas hopping about.

The best way to prevent fleas in your house, is simply by keeping your home clean. The most important task here is vacuuming your carpets as often as possible. This will help to suck up fleas before they can breed and create an infestation. Along with this, also vacuum your sofas, curtains and soft furnishings. If you can wash these items, even better. Cleaning these items with hot water will help to destroy the fleas, and also kill their eggs and larvae.

That being said, these steps are not always effective for destroying fleas in your house. These pests are extremely difficult to get rid of because they jump from room to room. What this means is that in most cases you will be professional help.