How to Get Rid of Human Fleas

There are several different species of fleas, and human flea is known as Pulex Irritans. Although this species is rare in America, it can be found in some households with pets or on farms which have pigs and horses. They are very small and are about 1.5 mm to 4.0 mm in size, but they have the ability to jump almost 1-2 feet. This ability to jump makes them a formidable pest as they can jump from one host to another sucking blood.

The flea drinks blood to survive, and it usually drinks blood before laying eggs, it takes around 2 days to 2 weeks for the eggs to hatch. The flea breaks the human skin and injects saliva which has some anticoagulant and anesthetic qualities. The saliva is one of the main reasons we do not feel the bite of the flea immediately. The anesthesia works effectively allowing the flea to suck blood unhindered, we only feel the bite when the anesthesia effect wears off.

Understanding Human Fleas

As fleas travel from one host to another, they can spread diseases and infections, the spread of one of the deadliest disease, the bubonic plague, has been attributed to the fleas. Fleas aren't partial and suck blood from humans, pets and rodents to survive.

The fleas have a hard body and can withstand great pressure, they are very adaptive and can survive on different hosts like cats, dogs, rodents, humans, etc. The hard body of the flea also protects it when it is being scratched or squished between objects.

Human fleas seem to have originated in South America and haven't evolved much since then, they have let go of their wings and use their legs to hop from one host to another. If you want to kill fleas, one of the easiest ways to do it is by drowning them in water.

How to Eliminate Fleas

If you have fleas on your body you will experience an itching sensation and will also feel like scratching the area where the flea has bitten. Flea bites can mostly be seen around the ankle and legs, the bites can be sore for as long as a week.

Getting rid of human fleas is quite simple, get into a hot water tub and scrub your body with an abrasive sponge or cloth. Ensure the water is as hot as you can bear and then scrub your body with the sponge to get rid of any eggs that may be on your skin. You get many flea control soaps and shampoos over the counter which kill fleas, take a bath twice a day using these products.

If you want to know how to get rid of fleas on a human using natural products, try soaking in a bathtub with lavender oil or eucalyptus oil. You can also rub lemon grass or lavender oil on your body after you shower, as some of the natural ways to get rid of fleas. If you have pets infected with human fleas, using cedar shampoo is an effective way of eliminating any flea infestation in pets.

Flea eggs are attached loosely on the host's skin and hence may drop off on to the carpet or floor of your house. It is important that you have clean living conditions to avoid flea infestation, killing fleas in carpet is fairly easy. Vacuum clean the carpets and also use soapy water to clean the floors. One of the better home remedies for fleas is to use Pennyroyal leaves, just put them under your carpets, avoid these leaves if you have kids in the house.

Get a fine tooth comb and run it through your hair. When you comb your hair the fleas will get stuck in the bristles, all you have to do now is put them in a solution of soap and water to drown them. Calling your local flea control guys is also a good idea, as they will use pesticides around your house to prevent and kill flea infestations.