Flea infestation of humans, apartments, animals. Methods of struggle.

Fleas are blood-sucking parasites that can live and thrive in an apartment and continue to reproduce if you do not take care of the problem in a timely manner. Fleas enter homes by clinging to our clothing or pet fur in an attempt to find a place where there will always be carriers to feed on. Since in our case the parasite feeds on blood, pets and people will suffer from itching and red bumps that randomly appear on the host’s body and are tiny in size.

There are several simple ways to help you detect fleas in your home. It is important to carry out such checks regularly to get rid of parasites before they can increase the size of the colony.

How to detect fleas

What does a flea look like?

There are more than 2,000 species of fleas in the world. Dog, cat and rat parasites are widespread in European territory. Due to its modest dimensions, the flea looks like a tiny dot. The dimensions of the above-mentioned individuals are about 1 mm.

For reference! The largest representatives of the order are moose fleas. An ordinary parasite is 1 cm long, and a fertilized female reaches a size of 1.5 cm.

The insect's body consists of two parts - the head and abdomen. The flea is protected from physical impact by a durable chitinous shell. The body of the parasite is flattened laterally and resembles a shrimp in appearance. This shape makes it easier for the flea to move through thick fur.

Flea

The parasite lacks wings for the sake of protection: a winged insect is much easier to crush than a walking insect with a shell. The flea has three pairs of limbs, with the hind ones being more developed. With their help, the pest can jump to a height of up to 20 cm. Successful movement on the host is facilitated by the abundance of bristles and spines throughout the body. They also help to hold on when the animal grooms itself.

The flea has a yellow or brown tint, depending on the subspecies. The parasite changes its color after drinking blood - to a dark brown or black color. In this case, the size of the insect can increase several times due to the swollen stomach.

What substances are included in effective anti-flea products for the home and for animals?

When choosing a drug, it is worth considering that fleas, like many other insects, have a chitinous shell that protects them from the harmful effects of the environment. In the composition of the product for the destruction of parasites, you should pay attention to the following ingredients:

• Pyrethrins are a group of insecticidal components of natural origin that have a nerve-paralytic effect on insects. Low toxicity, can be used to rid pets of parasites (externally).
• Pyrethroids (permethrin, cypermethrin, deltamethrin, etc.) are compounds related to pyrethrins that have a more powerful effect. Toxic to humans and animals, affecting the nervous system. Before use, remove people and pets from the premises.
• Imidacloprid is a neonicotinoid insecticide that paralyzes insects.
• Nitenpyram is a drug for internal use used to rid animals of fleas.
• Selamectin is a semi-synthetic drug. Suitable for treating adult, healthy pets.
• Fipronil - used to treat animal hair. It is characterized by fast and effective action.

At the initial stage of infection of a premises or during preventive treatment of pets, preference should be given to the least toxic substances.

Signs of fleas in your home

Let's figure out how to determine that there are parasites in the house. First of all, these are bites. Flea activity manifests itself on the legs - from the feet to the lower legs. Further than 20-30 cm, that is, the height of the insect's jump, inflammation does not spread.

Recognizing flea bites is not difficult. These are hard bumps with a tiny hole in the center and redness around the perimeter. During feeding, one individual makes peculiar paths, leaving 3-5 bites at a distance of 0.5-1 cm. Subsequently, the problem area swells, itches, and in severe cases, ulcers form.

You should also examine your pets by parting the fur and exposing the skin. If numerous black dots (insect feces) are visible on the hair and body, then you can be sure that flea eggs and larvae are already developing in secluded places in the apartment.

For reference ! An easy way to find out if there are pests in your home is with a blank sheet of paper. We place several pieces in places where the pest is expected to be concentrated and wait about half an hour. Small dark dots are clearly visible on contrasting paper.

How dangerous are fleas to humans?

The bite is sensitive because an enzyme gets into the wound with the little vampire’s saliva, thanks to which the blood does not clot. Therefore, the flea can get plenty of food. A small pink spot remains at the site of the bite, which causes severe itching.

Most often, bites are clearly visible on the legs. They are located scattered, in the form of small pink dots a few centimeters from each other. Flea bites are also noticeable on other parts of the body: most often on the arms, neck and armpits. If flea bites are actually present on a person, then there is tar soap and flea shampoo intended for people. If you find pink sores on your child's body, you should consult a doctor.

Depending on the individual characteristics, various lesions occur on the skin:

• allergies of varying severity,
• tumors at the site of the bite,
• swelling occurs and internal hemorrhages are possible,
• wounds become infected and ulcers form,
• dermatitis develops.

Before fleas bite people, they can parasitize other animals, transmitting infection and becoming pathogens of diseases: plague, typhoid, tularemia, salmonellosis, hepatitis B and C. They can also transmit helminth eggs, which leads to the development of parasites inside the body .

Important! Fleas are temporary parasites that can jump from one place to another, picking up an object to feed on. They develop best at t=+18-27C and humidity 70-100%. In 20-50 days, under favorable conditions, the flea turns into an adult. At low humidity the larva dies.

Flea habitats

If you understand that there are insects in the house, the next question arises - how to find fleas? First of all, you need to examine your pets. In almost 100% of cases, it is the animals who are to blame for the appearance of blood-sucking parasites in the home. Fleas successfully develop on warm-blooded hosts - cats, dogs and birds. As the population increases, insects begin to migrate around the house: they settle in floor cracks, under baseboards, in technical openings, and also hide in carpets and interior items.

Clothing is hardly an exception; fleas can live there too, since fleecy items of clothing are the optimal habitat for the parasite. The clothes have a lot of folds and an ideal microclimate. The only thing that is not there is food, so the flea is forced to go hunting.

Where do they live?

To identify parasites in the house, it is first recommended to check all pets (don't forget about birds). Then sleeping and hard-to-reach places, bedding and pillows are examined.

Check rooms with high humidity - kitchen, bathroom, toilets and waste collection points. If you live on the first or basement floors, study the paths connecting your premises to the basement. These are plumbing and ventilation pipes, cracks, and holes. If your house has a cellar or basement, don’t ignore it either.

Land owners are advised to check the shoes they wear on the land, as well as the bottoms of their clothing.

Remember that fleas are dangerous parasites in your home, as they carry serious infections. Exterminating fleas requires serious measures, so if you find parasites, contact your health service immediately. If you order pest control at least once, you will not have to worry about unwanted guests in your home for a long time.

How to find a flea nest in an apartment?

After the pets have been examined, you need to try to detect fleas in the apartment, for which you should carefully examine all the secluded places in the house where parasites can concentrate. It is better to act radically and for sure: dismantle the baseboards, shake up all the linen, clothes and carpets, and also carefully examine every corner of the upholstered furniture.

Many people find fleas in completely unexpected places, for example, in the bedside table, folds of curtains or in the PC system unit. The parasite does not have foragers like ants and the path to the colony cannot be traced. In addition, the flea is very small and after the next jump it is lost from sight. Therefore, the only right decision is a complete inspection of everything and everyone in the apartment.

Professional pest control

Calling a special service will require money, but only in this case the effect will really be long-lasting and guaranteed. At the first visit, the specialist will inspect, assess the situation and set a treatment time for which the room will need to be prepared.

Disinsection is carried out in one of three ways:

• fine spraying;
• hot fog;
• cold fog.

The most budget option is fine-droplet spraying. During the disinfestation process, the solution is sprayed using an electric or mechanical sprayer.

When treating with cold or hot fog, irrigation is carried out using a generator, during which fleas and their larvae die almost instantly. The difference in the methods is in the temperature of the insecticide solution. Hot fog is more effective due to the heat factor, to which insects are sensitive, but can damage furniture, clothing or room decoration.

How to get rid of fleas at home?

First of all, it is necessary to treat pets - a source of parasites. Otherwise, fleas will appear in the house again in just a day or two. You can find drugs on sale in different form factors, but drops on the withers are considered the most effective.

Drops on the withers

Popular flea remedies for cats and dogs:

• Bayer;
• Inspector;
• Animal Play;
• Merial;
• Celandine.

Next, you should treat all areas in the house where parasites can concentrate. There are also plenty of options to choose from: aerosols, suspensions, powders and concentrates. The former have an immediate effect, but do not cause any significant harm to the larvae and eggs. Therefore, it is more advisable to give preference to powders, concentrates and suspensions.

Important! It is necessary to treat every corner: cracks, technical holes, baseboards, wallpaper - everything that is within 30-40 cm from the floor. If the furniture is in the way, then it needs to be moved away. Half measures in such an enterprise are unacceptable.

Effective remedies for fleas in the apartment:

• Get;
• Cypermethrin;
• Clean house;
• Sinuzan;
• Tetramethrin.

Concentrates are quite toxic, so after treatment you will have to leave the house for several hours to consolidate the effect and then ventilate.

Choosing a flea remover

You cannot use preparations for treating premises on animals, and on the contrary, preparations for animals will be ineffective when they disinfest the premises. It is recommended to choose preparations that do not have a persistent specific odor for treating houses and apartments. Drugs with prolonged (long-lasting) action are recommended. Which cope equally well with both adults and larvae, these include: Get, Xulat, Lambda Zone, etc. It is recommended to treat basements and attics with dust (powder insecticide). A dust such as Eco Killer, Clean House, Phenaxin, etc. will suit you.

What to do if there are fleas in the bed?

Fleas, unlike bed bugs, prefer to concentrate on the floor rather than on the beds. But if a cat or dog living in the house is not averse to taking a nap in a comfortable master’s bed, then the parasite can gain a foothold at a height unattainable for it.

To get rid of fleas in the bed, the first thing you need to do is wash all the bedding, choosing a mode with the highest possible temperature. The parasite is afraid of high temperatures, so blankets, pillows and mattresses should be heat treated with a steam generator. It would also be a good idea to apply insecticides to the latter to kill the larvae and eggs.

Steam generator treatment

Rugs near the bed must be thoroughly vacuumed, or better yet, knocked out. From now on, pets should not be allowed to sleep in bed. In addition to fleas, pets can bring other equally dangerous blood-sucking insects into their bed, such as bedbugs.

Where to start the fight

1. If you have a pet, start with him. An infected pet should be examined especially behind the ears, face, and belly. Under the wings of birds. And treat it with antiparasitic drugs, of which there are a lot now. Anti-flea drugs are represented by all kinds of shampoos, sprays, drops, tablets and collars.
2. If you suspect that fleas came from your neighbors or from the basement or attic, then most likely they are disturbing not only you. Interview your neighbors, if you are not alone, file a collective complaint and contact the SES.
3. In your home, you can carry out disinfestation of the basement or attic yourself or call a special service.
4. If there are rodents (rats, mice), first get rid of them yourself or by calling a pest control service.
5. If you suspect items, shake them outside and wash them at maximum temperature.

Well, we’ve prevented the emergence of new parasites, now let’s take on the ones you have.

Human flea development cycle

The life cycle of the human flea is similar to other species of wingless insects. The only differences are the laying of a huge number of eggs by the female (2000 in her entire life) and the parameters of adults.

Bloodsuckers go through 4 stages of development:

• eggs;
• larvae;
• cocoons;
• sexually mature individuals.

Having had enough, the female lays eggs in various places - bedspreads, wool, clothes, sofas, carpets, etc. Eggs mature in about two days.

After hatching, the larvae begin to actively absorb the excrement of adult insects and other waste. Pulex irritans go through several stages of development, and then they pupate.

To emerge from the cocoon, the parasite needs a favorable environment. Therefore, the time from the moment the egg develops to the hatching of a new individual can last from 15 days to a year.