Where did fleas come from in an apartment is the first question people ask when small biting insects are found. A lot of people think that the reason for the appearance of fleas in an apartment is pets, which, in fact, are carriers for these insects, but this is not entirely true!
You yourself can be their distributor, bringing them home after a walk along with dirt on your clothes and shoes. Or they will get into your apartment from the entrance or basement, or maybe from neighbors. At first, you won’t even suspect that these insects live next to you. You will only become aware of their presence when they become hungry, look for food, and find you and your pets.
Why are fleas dangerous to humans?
Fleas, whether cat, dog or flea, are dangerous to humans. They feed on the blood of animals and people, including those suffering from dangerous diseases. How dangerous are fleas to humans? Because they can carry these diseases! Among the infections and diseases carried by fleas are the following:
- plague;
- salmonellosis;
- typhus;
- relapsing fever;
- anthrax;
- trypanosomiasis;
- encephalitis;
- tularemia;
- listeriosis.
Interesting fact: cat fleas are more likely to attack humans than dog fleas.
Fleas rarely attack humans, mainly due to the absence of other living creatures. It is easier for them to hide in the fur of pets, and humans do not have such a thick coat of fur, so fleas are not able to live on humans, but they can bite.
Lifespan and conditions for reproduction
Many people think that fleas can only live by feeding on blood directly on their host - a dog or cat. But that's not true.
The insect lives relatively short - a maximum of three months. During this time, the flea lays up to five thousand eggs and can bite a person or animal up to 100 times.
There are several types of fleas, they are classified depending on the carrier:
- Rat - live for two months at a temperature of +14-15 degrees and a humidity of approximately 60 percent.
- Canine and feline - body temperature 36-37 degrees and humidity 50 - 60 percent guarantee the life of the parasite for a month.
- Chicken ones are more demanding on temperature (+40), humidity 80 percent.
It is important to know that fleas do not grow on the body of animals and humans, as well as birds, they only feed on blood. And colonies of parasites multiply in warm, dark and humid places that are not sanitized for a long time.
The life span of an insect depends on the average temperature; the higher it is, the shorter the life span of the parasite. At low temperatures and frost, the life cycle slows down. In severe frost, the larva can live up to two years without losing the opportunity to transform into an adult.
How long can fleas live without a pet and without food in an apartment? Read more in the article here.
Insecticides have virtually no effect on flea larvae; they only kill adult fleas. That is why it is recommended to sanitize the premises twice with an interval of one month.
Without food, these blood-sucking insects can live up to two months, but the female cannot reproduce without blood. Therefore, you can be bitten by fleas even in an apartment in which no one has lived for a long time.
This is the answer to the question of where fleas come from in a country house or in an apartment if no one has lived in it for a long time. You shouldn’t hope that leaving parasites without food for a month will doom them to death. Fleas in country houses feel great all winter, feeding on the blood of rodents. Therefore, if parasites are found, thorough sanitation of the room is necessary.
Why are there fleas in cities?
Fleas are as common in cities as pigeons and crows. They first chose five-story buildings, and then the multi-story apartment buildings that appeared. In cities, fleas are comfortable: they do not freeze in winter, because apartments and basements are warm, they do not have to starve, because there are a large number of stray and domestic animals. And apartment buildings allow them to easily migrate and spread. Even if treatment has begun in one apartment, some of the fleas will have time to move into the next room through accessible exhaust systems or through an open door.
Established comfortable conditions contribute to con in cities and towns.
What to do?
Two weeks for the egg to develop, a little more in the larval stage, and now, after quite a bit of time, an adult comes into life, which can live up to one and a half years. Although in practice, of course, they live for about two to three months, but these months will seem like an eternity until you figure out how to get them out.
These insects can be destroyed only by gradually implementing the following points:
- identification of places of accumulation;
- providing protection until absolute destruction;
- carrying out general cleaning and washing of things;
- insecticide treatment.
It doesn’t matter why fleas appeared at home, the main thing is to start exterminating them immediately and prevent their possible appearance again.
Where did fleas come from in a private house in the country or in the village?
We've sorted out the cities. Where do fleas come from in a private home? Most often they enter the house through animals - cats, dogs, chickens, rabbits and others. Since it is more comfortable and safer to breed in a warm house than in the grass outside, fleas remain permanently. Earth fleas can get into the house on your shoes and clothes; you just need to walk through an area of soil infested with them, and the parasites will attach themselves to you. There are cases when fleas enter a wooden house on the soles of shoes in the form of larvae or eggs and only after some time, having reached a certain stage of development, they begin to attack the residents.
How to remove fleas at home: 5 mandatory steps
So, we honestly warn you - you will need a lot of effort and time. But it's worth it. We will tell you how to quickly, effectively, and most importantly - without expensive means of extermination, get rid of fleas once and for all.
But for effective control, you need to know where fleas come from - this way we will identify the main causes and sources of their appearance in the house.
Where do fleas come from:
- Pets, cats and dogs that bring fleas from the street;
- Your outdoor shoes and clothing (it's easier than you think to bring in flea eggs with dirt on the soles of your shoes or on your clothing);
- Neighbours. If they have fleas or bed bugs, they will crawl to you without much difficulty.
- A basement or attic where rats live and carry rat fleas.
If fleas are actively living and breeding in your home, then it is possible that they have been there for a long time. For example, the previous owners of your home may not have completely eradicated them. Or there is already a colony of fleas in your backyard that has moved into the house.
As you can see, fleas can come from absolutely anywhere, so you need to methodically eliminate the causes of their possible appearance. One of the most obvious steps is to first make sure that your home is not infested with pests and that you do not need to get rid of rats. You should also check with your neighbors to see if they have a flea infestation.
So let's begin! Choose a free day off and get started. Have you already realized that you need to prepare for general cleaning in all rooms? This is the first and most important step in clearing your home of fleas. So, get ready:
Wash: bedding, blankets, curtains, all your pet's bedding, children's toys, pillows and blankets - it is better to dry clean them. This measure will also help identify bedbugs that are clearly visible on the mattress and upholstery. Wash at a temperature of 50 degrees, or better yet, more: fleas are very tenacious.
Clean carpets and furniture. Did you know that flea bites are most often on the legs? Precisely because most fleas live and breed in the carpets on which you walk and in the furniture on which you sit, therefore you need to monitor their cleanliness very carefully
Pay special attention to the rugs lying in front of and after entering the house, if any. Don't forget to vacuum the bathroom rug too. Once you're done, put the contents of the vacuum cleaner in a sealed plastic bag and immediately throw it in the trash can so that the nimble fleas don't have time to return home.
Wash floors
We hope that you already do this regularly, but it would be useful to remind you: fleas lay their eggs absolutely everywhere, so the floors in the house also require frequent washing. Do not ignore corners, baseboards and areas under cabinets and other furniture.
Throw it away. If you find that your mattress is full of dirt, eggs and dead insects of various origins, then it is better for you to part with it, because you will not destroy all this evil on your own. Of course, you can use the services of professionals, but believe me: you can get rid of fleas from your home yourself - and then use the money you save to buy a new mattress :)
Wash outdoor shoes. As mentioned above, your outdoor shoes can be an excellent carrier of flea eggs. Therefore, you should wash all shoes, boots and boots that you have recently worn to prevent further infection.
Attention! Do not forget that if your cat or dog has fleas, then until you destroy the insects from them, your house will be occupied by fleas. You can choose from a variety of products: from auxiliary tools like special brushes to powerful long-lasting anti-flea drops
Using the same drugs for both cats and dogs can be dangerous for their health, so we consider them separately in our reviews:
After a thorough cleaning of the house, it’s time for the big guns – flea control products for the home. The list of products for killing fleas is very wide. The main ones include traps, sprays, bombs (foggers). Read about them in our full review: The best anti-flea sprays, traps and foggers
Tip to help: Fleas are afraid of the smell of many harsh chemicals and products, including glue, paint products, cement and putty. So if you are planning to renovate, now is the time!
Why are there fleas in the apartment?
Most often, fleas appear in an apartment for the following reasons from different places:
- a domestic animal carried them on its fur;
- rats running behind baseboards at night are excellent carriers of fleas;
- entered from the basement or from neighbors through the ventilation system;
- got into the house from the attic;
- were brought from a store or warehouse with furniture or other household goods;
- were brought in with clothes or shoes after visiting parks or regular yard areas;
- transferred by a person after contact with a stray dog or cat;
- a cluttered room with unsanitary conditions is perfect for fleas to settle in.
Appearance of a flea
These are small insects, so it is not always possible to notice them right away. Flea bites are painful, and the site of the bite is “marked” by a pink spot. The body of a flea is on average from 1 to 5 mm, but a well-fed insect has a stretched abdomen, due to which the size increases to 1 cm. The fertilized female reaches a large size - up to 1.5 cm. The body is divided into a head and abdomen, protected by a chitinous shell.
Under a microscope, a flea resembles a shrimp. This is the most convenient body shape, as it helps to move faster through fur or feathers and hide in secluded places. Three pairs of strong limbs allow her to move by jumping. The limbs have claws so that they can cling to fur or any surface.
This is interesting: The lifespan of the parasite ranges from several months to 3 years. How long an insect lives depends on the ambient temperature. High temperatures shorten life expectancy, low temperatures prolong it, since in cool conditions the life cycle proceeds slowly.
The eyes are located on the head, above which are antennae. They are needed so that the male can hold the female during mating. The rest of the time they do not play any role. The spines and bristles covering the skin are a kind of protection, making it almost impossible to comb out a flea.
The color of the parasite varies from yellowish to brown and black. The piercing-sucking mouthparts are designed for feeding. The stylet at the base helps to bite through the host's skin, increasing the size at the site of the bite. The flea injects saliva into the wound to prevent the blood from clotting. She penetrates there with her whole body in search of a blood vessel. The parasite becomes completely saturated in one bite, increasing in size.
This is interesting: Fleas have a special sensory organ - the pygidium, located on the abdomen, in its rear part. The pygidium is covered with hairs that are sensitive and react to any air vibrations, giving a warning signal of danger.
Why are there fleas in the apartment if there are no animals?
Listed above are the most well-known and common causes of fleas in an apartment, and even if you do not have a pet, they may apply to you. For example, if your neighbors have a pet, he may leave you a “surprise” in the form of fleas on the rug in front of the front door.
If you work in a warehouse or in a room with poor working conditions, where unsanitary conditions are widespread and incoming products are not checked, and the room is not regularly treated, then you can bring fleas on your work clothes. From the same room, fleas will go to the buyer of a new sofa or household appliances, and he will be perplexed - “where do the fleas come from in my clean apartment, where renovations were done just yesterday?”
Preparing the premises for disinfection
Before getting rid of fleas in a room, the tenant performs the following steps:
- carries out wet and thorough cleaning;
- removes food and packages it securely;
- if there is an aquarium, close it and turn off the compressor. At the same time, a person removes cold-blooded amphibians or reptiles from his home;
- Puts on warm-blooded pets anti-flea collars that are safe and effective (for example, Hartz collars). They remain effective for 2-3 months, and very rarely cause skin irritation in a cat or dog.
After completing the treatment of his home, 2 hours later, the tenant ventilates it and does not do wet cleaning for at least several days.
After all, moisture and any humidity are dampness, which leads to the proliferation of new fleas.
How to find a flea nest in an apartment?
A flea bite cannot be confused with anything, as it is very unpleasant, and there is constant itching at the site of the bite. If you exhibit these symptoms, you need to look for where these bloodsucking creatures live in your home and get rid of them as quickly as possible. If you observed that fleas are at a height of 40 centimeters above your floor, then somewhere nearby is their nest or source of entry into the apartment, for example through the ventilation system from neighbors. If you have pets, then first of all, inspect them. Most often, they are the carriers and distributors of fleas. After this you can treat all surfaces. And first of all, you need to remove all bedding for further washing, ironing or steaming. Upholstered furniture, mattresses and plush toys should be thoroughly vacuumed and, if possible, treated with a household steam cleaner. Treat the enclosed area, and after a few hours, open the doors and windows for ventilation.
Please note: it is not enough to simply vacuum the furniture and plush dust collectors, it is important to quickly dispose of the collected parasites, so install a disposable paper bag in the vacuum cleaner and after cleaning the room, be sure to pack it in a plastic bag and take it to a street trash bin. Do not use the garbage disposal to avoid spreading fleas throughout your multi-story building!
Most likely, you will not know where the fleas came from in your apartment, but you can prevent their spread. Do not delay the moment of starting their destruction, because if they manage to lay eggs, you will have to fight them for a long time, in a larger space. The newly hatched larvae will lack food - the blood of the animal - and they will move onto the furniture in search of another victim, which may be you. Try to check your pet for bloodsuckers once a week. The flea is easy to recognize - it has a bilaterally flattened body, in the photo it is shown in an enlarged form from various angles.
Main signs and habitats of fleas
Fleas do not live on their host. Snakes jump on humans, birds or animals only to search for food. Then they retreat back to their hiding places. Possible places where parasites settle:
If you cover the parasites' habitat with white sheets of paper and look at them after a while, it will not be difficult to notice the jumping insect. It looks like a small black dot that disappears when you try to get closer.
Fleas are very visible on a white background
A few individuals will likely go unnoticed. But if they begin to reproduce, the population will not be difficult to detect. A domestic cat or dog will be the first to fall under flea attacks. The pet will have a poor appetite and sleep will be disturbed. The animal will begin to itch frequently and chew out its fur.
In humans, the bites of brown parasites resemble mosquito bites: redness and itching are noted. Flea bites take longer to heal than mosquito bites and are localized mainly on the legs.
Children of Fauna
How to get rid of fleas at home?
You can fight fleas in different ways: some prefer folk remedies, while others prefer modern insecticides. The choice is yours. We will tell you about the main ways to get rid of fleas in an apartment, and also support them with reviews from experienced “home exterminators”.
Traditional methods of fighting fleas in the house
To begin with, we can remember what our grandmothers told us: you can fight fleas with herbal decoctions. This is true, but not by all, only by such as wormwood, mint, eucalyptus and pajamas . You can place fresh herbs around the house, or you can use their essential oils by placing cotton wool soaked in them around the apartment.
What will it give? As our ancestors assumed, this method can be used to drive insects out of the apartment, since they do not like the strong smells of herbs. Will this method help? If you live in a private house, it is possible. It will not be possible to smoke them out of an apartment this way; domestic fleas have adapted to many things and are no longer afraid of odors.
Soda with salt for fleas in the apartment
There is another simple folk remedy for fleas - a mixture of salt and soda. To prepare this product you need only three ingredients: salt, soda, water, they are in every home. Equal amounts of water and soda are mixed in water and dissolved. The solution settles for about 12 hours, after which it can be used: sprayed on carpets, soft toys and other fleecy surfaces. The effectiveness of this folk recipe is also not too great. Some fleas will die, and some will hide or run to their neighbors. In addition, this infusion will not help destroy flea eggs.
Folk remedies for fleas are not the most effective, but they will help drive fleas out of a private home when they have just appeared and have not had time to spread.
Traditional methods of combating flea infestations
Herbal tinctures, which have a pungent and characteristic odor, not only help expel parasites from your home, but also serve as a good preventive measure for their reappearance.
Flea tincture recipe: eucalyptus 1 tbsp. l., tansy 1 tbsp. l. and wormwood 2 tbsp. l. Mix everything and pour one glass of boiling water into the mixture. Leave for 10 hours. Strain, place in a spray bottle and irrigate the room.
Make a bag out of cotton fabric and fill it with pine sawdust. You will get a pillow for your pet that will repel fleas with the aroma of pine.
On the threshold of the apartment, scatter sawdust from coniferous trees mixed with wormwood . Parasites will not jump close to such a barrier.
Ventilate your apartment daily , as fleas are sensitive to cool air. In summer, air woolen items, bedspreads, mattresses, etc. on the balcony.
Recipe with soda. Prepare a mixture of baking soda and salt in equal proportions. Sprinkle it in places where fleas are likely to live and after ten hours, vacuum the surfaces. For prevention, repeat the procedure.
Yeast recipe. Mix brewer's yeast with crushed garlic and sprinkle it on your floors and carpets. After 10 hours, go through with a vacuum cleaner.
Modern flea treatments - insecticides
There are also modern methods of flea control designed for self-treatment of an apartment at home. More and more people are recommending liquid products, because they are very easy to use, they are quite effective - dilute them in some water, spray them, ventilate them, and the fleas are gone. Another advantage of modern products is that they leave no smell in the apartment, at least after ventilation there is no smell left. Dichlorvos certainly stinks, but even this product is released with a pleasant floral aroma and no odor at all. It is recommended to wash clothes and bedding at high temperatures using powder. If it is not possible to wash some items or is prohibited by the manufacturer, you can disinfect them with a steam cleaner or a steam generator iron.
You should very well wash the upholstered furniture in the apartment, wash the carpets, rugs and disinfect them along with the floor. But if you choose caustic chemical sprays, you need to familiarize yourself with safe use techniques, because you or your loved ones and pets can get terrible poisoning.
But if you still decide to use them, then you need to follow safety rules. It is imperative to carry out the above-mentioned methods of combating these parasites with gloves, a respirator and goggles. Dichlorvos is a very good remedy and, as a rule, effective, but after it residents need to leave their home for several hours.
It is best to ventilate the room once a day, wash and change bedding, contact a special service at the first sign, if you have a pet, then it is better not to remove the flea collar from it, periodically take pillows and mattresses out into the sun and steam them with a household steamer .
The most famous and effective remedies for fleas in the apartment: Combat, Gett, Raptor, Biorin, Sinuzan, Chlorpirimark, Deltsid, Tsifoks and so on.
You can choose the one that suits you according to price and availability at your nearest store. Pre-read reviews of drugs on the Internet. Here are some of them:
Katya, Moscow
“Fleas appeared on the entire floor of the dorm, they brought wormwood from the park and spread it everywhere - to no avail! We ran to the hardware store, bought Combat SuperSpray for 450 rubles, but there was nothing else. There was just enough for all the rooms on the floor. Due to the slight but pungent smell, we had to evacuate outside. Two hours later they came and ventilated. The next day the fleas were gone. Vacuumed and washed the floors. Now it's clean and fleas don't bite. It’s still not clear why fleas appear in an almost empty room.”
Vitaly Semenovich, Samara
Spray Raptor just saved me on a business trip! They moved me into terrible conditions, I thought fleas would eat me. Well the supermarket had a selection of insect repellent sprays. In terms of price-quality ratio, I chose Raptor; Dichlorvos is too caustic, although cheaper. In general, the aerosol really destroyed all the fleas, a week has passed, I finally got some sleep, the bite marks are almost gone.
How to recognize flea bites and how to treat wounds
It’s hard not to notice that there is a similar problem and here’s why:
- The fact that it is a flea biting can be understood immediately, since the bite is quite painful, accompanied by unbearable itching. The reason is that the flea does not secrete a special anesthetic secretion, compared to other blood-sucking parasites.
- Often from red, small spots with hemorrhage, which includes from 3 to 5 or more points.
- The body instantly reacts to the attack of this insect.
- A sign that it is a flea bite is a sharp pain at the site of the bite.
- After an insect bite, toxins enter the human body through the small wound that appears and are carried by the circulatory system. The reaction to a harmful substance can be unpredictable. If the flea is infected with some serious disease, then the person will be unlucky and the result of the bite may be hospitalization.
- Catching an insect is not so easy, because after a bite it leaves the area very quickly. But sometimes you can get lucky and the insect can simply be crushed with your fingernails.
- After some time, the itching and redness disappear and only barely noticeable dark spots remain on the skin. If this area is not combed, then in a couple of days they will disappear forever.
Pain and itching can be minimized by using:
- Use alcohol or soapy water to wipe the affected areas.
- Ice cubes, applying them to the bite sites, first wrapping them in cloth or gauze.
- Ointments or gels, such as “Fenistil” or “Rescuer”, which have an analgesic or antiseptic effect.
In some cases, you will have to see a doctor. For example:
- Increased body temperature.
- Difficulty breathing.
- Diarrhea.
- The appearance of a headache.
- Inflammation of the lymph nodes.
- Increased nervousness and agitation.
Relocating fleas from clothes or things
The flea feeds on the blood of any creature, and therefore people suffer from bites no less than animals. The flea gets to people in several ways:
- when a person is near an animal in which insects live;
- after a hunt, clothing may be infested with fleas, especially if a person spent some time near a fox or badger hole;
- going down into a cellar or basement, being near a heating main or a well causes fleas to move from their habitable place to a person.
A great danger of bringing fleas on themselves awaits people who, due to their duty, have to spend a lot of time in the favorite places of life of pests. For example, a plumber who fixes pipes in the basement is likely to return with a few fleas.
Pests lay hundreds of eggs in things, from which larvae emerge - white worms. When buying a used item or transporting furniture or other household items from one place to another, you should carefully inspect them before leaving them in the apartment.
Preparing the apartment
Before the disinfestation procedure, you need to prepare the apartment. For this you will need:
- wash clothes, dry them and put them in airtight packaging;
- It is recommended to sprinkle carpets with salt and soda in a 1:1 ratio, wait 30 minutes, then vacuum - this will increase the likelihood of destroying larvae and nits;
- the floor and all surfaces are thoroughly washed, it is recommended to add vinegar to the water - 1 glass per 5 liters of warm water;
- place all food in airtight packaging;
- get rid of debris, dust and dirt;
- remove animals and plants from the apartment.
