how to get rid of fleas in the house

Fleas are the bane of my life. I’m suffering from sleep deprivation, paranoia and have to fight an overwhelming urge to tear at my skin, remember what Edward Scissorhands did to that bush? I’m currently sporting around 40 bites and they go through waves of intense itchiness, usually in the dead of night. Flea bites torture and torment me relentlessly. If you have to entertain fleas on a regular basis you will understand what it means to want to spoon out your own flesh with kitchen cutlery. Because of my circumstances I know I will never be able to exterminate all my f*&%ing enemies for good, I can only hope be able to manage the flea infestation.

My situation is unique in that I don’t have any pets or carpets. So all the advice about cleaning their bedding and dosing the animals monthly doesn’t apply. I am trying to defend myself against a two-pronged attack. There are some wild cats on the street and they use my garden (which I don’t use any more) to dump colonies of fleas. The other source of fleas, the one that gives me nightmares, is the ten sheep living on my road. They belong to my partner’s father and we used to eat lunch in their house every day. You know the drill – they jump unto him, he brings them home and then we all carry them back to our house for a feast of my blood .

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Fog them and spray them into oblivion!

All You Can Eat

Spray Toxic Chemicals Into Their Respiratory Systems!

So how to I manage my flea infestation? We regularly spray the sheep house with bug poison using a knapsack pest control sprayer and in our house we use an aerosol insecticide. Remember to check the ingredients; your weapon of choice should contain insect growth regulator (IGR) because this will kill some of the stages of the flea life cycle (the pupa stage is the hardest to put manners on).

Both options do work, but only for a limited period of time. Either we aren’t successful killing all the fleas because the sheep house is so big, or because they bring back new fleas from the field where they graze during the day. The problem I have with the house spray is that it smells really badly and we have to leave home for hours to do it. And I am not too keen on using harsh chemicals in my house too often. Because the fleas come from so many different sources the reprieve from the attack never lasts beyond two weeks. It’s more usual for me to be bitten every two to three days. So that is why this hub is more about managing a flea infestation rather than promising to help you remove all fleas for good.

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Sweep the beds

Electrocute Them! To Their Deaths!

At home I use an electrified racket for killing flies. It’s quite good. When I have the sensation of a visitor in my trousers, I go to the bathroom, stand on a white mat, remove the pants, turn them inside out and use the racket as a wand over the material. I’m not a sick person who enjoys inflicting pain or death, but I have to admit, I have a great sense of victory when they jump through the racket to meet their maker.

I have caught numerous fleas this way, but it’s not always successful. They jump so fast, it’s hard to know where they go sometimes. And watch out, the racket gives a powerful electric shock. It will also zap when a bit of fluff gets stuck in it.

How Long Does Evil Live?

A flea’s life consists of 4 stages:

Egg
Larva
Pupa
Adult

Females need a meal to reproduce. They can lay up to 500 eggs in their lifetime. The eggs hatch after about 12 days and larvae emerge.

After crawling off to some darkened corner of the room and hiding out for a week or two (fitting behaviour for such a disgusting parasite), the larvae begin to camouflage themselves with bits of dirt and skin cells. They live off their parents’ faeces at this stage.

Later they spin a cocoon around themselves and if they feel vibrations of a passing dinner date or body heat, they will hatch in a week. They can remain in cocoon land for up to a year if food is scarce.

How To Manage a Flea Infestation

Suck Up All Those Babies!

Wash all your bed sheets and clothes. They won’t survive the cycle as long as you use washing powder. Vacuum as much as possible and suck up all those eggs. It’s a pain in gluteus maximus, but always remember that you are preventing new generations from breeding on you and your family. Try to get in to the dark corners and the cracks, they are lurking there and biding their time. Suck them up! I usually spray the vacuum after and tie a bag on the end to capture any strays.

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Glue Them or Drown Them!

Recently I got a Victor’s Ultimate Fly Trap. This contraption contains a light and a circle of sticky adhesive; it is non-toxic too. The fleas are lured by the light and approach the container. In they hop, unable to escape the cemetery of glue. I have tried this and it does actually work.

However, if you don’t have enough money to buy this, you could always make your own. Simply, get a basin or a tray that is low to the ground, add water and washing-up liquid (this changes the viscosity of the water) and stick a torch over it so that it shines unto the basin of death. The fleas will hop in and drown.

Look What These Teeny Tiny Parasites Can Do

Such small little buggers can do so much harm. They are responsible for:

Infection – The skin reacts to the saliva from the fleas’ suckers. You scratch yourself to get rid of the insane itch and if there is dirt in your fingernails you can become infected. Fleas defecate while they are eating, real classy eh? And if you scratch the miniature turds into the bite you could get Murine Typhus, hurray! The symptoms include nausea, fever, rash, back and abdominal pains.

Tapeworms – Flea larvae, my skin crawls when I imagine them, eat tapeworm eggs. The tapeworm eggs hatch and are overjoyed to find themselves in the guts of a host where they continue to grow. If an animal swallows this particular flea, it will get the tapeworm too. Imagine your kids kissing their pet Fluffy the cat and accidentally swallowing a tiny flea egg. Bam! Now your kid has a tapeworm.

Our old friend, The Bubonic Plague – Fleas, rodent fleas in particular, carry bacteria which cause the bubonic plague. If they bite a human they contaminate them with the bacteria. There have been three major pandemics so far: Justinian’s Plague claimed around 100 million lives, The Black Death around 50 million and The Third Pandemic killed 12 million people. Who would have thought fleas experimenting with other foods could have such devastating consequences?

If I Didn’t Hate Them So Much, I Would Admire Them

If you’ve been bitten recently, read This article to get some immediate relief for your bites. Most of the remedies can be found around your house.

Recommended websites :

https://www.shared.com/fleas-bite-humans/

Sand fleas : Treatment and Solutions

The question on everyone’s lip while taking a look at this topic would be, what are sand fleas and do they bite? For those who are eager to know, the answer is yes, they do bite, and sand fleas are fleas that live beneath the surface of the sand. Sand flea bites mostly happen on the low parts of the human body, usually from the leg down to the feet.

Although, in some cases, it could occur in other parts of the body like your stomach, arms or your back. Sand flea bites and mosquito bites look a lot similar. Both insects suck the human blood in the same way, and this usually leads to skin irritation, bumps, red rashes to mention a few. These effects are usually a lot more severe for sand flea bites than mosquito bites. This is because sand fleas move in large groups of hundreds in most cases and bite quickly. In most situation, you might not feel a thing, unlike when you a bitten by a mosquito. It is also a common occurrence to be bitten by over 50 sand fleas if you aren’t adequately prepared.

What Do Sand Flea Bites Feel Like?

Similar to a mosquito bite, being bitten by a sand flea isn’t a pleasurable experience or something to write home about. Sand flea bites tend to itch a lot and in some cases could be painful depending on the part of the body you were bitten. The likelihood of being bitten by a sand flea and the reaction one might get varies from individual to individual.

How Long Do Sand Flea Bites Last?

The normal duration of a sand flea bite is usually between four to seven days. Although, sand flea bites tend to pass on secondary diseases in rare cases. If you notice that your bite gets worse as the day goes by, it is highly recommended you seek the services of a doctor.

What Is A Sand Flea?

A sand flea is a blood-sucking insect that is a member of the Diptera family. Sand fleas are tiny and usually reside beneath the surface of the sand, the main reason they are a common occurrence on the beach. Sand fleas are extremely small in size, typically a fourth of the size of a mosquito. Notwithstanding, the sand fleas bites are quite unpleasant.

Where Do You Find Sand Fleas?

Sand fleas are mostly found on tropical sand located on beaches in the tropical region. There are common in Central America. You can find sand fleas in large quantity in the Caribbean and some areas in Florida. Countries like Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Belize typically stand out as popular spots for sand fleas.

The Best Sand Flea Repellent

When embarking on a journey to the tropics, most especially if visiting a beach is part of your itinerary, these are certain products which are a must and should be included in your luggage. They are DEET and Cactus Juice, below are some important characteristics of both products;

Cactus Juice is made from cactus extract. Which mean it is environment, reef and water friendly, thus making it safe for use close to the kid and before meals.
Cactus Juice has a fantastic aroma, very pleasant than when compared with other bug sprays. It’s an ideal flea spray that leaves you with a pleasant aroma.
Cactus Juice is a guaranteed repellent. My first experience with Cactus juice was during a journey to the tropics with a friend of mine who intentionally refuse to apply any flea repellent product. I was free from flea bites while he had a couple on his skin. This encouraged me to give it a try the next time I was headed to the beach.
DEET, on the other hand, is made from chemicals mixed with several other chemicals. It is not ideal for usage close to kids. Always endeavour to ensure the product does not come in contact with the mouth or eyes, as it doesn’t leave a pleasant experience. It also has a very repulsive smell.
That said, it is better to deal with the offensive smell and not have to fret about sand fleas and to get sand flea bites all over your skin and to have to deal with a week of discomfort and treatment.

How to apply Cactus Juice and DEET

To apply both Cactus Juice and DEET, ensure you spray the product on your body before you arrive at the beach and also ensure you come to the beach with a spray bottle containing either one of these products. Apply product on the lower parts of your body, from your feet below, ensure the product is sprayed on your legs, ankles and feet. Most people tend to spray just once, and that’s all. Forgetting that the spray could wash off after coming in contact with water. It is important you spray after coming out of the water, in case the spray washes off.

Tips on how to avoid Sand Flea Bites

Below are tips on how to avoid sand flea bites without the use of any products;

Ensure you aren’t at the beach at dusk or dawn: These period are the times that sand fleas are the most active and in search of blood meal to feed on.

Avoid lying down directly on the sand: Sand fleas tend to have the minimal reach and as such creating a buffer with the use of a blanket or a beach chair could go a long way in minimising the number of sand fleas that come in contact with you.

Ensure you cover up properly: If you intend taking a long walk on the beach, and aren’t interested in sunbathing, do ensure you wear long clothes and cover up as much as you can. It would help prevent sand fleas from biting your body.

Do not go to the beach once it rains: Sand fleas are more active after it rains, this is because the rain sinks into the sand for a bit making the sand inhabitable for the fleas and as such they leave their habitat to find out the cause of the disturbance. It is ideal you wait for an hour after rainfall before heading out to the beach.

Confirm if the beach has been raked or sprayed: Areas that are notable for sand fleas are usually raked or sprayed to avoid sand flea infestation. Confirm from your hotel if they have a policy on sand fleas and if they do how do they maintain their resort or beach.

How to get rid of Sand Flea Bites

Let’s say you weren’t privy to all the information above, and you find yourself infested by sand fleas, you need not worry as there are a couple of ways you could treat sand flea bites, here are some of the best sand flea treatment

The Best Sand Flea Treatment

The first treatment I would recommend for sand flea is Mitigator. This is a sting and bug ointment ideal for treating sand flea bites. It is known to be very effective, and it is highly recommended that you do not leave your house without it.

Home Remedies

For those who do not have access to mitigator, you could make use of other home-made remedies to treat sand flea bites. Some home-made remedies include;

Aloe vera: This is a multi-purpose product that is also ideal in treating sand flea bites, it is also great for sunburns and the likes.

Warm oatmeal and bath: Oatmeal is ideal for skin infections from chicken pox to insect bites like sand fleas. This is mainly due to its natural skin healing characteristics. All you need to do is make an oatmeal paste and apply on the infected part of your skin for a minimum of five to ten minutes, after which you proceed to have a warm bath while the paste instil on your body. You should feel a little relief immediately after.

Ice: Applying ice on sand flea bites could help reduce swelling and inflammation while also reducing the need to itch the bite spot.

Conclusion

Irrespective of how serene and lovely your next holiday destination might be, if it’s a heaven for sand fleas, then there are chances that you might not have a wonderful time. It helps to be prepared just in case. Do not forget to arm yourself with either DEET or Cactus Juice, so you can reduce the sand fleas on the beach and have that relaxing time you so deserve.

How to get rid of Fleas from your home , a methodical guide.

Do you have a pet at home, either a cat or a dog? Has your pet been itching itself recently? Have you been noticing small black insects limping from the couch onto your body or flea bites on your skin? No need to panic, with these step you can be in control of the situation.

1. Call your Vet

Have you placed your pet on a flea control program? If you have, then the program insist yielding positive results. Consult your vet and ask that he/she recommends an action that you could yield positive results. You are in search of a solution that would tackle fleas at all stages right from the flea eggs to the adults, and it should be ideal for your climate. Usually, a single flea dosage lasts for a month, and this is enough to keep the fleas away.

If for any reason your current flea treatment isn’t yielding any result, you could request your vet tries something else. Also, do not forget to treat every single pet in your house.

2. Use the Vacuum Cleaner frequently

For those who rarely use the vacuum cleaner, I suggest its time you change your approach and increase the frequency of usage. Vacuuming helps to reduce the number of fleas and flea eggs around the house; they eliminate fleas from wooden floors, carpets, curtains, and household furniture both in and out.

Also, always remember to vacuum areas where your pet stays. When you are done vacuuming, ensure you empty the vacuum bin immediately in the garbage bag outside your house to prevent the fleas from coming back in.

Ideally, ensure you clean your house and places where your pet frequents daily and for other location in the house weekly. If you have been experiencing severe flea infestation, ensure you get your carpet steam-cleaned. The heat from the steam would kill the fleas. However, it might not kill all the flea eggs, and as such you might have to repeat your steam cleaning.

For highly extreme cases, you might have to call in the services of an exterminator or treating the entire house with a flea bomb. Ensure that whatever steps you take, you and your pets are safe.

3. Wash your Bedsheets in Hot Water

To eliminate fleas in bed, ensure you wash your bedsheets and other bedding in hot, soapy water. Also, remember to wash your cat or dog’s weekly. If you have kids in the house and they sometimes sleep together with their pets in bed, endeavour to wash their beddings as well.

4. Make use of a Flea Comb

This may look outdated, notwithstanding, a flea comb may come in handy when getting rid of fleas from your pet. It is important this action of combing your pet with a flea comb is done outside the house. When combing, try as much as possible to focus on areas around the base of the tail and the neck region. It good you have a cup of soapy water close to you, so you can get deep your comb inside to allow the fleas drown inside.

Combing regularly with a flea comb would allow monitoring the effect of other flea treatment on your pet.

On a final note, when all flea treatment steps have been taken, it is important that you give your pet a warm bath. Bathing helps to rid your home and pet off fleas. Normal soaps can help get rid of all type of fleas’ even sand fleas, so need for a flea bath. However, it is important to verify that the soap is safe for use on pets.

You might belong to the group of people who like to finish bathing their pets with a nice-scenting oil; these may also help to prevent fleas.

Below are some oils that your pets might not be comfortable with:

D-limonene
Eucalyptus
Citrus
Clove
Cinnamon
Geranium
Linalool
Bay
Tea tree
Pennyroyal
Rue
Lavender

Below are some oils that your pet may be comfortable with:

Cedarwood
Lemongrass
Rosemary
Peppermint
Thyme