Flea Bites

Outdoor Professsor's Tips

Hello, I'm the OUTDOOR PROFESSOR from DiscoveringTheOutdoors.com/

Here's your outdoor tip on flea bites.

Fleas are irritating tiny insects that bite leaving itchy and sometimes painful bumps on your skin. Even if you do not have a dog or cat around your home, you can have fleas living with you outside and perhaps even in your house. Fleas do prefer your pet, but will take up residence in your carpet or bedding. It’s not uncommon for fleas to jump on your ankles or legs in particular.

Fleas don’t grow much larger than a pen or pencil head and are light brown to black in color. They do not have wings, but jump from place to place. You have to squeeze them hard between your finger nails to break through the hard shells on their flat bodies to kill them.

Flea bites are small unlike larger mosquito bites. They appear as little, red bumps often with a halo around the center. They frequently appear around the ankles in a group or straight line. Often you also find them around your waist, armpits, breasts or in other folds of skin.

Flea bites are very itchy and can become sore and painful. Hives or a rash may form near the site of bites. Extreme itching and scratching can lead to an infection. Although not completely true for your pets, humans can contract other diseases from fleas. Don’t scratch them or you can create a secondary infection with white tops on the bumps.

Fleas can store more than15 times their own weight in blood. The short spikes on their legs allow them to stick to their victim. When they penetrate the skin they inject saliva with a variety of substances that can cause severe allergic reactions. They can be carriers of bacteria and viral diseases, and they can transmit tapeworms. All fleas are parasites needing blood and females need blood to reproduce. They need to eat about three or more times a day.

The red bumps from the bites will usually go away on their own, but the problem is to get rid of the fleas. Do-it-yourself solutions/chemicals are available, but many not work with a tough infestation problem. If you don’t have a pet, fleas will be coming from your yard or a neighbor’s pets. Fleas prefer tall grass and shady areas around decks, storage buildings, or woodpiles. Professional exterminators are best for a serious infestation of your yard or house. If your pets continue to have fleas, you will also continue with bite problems. Get your animals to a veterinarian to solve extreme problems.

Over-the-counter anti-itch creams will help along with antihistamine medications. Ice or cold water will soothe the itching. This also reduces swelling and inflammation. If you see many bumps with white heads or serious rash, you should see a doctor. Fleas are not your friends and the real solution to flea bites is to destroy the fleas.

This is the OUTDOOR PROFESSOR from DiscoveringTheOutdoors.com/

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References-Additional Reading

Is it a flea bite?
http://www.healthline.com/health-slideshow/flea-bites#1

Flea Bites on Humans
http://www.fleabites.net/

Flea Bites
http://www.orkin.com/other/fleas/flea-bites/

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