Fleas rank high on the list of insects that are a nuisance. Apart from the fact that their bites are annoying and itchy, these little monsters are notorious for carrying dangerous diseases.
Do Fleas Lay Eggs on Humans? Fleas can lay eggs on humans, but the chance of this happening is exceptionally low since humans do not have enough body hair to be great hosts for fleas. Fleas have a higher chance of surviving if their host is covered in fur, making household pets a common target for fleas.
In a paper by the World Health Organization (WHO), Tungiasis is a medical condition where sand fleas bite into a person’s skin and lay eggs, often leading to other infections.
Can Fleas Lay Eggs on Human After Biting Humans?
While it is possible for fleas to lay eggs on humans after giving us a bite, it is not likely for such a thing to happen.
Fleas are a diverse species of wingless insects, as there are about 2500 different variants that are currently known. As per regular behavior, fleas are commonly seen to live off of dogs and cats, sucking their blood for sustenance. Fleas thrive on furry hosts, and the fur on dogs and cats serves as a shelter.
Fleas do not live on just dogs and cats. Often, some fleas are also seen living on rodents and these are the most dangerous of them all. Rodent-based fleas often feed off diseased rodents and this poses a big threat. If these infected fleas encounter humans or pets, they can transmit the diseases gotten from the rodents.
Here is a video that explains how to get rid of fleas on humans:
Fleas are capable of surviving on a diet of human blood, and they have been observed to bite humans. Much to our relief, fleas see humans primarily as a mode of transportation rather than an actual long-term host. This saves us from the threat of eggs being laid on human skin by fleas after biting.
Fleas are said to be capable of surviving for as long as 139 to 185 days if left to feed on a person’s skin. However, these conditions are very unlikely since humans usually won’t just sit around and let fleas stay on their bodies for that long.
Even under controlled conditions, fertility in fleas living off human blood is seen to plummet, with one study showing that a flea would have to feed on a human for several straight hours to stand viable to lay an egg. Another study observed that female flea ovaries may not fully develop if they begin feeding on humans as their only host. For dealing with the itch after flea bites, I recommend After Bite Advanced Itch Relief. Click here to read the reviews on Amazon.
Fleas require hairy hosts to actively reproduce and while humans are not entirely hairless, we most certainly are not hairy enough to suffer an actual flea infestation. Simply put, fleas only feed on humans when they are without a suitable host and even then, humans face no immediate danger of getting eggs laid on our skin.
Though we are unsuitable hosts for fleas, we are still very vulnerable to the diseases that they carry. The oriental rat flea is still the most efficient carrier of bubonic plague. Although singular cases of bubonic plague are seen in the tropics and temperate regions, the death rate of bubonic plague has drastically reduced, owing to early diagnosis and antibiotics.
Fleas are also carriers of filarial worms that tend to cause harm to dogs, serving as an intermediate host of the local tapeworms.
Although flea bites are larger than mosquito bites, they are usually more harmless. However, getting bitten by a flea can cause itching. The itching can be treated with a simple, over-the-counter anti-itch ointment.
Can Fleas Lay Eggs in Your Bed?
Unfortunately, they can. Fleas like to live and lay eggs in hidden places, and the covers on your bed are a target area.
Fleas are small, wingless parasites that are known to live primarily in the fur of warm-blooded animals in general. However, fleas do not only live on animals; they can also be found in carpets, under furniture, and, unfortunately, underneath bed covers.
Fleas do not just appear in our homes. A flea that you find in your living room, or worse, your bed, got there by falling off the body of your furry pet. They can typically be found underneath the mattress or between pillows and sheets.
Fleas deposit their eggs in their host’s hair, but the eggs do not stay there forever. Instead, flea eggs have been observed to fall off, landing on our carpets, rugs, floors, chairs, and beds.
Flea eggs are difficult to see since they are microscopic – about 1/50 inches. They are mostly white, as tiny as a grain of sand, and easy to miss. Flea eggs require humid and warm environments to survive and hatch, and your bed might just be the perfect spot for that.
While fleas in animals are quite tell-tale, fleas in your bedding are a lot harder to discover
- Flea dirt is the feces of adult fleas and the foremost way of discovering fleas in your bedding. Flea dirt really is just undigested human/animal blood. The biology of fleas provides food for the eggs through the feces of adult fleas.
- A sharp sting in your bed can also be a dead giveaway of a flea infestation. The sting typically turns into a distinct angry welt that is different from a bed bug or mosquito bite
- If your furry pet wouldn’t stop scratching, they have a flea in their hair, and you should be especially wary of letting them into your bed without getting rid of the fleas.
There are a handful of methods employed in getting rid of fleas in your bed and furniture. However, the most effective route is to adopt a cleaning routine that involves consistently vacuuming the carpet and upholstery and machine-washing your apparel, amongst other things.
Here is a table that explains what others did to get of fleas that were in bedding. Data is derived from various household forums online:
| How to get rid of fleas in bedding | Percentage of total results |
|---|---|
| Vacuuming the bedding before washing will remove most of the flea eggs since they are not sticky. | 14% |
| Washing your bedding at the highest temperature possible will aid in removing fleas from bedding. | 29% |
| Make sure that you deflea your pets right away and then to thoroughly wash your bedding (this two-step solution is the best I feel). I recommend Frontline Plus Flea Treatment for dogs. Click here for current pricing on Amazon. | 36% |
What Do Flea Eggs Look Like on Humans?
Flea eggs on a human look the same as they would on fur animals, except that while they have a high chance of suffering infestation, we do not.
Flea eggs are tiny, microscopic spawns of fleas that have their colors varying from white to off-white.
They are approximately 0.5cm in length, about the size of a grain of sand. Flea eggs are very often confused with dry skin or dandruff.
Flea dirt is also often mistaken for flea eggs, with both being indicators of flea infestations. Flea dirt is the reddish-black excrement of an adult flea, composed of undigested blood. When dissolved in water, flea dirt is observed to turn red.
While animals can actively have flea eggs produced in their furs, humans cannot. Fleas are barely able to survive, and their rate of reproduction turns low – from 30 to 20 eggs a day to 3 to 4 a day when put on a human host.
Typically, as flea eggs are deposited in the furs of a host, eggs are noticed to hatch in 1 to 10 days, depending on environmental conditions, transitioning into larvae.
Again, since humans are not appropriate hosts for fleas and their eggs, these eggs tend to die off in their incubation period without reaching maturity.
Can Humans Get Fleas from Cats?
While fleas from cats can bite a human, they cannot actively be transferred from a cat to a human, since humans are not good hosts for fleas.
Cat flea or Ctenocephalides Felis is a parasitic insect that primarily finds a host in a domestic cat. While there are other fleas that are classified as “dog fleas”, the cat flea is also found on a respectable number of dogs.
Just like other flea types, humans are not an ideal host for cat fleas. However, when removed from the host (a cat), the fleas might bite humans at first for immediate nourishment, but as soon as they find the human to be a lacking host, they promptly leave.
Cat flea bites can be treated as any other non-fatal flea bite. Following a bite, the patch of skin often grows itchy, and a welt might appear at the location of the bite. Unless exposed to a disease-carrying flea, most flea bites are harmless. Here are some ways to manage flea bites.
- Following a flea bite, it is a promising idea to avoid scratching the area.
- Lotions and salves are recommended to soothe the itching.
- Ice packers are useful for reducing or preventing dwellings.
- In the event of hypersensitivity, you might want to wash the area of the bite with an antiseptic to reduce the chances of getting an infection.
In rare cases, some people might experience allergic reactions following a cat-flea bite. These allergic reactions could include excessive itching, infection, and in severe cases, a fever. In such cases, the affected person should visit their doctor for further examination and appropriate drug prescription.
Can Fleas Live on Bedding?
The shocking news is that they can live on bedding, and the good news is that they can be gotten rid of.
When infested pets worm their way into our beds, they tend to majorly nest in our bedding. Even if you are not a pet owner, you might also experience an infestation. You can get fleas in your bedding if previous owners or tenants owned flea-infested pets. Flea eggs could be lodged in carpets, rugs, and floorboards.
There is also a fair chance that a stray dog or cat that has made its way to your porch can leave eggs or adult fleas in its wake.
To the main question, how do you eradicate fleas from your bedding?
You might want to consider throwing out the infested bedding. While this is the most direct and effective method, it is often unnecessary.
The best way is to wash your bedding in hot water and antimicrobial detergent. This method is effective and cost-efficient.
Do Fleas Lay Eggs on Clothing?
Fleas are relentless, and they tend to lay eggs not only on our bedding but on our clothing as well.
We have already seen that fleas are unable to lay eggs on humans because of our comparative hairlessness. We might go on to wonder if our clothes could somehow become a home for fleas’ eggs. The answer is yes.
Our pets interact with us physically. Since these pets might be infected, direct contact can lead to the transfer of fleas to our clothing.
Adult fleas will likely get off of your clothing since clothes are not conducive environments. However, they could lay eggs before leaving. The eggs that stick to your clothing might get transferred to your laundry bag or somewhere in the back of your wardrobe.
It is a lot easier to prevent flea infestation than to get rid of them. Here are a few ways to prevent and get rid of fleas in your environment in general, reducing the chances of them getting to your clothes.
- Vacuum furniture and carpets
If you have fleas in your clothes, then you have them in your furniture too. Adult fleas can survive weeks in a carpet or rug. It is recommended that you vacuum your furniture and carpets as often as possible.
- Sanitation
While your pet might not be rid of fleas, little effort can go a long way when it comes to flea infestations. Cleaning and changing your furry pet’s bedding and other accessories regularly can make an enormous difference, helping to reduce flea infestations.
- Launder clothing and bedding
This would seem like the most obvious option, and it happens to be a remarkably effective step. If you think that your clothes are infested, you should launder them using antimicrobial detergent and hot water. Doing this consistently increases your chances of a flea-free environment.
- Sprinkle Salt
While this might sound a bit odd, it is an effective and inexpensive way of getting rid of flea eggs in your rug or carpet. You should do this right before you vacuum your carpets.
- Treat the pets
Flea combs and proper baths are great ideas when you are trying to fight flea infestations. Combing, without fail, helps reduce the fleas in your pet’s coat. If you want to effectively tackle fleas in your house, you should treat your pet first. If you vacuum your carpets clean but fail to treat the furred pet, the entire process would be unproductive and would leave you surely frustrated.
