Linda Coates asked 8 years ago
Can cat fleas bite a human through clothing? Also will they crawl up walls, into drawers and wardrobes or stay on flooring? I have found fleas after being bitten in my animal free house and have laid down insecticide to kill adults after which I will apply a sprayvwith IGR but where? Will I need to spray inside drawers and wardrobes too?
Adam Retzer Staff answered 8 years ago
Hi Linda,
It’s strange that you’re being bitten by fleas when there aren’t animals in the home. Did you just move in, or was an animal there previously? You may be dealing with bedbugs or another pest, instead of fleas.
Generally, cat fleas can’t bite through clothing. Most pants and socks will protect you. There are a few exceptions, such as very thin, tight-fitting garments (e.g. pantyhose or yoga pants). Read our full article on fleas biting through clothing.
Fleas don’t usually climb walls. They develop deep within carpet fibers, and upon maturing they move to the carpet canopy to jump on a host. There’s one exception that I know of: If carpets are sprayed with an insecticide, the adult fleas may climb walls to escape death.
It’s very unlikely that fleas will climb into drawers and wardrobes. This isn’t something to worry about. Not only is this too far from the ground, there’s also nothing there for them, as far as food or habitat. Nearly all immature stages will be found in flooring or pet bedding. And nearly all adults will be found on hosts, or waiting to jump on a host from the carpet.
If you don’t have animals in the house, the fleas won’t be able to survive. They need host blood to survive and reproduce, and human blood isn’t sufficient. In time, the fleas will go extinct within your home on their own (cocooned adults can lie quiescent for up to 5 months). However, vacuuming and applying insecticides can speed up the process.
As far as applying insecticides in your home, you’ll want to focus on carpeted areas that don’t get a lot of foot traffic. Normally, you would focus on areas in rooms where pets rest and groom themselves, such as besides furniture in the living room and bedroom. However, since you don’t have pets, you may just want to lightly spray all carpeted rooms, if you choose to spray at all.
Hope this helps!
Adam
