Summary
Cat fleas don’t live in clothes. Nor do they stay on people after taking a blood meal. However, fleas may briefly hide in the seams of clothing if they’re disrupted while feeding. In rare instances, a flea might not be to able to find it’s way out of the clothes and off the person. It’ll remain in the clothing for up to 24 hours, feeding periodically.
Details
Adult Fleas don’t Live in Clothes
Adult Fleas Stay on their Host
Adult cat fleas are permanent ectoparasites. They live on their hosts and rarely leave. They’ll feed and reproduce directly on the animal.
Humans aren’t Preferred Hosts
Humans aren’t suitable hosts of cat fleas. Bites on people are incidental. Emerging fleas will jump to the nearest warm-bodied animal, which could be a person if cats and dogs are absent. However, fleas can’t reproduce on human blood in natural settings. Also, fleas are poorly adapted for living on humans because of our lack of body hair. They’re often seen and killed before they can even feed.
Fleas Bite People & Leave
Fleas don’t stay on people after obtaining a blood meal. And they don’t breed on humans. They’ll often bite two to three times before leaving, with the meal lasting around 5 minutes.
In rare circumstances, fleas may get stuck on a person. They can’t bite through clothes. As a result, they’ll move beneath clothing to feed on exposed skin. If a flea is disturbed while feeding, it may hide in the seams of clothing briefly. This occasionally results in the flea being unable to find a way to leave. In these instances, it may remain in the clothing for up to a day and periodically feed.
Flea Larvae don’t Live in Clothes
Flea larvae develop in the environment. In homes, their usual habitat is carpeting. The larvae instinctively move away from sources of light, burrowing deep down into carpet fibers. They may also move under clothes if the garments are left on the floor. Just like carpeting, they seek refuge in the dark folds of the fabric.
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