kissoon asked 5 years ago
Hi there i have been getting bit by fleas i usually catch them when they are on me so im able to kill them right away but i have had some that jump away before im able to kill them. Do fleas reproduce off human blood?
If so what can i put on lotion wise or whatever to be able to avoid this.
Adam Retzer Staff answered 5 years ago
kissoon,
Most domestic flea species can’t survive and reproduce on human blood. Cat fleas (C. felis) account for nearly all infestations on dogs and cats. Dog fleas (C. canis) are the second most common. Human blood isn’t sufficient for these species. Here is an article about that: Can fleas live and reproduce on human blood.
There is one species of flea that can survive and reproduce on human blood. This is the human flea (P. irritans). However, this species is fairly rare. Here is an article about how to identify human fleas. A flea trap is useful for catching and identifying fleas.
Most insect repelling ingredients will deter fleas, such as DEET, picaridin, and IR3535. You can find a variety of lotions and sprays with these ingredients, for example Repel DEET lotion. Permethrin clothing repellent will also repel fleas, for example Sawyer’s permethrin spray repellent. Treating pant legs, socks, and shoes will help keep them off of you.
If you have fleas in your home, you’ll likely need to do some kind of control regimen. In most cases, infestations won’t go away on their own. Please see our page on how to get rid of fleas for more info.
I hope this help!
Adam
