bitesonlegs asked 6 years ago
I have been getting bites on my legs, feet and ankles at night. After a couple of days I caught a flea on my bed. I washed all my clothes and bedding in hot water and put in the dryer, vacuumed all the upholstery in the house, vacuumed my room and all the rugs in the house, and threw away the vacuum bag. I also bought a flea trap, which has been set up in my room for 4 days. I leave it beside my bed at night, and on my bed during the day.
I have 3 roommates, and none of them are getting bitten. There are no pets in the house.
The trap hasn’t caught any more fleas, and I haven’t noticed any new bites. Any advice?
Adam Retzer Staff answered 6 years ago
Hello,
Sorry to hear about your flea troubles. Luckily, it sounds like it may have been mild, and the vacuuming and laundering went a long way to control the infestation.
It sounds like you may be dealing with human fleas (P. irritans). This is a somewhat rare species, but it is the only domestic species capable on surviving and reproducing on human blood.
Regardless of flea species, vacuuming often and applying an insect growth regulator (IGR) to the environment would be a good idea.
Here’s an article on how often to vacuum.
IGRs are good for flea control because they last for 7 months, and target the immature stages in the environment. 95-99% of infestations are eggs, larvae, and pupae. And these stages live in the environment. IGRs mimic a natural insect hormone called juvenile (JH). When JH is present, pre-adult insects won’t mature into adults. When endogenous JH subsides, metamorphosis is triggered. However, if the IGR is present, the insect will never metamorphose into an adult. Look for the ingredients pyriproxyfen (Nylar) or methoprene (Precor) in sprays. Or you can find concentrates without any other insecticides in them. For example, Martin’s IGR comes in a good size for indoor use.
Even though you aren’t seeing any more adults, you likely will. As mentioned, the bulk of infestations are immature stages in the environment (carpets usually). Sprays and vacuums help control fleas, but they won’t be able to reach fleas at the base of carpets. This final generation will eventually mature and emerge as adults. But any new eggs will fail to develop on the IGR-treated surfaces.
Infestations usually take around 8 weeks to resolve. It’s normal to see fleas or there until then.
It would probably be a good idea to keep the flea trap on the ground. Fleas can only jump to the height of a human ankle. Some may be able to get into the bed by climbing dangling sheets, or hitchhiking onto people going to bed. However, most won’t be on the bed, especially with weekly laundering.
I hope this is helpful!
Warm regards,
Adam
