Tiffany asked 5 years ago
On Sunday, my husband went to take out the trash and came back with a few “hitchhikers.” I don’t know how many fleas got on him, but he says he killed about four and I’ve seen two since. It’s now Tuesday and after vacuuming the three area rugs we have as well as the couch, we’re still getting bitten.
Should I start to worry? I have a two month old, so I am considering calling an exterminator, but am hesitant due to costs and wariness of chemicals. Any suggestions for how I should handle this? Also, how do I prevent someone from bringing them back after we get them out of our place?
Thank you for the help!
– Tiffany
Adam Retzer Staff answered 5 years ago
If you are still getting bitten, then the fleas are likely originating from inside the home, not outside. Consider placing some flea traps in the home to see if you catch any. If you do, it probably means there are immature stages developing in your carpets and they are maturing and emerging as adults.
Do you have pets? If so, the pets need to be treated. Adult fleas live on animals, feeding, mating, and laying eggs on them. The eggs then fall off into the environment and develop there.
Edit: I see you said you have no pets now. I will still leave the above information. There is one species of flea that can survive and reproduce on human blood, the human flea (P. irritans). It is somewhat uncommon though. See this page on how to identify them.
If you don’t have pets, then the fleas likely are originating from outside. There is an animal host out there allowing them to survive and reproduce (for example raccoons under porches can cause flea problems). To solve your problem you will need to get rid of the animal host and make the area less suitable for developing fleas. Here is some more info on how to get rid of fleas in yards.
