Trista asked 8 years ago
Hi. I came home to a flea infestation (my husband, apparently, didn’t notice). Our cat has had frontline plus on for 3.5 weeks, we’ve used DE powder, been vacuuming every day, washing bedding every day, and Orkin came for the second time today (their last treatment was two weeks ago.) My question is, are we still potentially spreading fleas wherever we go? Should we continue to stay away from other people’s houses until this completely clears up? The flea situation has improved exponentially, but I’m wondering how much longer we can expect this to go on? This whole thing is such a nightmare! Thank you for any insight.
Adam Retzer Staff answered 8 years ago
Hi Trista,
You should be fine to go other people’s houses. The only fleas still in your home are likely those in the environment. The immature stages develop there, and then look for a host once they emerge as adults.
The only way you could spread the fleas is if they jump onto you and then hitchhike on your clothing. Fleas can jump to the height of a human ankle. So, if you wish to be cautious about spreading the fleas, check your pants/socks/shoes after leaving your home to ensure they aren’t traveling on you.
It would still be a good idea to keep your cat away from other people’s homes or pets until the infestation is completely gone.
Warm regards,
Adam
Trista Shattuck
replied 8 years ago Thank you so much for your response. If there are any immature fleas on the couch, though, couldn’t they be anywhere on our clothes? Or if they’re on our pants/socks and then we lay on our bed? I took one off my husband’s neck the other day. 🙁 I don’t want to be paranoid, but I also don’t want anyone else to go through this because of me or my family. Do infestations spread that easily? I really do appreciate you sharing your knowledge. There’s been so much to learn with this. Thanks again!
Adam RetzerImmature stages aren’t a problem, because they aren’t attracted hosts (people or animals). They will actually actively move away from disturbances. Plus, the larvae are negatively phototactic, meaning they move away from light. They live in dark, protected areas.
Adult fleas lay eggs on the infested animal. The eggs aren’t sticky and fall off within a few hours into the environment. So they would only be on the the couch or bed if the cat rests there. They may live on clothes, if the clothes are laying on the ground and the cat sleeps on them.
As mentioned, the eggs aren’t sticky, so they won’t stick to your clothes even if you do sit/lay on the eggs. I suppose it’s possible for eggs to get lodged into the fabric on rare occasion. However, the eggs won’t able to successfully hatch and survive in a new environment, like your friend’s home. Upon hatching, the larvae must feed on adult flea feces (flea dirt). Flea dirt and flea eggs often fall into the same locations when infested pets groom themselves. But your friend’s home wouldn’t have any flea dirt in the environment.
Most flea infestations start outdoors, when infested urban wildlife traverse through neighborhoods and drop eggs. Common hosts are raccoons, opossums, coyotes, and feral cats.
