With the summer season in full swing, people should start protecting themselves from sunburns and bug bites.
Although most of these ailments only occur in the summertime, it turns out there's a bug that can bite you year-round: fleas.
Even though we only associate fleas with our furry friends, it turns out they can also latch onto humans, which was even the cause of a plague many eons ago.
What do human fleas look like?
If you've never seen a flea before, you should consider yourself lucky.
However that doesn't mean you shouldn't be able to identify the pesky bugs in case you notice them on your person.
Human fleas, which are typically measured between 1.5mm and 3mm in length, have the ability to go (temporarily) undetected underneath your skin. To make matters worse, they also are known to reproduce at an alarmingly quick rate.
These fleas are also flat, wingless creatures, which makes it a tedious task to dislodge them from your body hair. They have larger hind legs with spikes, making it easier for them to latch onto their target.
Males also have bigger genitalia that is often coiled, but since these fleas are hairless, they have a short life expectancy.
But what about the bites?
If you're wondering if your bug bite is from a flea instead of another insect, here's what you need to look out for:
Although you can be bitten by a flea anywhere on your body, they are more likely to attack your feet, ankles, and legs since they are closer to the ground.
These bites are tiny red spots surrounded by a red halo, which can often look like hives, and predominantly arise in clusters. You'll usually have an irritating itch and swelling as well.
Fleas can store blood up to 15 times their body weight and inject 15 different kinds of substances through their saliva, which can cause severe allergic reactions.
How to get rid of these menacing pests
Thankfully there are easy solutions to rid yourself of fleas should you be on their radar.
- Disinfect the flea bites on your body with warm dish soap water, followed by a warm shower to get the remaining fleas off
- To get rid of the itch, take a bath with oatmeal in a medium temperature
- Use ice to minimize the swelling, but make sure to wrap it in a cloth to get rid of ice burns
- Wash all of your clothes and combs used since the flea bites started
- Use dog flea shampoo on your hair (and beard)
- Also try rubbing yourself with Aloe Vera, essential oils, or green tea leaves, which are filled with healing properties
To prevent flea bites, try eating more garlic and lemons as these bugs hate these particular scents.
For more information be sure to visit Flea-Bites.com