Do Fleas Use Humans as Hosts?

There are approximately 2,000 different types of fleas, but only one of them, the human flea Pulex irritans, lives on humans, and it’s rarely an issue in the United States. Cat fleas and dog fleas are the two most prevalent flea species that live and feed on cats and dogs. Fleas are not host-specific, so while their favorite host is a cat or dog, they will gladly feed on humans. Keep reading to know how fleas use humans as hosts and do they lay eggs on humans or not.

Do Fleas Want Humans?

While dogs surely improve our lives in several ways, our intimate closeness has increased our danger of contracting ectoparasites such as fleas. But don’t panic just yet; the risk of having fleas isn’t enough to put your dog in the doghouse.

Fleas come in thousands of different kinds, and most animals have a specific flea species that likes to live with that mammal. While the fleas that dogs commonly carry may (and do) leap over to people and bite us, the dog flea cannot thrive on humans.

Survival of Fleas

To begin, dog fleas require dog blood to survive. Second, people do not have enough hair to provide adequate hiding cover or the warm atmosphere that dog fleas require in a house. Most fleas quickly figure this out and return to your dog or choose a safer location in your home. As a result, treating your house is an important element of flea prevention and treatment that should not be overlooked.

Fleas eat blood and prefer the blood of animals. Pets and other animals are included, but they are also more than eager to feed on people. They bite humans to access the blood arteries beneath the skin, and their bodies are designed to do so.

Fleas Can Be Infectious

Fleas may infect people in the same manner that they can infect dogs. They may infest pets in the outdoors, on long grass, and in the woods. Fleas do not have wings, thus they cannot fly, although they can leap many times their body length. As a result, they can latch on to the body hair and skin of a passing animal or person. Fleas are flat and capable of traveling through fur and hair, allowing them to select the best area to reach the blood.

Do Fleas Prefer Animals Over Humans?

Fleas that feed mostly on rodents or birds can bite humans, especially when their regular host is absent. Flea bites are often red lumps that irritate the person who has been bitten. Itching occurs as a result of saliva being pumped into the circulation and skin. The bumps become very red and itchy as a result of the irritation, and scratching can introduce dirt and germs from a person’s fingers into the incision, causing infection.

Fleas Prefer Animals for Growth

Some animals attract fleas because of their hair or feathers. They may conceal and eat by burrowing inside their fluffy bodies. After the larva and pupa phases, they deposit eggs, which finally hatch. This cycle may result in a flea infection on your pet, which may require treatment.

Fleas do not survive on people because they lack the considerable hair that animals have, and reproducing without the protection of fur or feathers is extremely difficult. A flea would have to feed on a human for 12 hours straight to produce healthy eggs, according to one laboratory research. A flea’s ability to feed on a human for that long without being discovered and removed is extremely unusual.

Do Fleas Lay Eggs on Humans?

While fleas will bite people, they will not survive on them, which is excellent news for pet owners. According to scientific evidence, our comparatively hairless bodies are poor hiding places for fleas, are difficult to cling to, and do not generate enough heat for fleas to thrive on for long periods.

Fleas, on the other hand, thrive in the dark, wet environment of your dog’s fur. They can’t reproduce on you because of this reason and won’t survive for long without the presence of a pet. Fleas will be unable to complete their life cycle and reproduce if humans are the sole food source available.

Need of Carrier

Don’t sigh with relief just yet! Fleas may not live on people indefinitely, but in the near term, they will remain on our skin and within our clothing. This is because fleas utilize people as a “carrier” while they wait for a better host, such as your cat or dog. Fleas will swiftly deposit their eggs on your pet, which will then fall all over your house, including your furniture, carpets, and automobile upholstery. Flea eggs are latent until they hatch into larvae and mature into adult fleas.

How do Fleas Bite?

The mouth of a flea is made up of three sections that behave as tiny needles. Two of the needles puncture the skin and sever the blood vessel. They pry open the cut, then thrust the central needles into the blood, sucking their meal down.

When they do this, their salivary glands open up and pump an anticoagulant through the same part that is used for eating. This will ensure that the blood does not clot and continues to flow down into their bodies.

Flea bites are often red lumps that irritate the person who has been bitten. Itching occurs as a result of saliva being pumped into the circulation and skin. The bumps become very red and itchy as a result of the irritation, and scratching can introduce dirt and germs from a person’s fingers into the incision, causing infection.

Fleas Spread Different Diseases

Certain flea species have been linked to the transmission of illnesses. Oriental rat fleas, for example, are notorious Bubonic plague vectors. Some flea species, such as the Chigoe flea, contain germs that can cause catastrophic wound infections. In extreme cases, this can result in limb amputation. Fleas on cats have been found to spread germs and the plague.