Fleas are blood-feeding parasites. Adult fleas rely on their host’s blood; thus, they will die if removed from them for a few days. Early-stage fleas aren’t reliant on a host’s blood. Larvae and eggs live longer. Keep reading to know what causes fleas without pets and learn how you can make them go away.
Can Fleas Survive In A House Without Pets?
Fleas may survive for up to two weeks without a host. Therefore, they will not go away if there are no pets at home. If they don’t have pets, they’ll find a method to eat people. They will cease spreading if you starve them since females will not produce eggs without a blood meal.
Adult fleas are technically starved within two weeks, but they will look for food somehow, even if it means eating on you. Let’s discuss the favorite spots of fleas (inside your house) if you don’t own a pet.
Bed Rooms
If you don’t have any pets, they’ll start infesting your bedroom, and your bed will be their first preference. This is because it will allow them to suck on your blood as you sleep.
Fleas will find all the comfort they need in your bedroom if they cannot locate pets to welcome them. They flourish in warm environments and are drawn to the carbon dioxide we exhale. We warm up our mattresses and concentrate Carbon dioxide in one location when we sleep. This makes your bedroom an ideal spot for these pesky parasites.
Living Rooms
Your living room sofa or chairs will be the next area they infest and reside. They offer a very secure hiding spot for them if they are made of cloth. This is because fabric furniture is warmer than leather seats, which turn chilly at night.
Can Fleas Breed on Humans?
Fleas eat human blood, but only when there are no animal hosts available. However, they can’t remain on humans for long due to their high body temperature. They can’t breed on people and will need to find animal hosts, or they won’t be able to reproduce. According to studies, female cat fleas can only remain on people for 7.4 minutes, whereas male cat fleas can only stay for 4.4 minutes.
Inability to Breed Without Host
Fleas like to live on pets, like your dogs, cats, or hamsters. These hosts are essential to their existence. They can survive for up to 100 days without a host, but they cannot reproduce. Similarly, they wouldn’t be able to lay an egg without a blood meal, and their population would decline rapidly. They may lay eggs very soon if they can feed on blood, generally a day or two after eating. This is how they keep their species alive.
Can You Have Fleas Without Pets?
It is possible to get fleas even if you do not own a pet. A couple of the most common ways in which they enter your house (without pets) are discussed below.
If you can have fleas without owning pets, where do the fleas come from? Check out our post “Where Do Fleas Come From Without Pets?” to learn more.
New House
One option is that the former owner or renter had a pet that had fleas. They left the fleas in the carpets as they moved out. Fleas remain in their cocoon until they detect vibration in this condition. They have months to wait! Adult fleas are now hunting for food and people have become the best option as a pet is not available.
Stray Animals
Another possibility is that a stray animal, such as a dog, could have carried fleas to your house. Skunks, squirrels, raccoons, or opossums can also leave adult fleas or flea eggs on your porch or deck. Likewise, fleas may also be carried into your house by mice and rats.
How to Spot Fleas?
Fleas may be found all around the home, especially in places where your dogs like to hang out. However, there are certain areas in your house where you might encounter fleas, and these are the locations:
- If you have carpets, this is the best spot for fleas to hide. After latching on to your pets, they normally fall off at this point. It also mimics the skin of your dogs in certain ways since carpets seem to have fur. They may also wait and lie in wait while they’re on the carpet.
- They may infest unclean garments that have been sitting in one location for a long period.
- Fleas are attracted to indoor plants. They may remain and hide in peace here.
What Causes Fleas Without Pets?
You’re not alone if you believe you can only have fleas in your house if you have a dog or a cat. Even though flea infestations are more likely if you have a dog or a cat, these parasites may enter your home on any sort of fabric, including any piece of clothing on your body or any item you bring into your house that has been in an infected region.
How Do They Get into Your Home?
These microscopic parasites may travel with you or a visitor inside your house if you have grass in your front or back yard. Fleas may also infiltrate your home if you return from a friend’s residence where there is an undiscovered flea infestation.
Another possibility is that a flea-infested wild animal, such as an opossum, feral cat, skunk, or raccoon, has taken up residence on your land without your awareness, putting you in danger of an infestation. These critters may spread fleas into your house by building a nest in your attic, nearby trees, or even under your patio. As a consequence, even if you have no furry family members, you may have a flea issue.
How Long Will Fleas Last Without Pets?
Flea larvae, unlike adult fleas, do not feed on the blood of their hosts. They like dark, dry environments and feed on organic detritus found on floors, carpets, and other parts of the house. They’ll leave your pet alone till they’ve grown a bit.
The cocooned ‘pupae’ stage is the next stage following larvae. The soon-to-be adult flea hibernates here for a long time until they detect the presence of a viable host. Pupae can live without sustenance for more than 100 days at this stage.
How to Stop Fleas from Coming Back?
Adult fleas may survive for 1-2 weeks in ideal circumstances. What exactly are “favorable conditions”? Finding a host on which to feed continually is the most crucial duty in each adult flea’s existence. They also like hot, humid temperatures and will usually freeze to death in cold weather. Easy access to a host in a humid, generally warm environment would be excellent for a flea’s life cycle. Read on to learn how you can keep fleas away from your home for a long time.
Understand their Life Cycle
Flea eggs hatch in 1 to 6 days, depending on the temperature and humidity of the environment. Depending on the weather, growth from egg to adult might take many weeks or months. A flea may survive without a host for 3 to 4 months. They may be calmly waiting for you to go by if they were left off in your yard by a stray or a wild animal.
Implement an Effective Preventative Plan
Even though the adult fleas have been removed from your cat, the eggs may survive, so the infestation may return after the pupae emerge from their cocoons. That’s why preventive, proactive flea management is the most effective approach to keep fleas out of your house and off your cherished pet.
Figure Out All the Hiding Spots
It may seem strange that a critter that thrives on hairy or furry things and carpet can survive on your hardwood floor, but it is true. The wrinkles in your hardwood floors provide excellent digging opportunities for fleas. These obnoxious bugs may also be found in cracks in the walls, between baseboards, and even beneath the furniture.
Is Vacuuming Enough to Get Rid of Fleas?
Although it can prevent the situation from worsening, vacuuming cannot solve the problem on its own. It can speed up the eradication process and decrease the need for chemical applications. It’s the third stage in most flea control treatments and is a must before any sprays, foggers, or powders are used. Vacuuming raises carpet fibers, allowing pesticides to penetrate deeper into the matrix, increasing their effectiveness.
Benefits of Vacuuming
The following are some of the major benefits of vacuuming with regards to flea infestations.
Eliminates Fleas
Vacuuming may remove 32-90 percent of eggs, 15-50 percent of larvae, 57 63.8 percent of pupae, and 95 percent of emerging adults from carpets. With great density carpets, efficacy declines. Vacuuming kills 100 percent of pre-adult fleas and 95 percent of adult fleas. Thus, further measures to clean the vacuum bag or canister are usually unneeded.
Removes Larval Food
Flea larvae eat the eggs and excrement of fleas. If the larvae cannot locate these meals, they will die within three days after hatching. Vacuuming aids in the removal of larval food from the environment.
Removes Debris
Larvae benefit from organic detritus because it keeps them concealed and safe in their environment. Vacuums may eliminate hair and debris from carpets, making them less conducive to flea infestations.
Releases cocoons
Adult fleas may remain dormant in their cocoons for up to 5 months after growing. This increased lifespan presents problems with control. When heat and physical pressure are detected, the “sleeping” fleas quickly wake up and release their cocoons. These sensations indicate the presence of a host on the cocoon. Vacuuming may be used to mimic these host signals, causing the adults to emerge.
Other Ways to Get Rid of Fleas
Several other methods can be used to remove fleas from your house besides vacuuming. Some of the most useful ones are as follows.
Hot Wash – Hot soapy water kills minor bed bug infestations. Soap kills fleas, eggs, and larvae. Vacuum your mattress. Clean your pet’s bed, too.
Steam Cleaning – Suppose you have fleas, steam clean your carpets, furniture, and pet beds. High heat and soap kill fleas quickly.
Baking Soda – Sprinkle baking soda on your carpet, clean it, then vacuum it to eradicate fleas. Vacuuming your carpet frequently can also deter bugs. Check pet sleeping places. Fleas may spread illnesses to people, so clean thoroughly.
Salt – Salt functions just like baking soda. Sprinkling it on your carpet for two days and then vacuuming can kill fleas. This is because salt dehydrates fleas, killing them swiftly and naturally without pesticides.
Why are Fleas Difficult to Eliminate?
Fleas have a short life cycle, which means they reproduce quickly. Adult fleas climb on your dog or cat, feast on their blood, and then lay eggs. A single female may lay up to 50 eggs each day. She will then scatter them on carpets and beds before hatching.
Hatched eggs release larvae, which travel deeper into carpets and beneath furniture before growing into pupae. At this stage, the larvae feed on organic detritus.
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Please note: We are not veterinarians and you use our advice at your own discretion. We always recommend that you consult your veterinarian whenever you have health-related conditions your furbaby is facing. With that in mind, as pet parents ourselves, we wish nothing but the best for your pet and their healthy and happy lives.