How To Get Rid Of Fleas On Humans (FAST!)

Want to know how to get rid of fleas on humans?

Then this article is for you…

Pet owners are used to dealing with fleas – it’s part of the package you sign up for, when you get a furry friend.

But a human flea infestation can really make your skin crawl!

If you or a family member have picked up fleas, that’s something you’re going to want to deal with asap.

This article can help.

In it we’ve detailed 4 steps you can take to quickly and easily get rid of fleas on humans.

Before we get to those steps, it’s important to understand what a flea actually is…

What Are Fleas, Exactly?

Fleas are tiny wingless parasites which feed off the blood of warm-blooded hosts like cats, dogs, and (unfortunately) humans.

They thrive in humid, moist, and dark environments.

Due to their enormous rate of breeding (much faster than rabbits), fleas spread very fast and come in contact with your pets easily.

Though they can’t stick to the body of their host and can easily fall off, the tiny creatures can jump 150 times their own length!

That’s the equivalent of a human jumping 300 meters. Sounds crazy, right?

This allows them to easily transition from their host to the environment and vice versa.

Once a flea finds a host, it seeks comfort in the warmest parts and starts feeding off it.

Naturally, fleas are more ‘attracted’ to your pets than you. They are better hosts due to their large amount of fur.

Over 2000 species of fleas exist and they can be found on a huge variety of animals including wildlife, livestock and yes, us!

Flea Life Cycle

Fleas have a very short life cycle, which lasts about 18-21 days.

In a day, an adult flea can lay up to 40-50 eggs which can be laid in your carpets or furniture and hatch into larvae.

The larvae develop into pupae which are wrapped in cocoons and may remain dormant for months until the conditions are favorable for the adult flea to emerge.

These cocoons are sticky and are difficult to get rid of by sweeping or vacuuming.

The adult flea emerges when it senses carbon dioxide, heat or vibrations.

How Do People Get Fleas?

Fleas are most likely to infest you and your home if your pet gets infested first.

They can also migrate from heavily infested areas near your home such as farms.

Travelling to flea-infested areas (much of the developing world), can also be an easy way to pick up these creepy crawlies, as they can jump onto you or your luggage and hitch a ride.

No matter the method, if fleas infest your home, they’ll rapidly begin to breed and spread to the dark and humid parts of your house. Including carpets, beds, your pets and even you.

How To Get Rid Of Fleas On Humans

If you feel itchy and have little red bite marks on your skin like this, there’s a good chance you’ve got fleas.

Image source: Terminix

Once you’ve got fleas, you’re obviously going to want to get rid of them, which can be an expensive and challenging task.

The first thing to consider is your sanitary conditions. Doing the following can really help:

#1 Take A Very Thorough Shower

The first step is to make yourself as clean as possible.

Take a thorough shower and wash everything very carefully. Pay particular attention to your hair and wash it a couple of times.

Do not use flea treatment of other pesticides on yourself – a proper wash with water and soap should do just fine.

#2 Wash Your Clothes

As we’ve already discussed fleas can infest your clothes. Washing them at a high temperature will go a long way to removing them.

It’s also best to not stack your clothes in a wash basket or elsewhere as doing so can encourage and facilitate breeding.

#3 Examine & Treat Your Pet (if you’ve got one)

If you’ve got fleas, there is a very good chance your pet has them as well and that’s where you picked them up in the first place. Which means, you’ll need to treat your pet as well.

You can take your pet to the vet, or get rid of the fleas yourself.

Use a flea comb to comb out the fleas into soapy water and dispose of them.

Wash your pet’s bedding and wash your pet with a flea shampoo.

Also, make sure you wash your pet’s toys as well, as fleas can hide there too.

And finally don’t forget about you pet’s play areas. If they often sit on a carpet or sofa, give them a very thorough vacuum.

#4 Treat Your Environment

Fleas could have found their way onto from your immediate environment and giving that a thorough clean can really help.

You should sweep wooden floors and vacuum carpets, rugs and upholstery. Also take the time to wash all bedding and blankets.

If need be, you can go one stage further and buy a flea spray. Particular areas to pay attention to are carpets, corners, under upholstery and any humid spaces.

You may also want to spray your garden, as fleas will happily live and breed there.

If that doesn’t do the trick, you can go one step further and use a flea bomb to fog your home.

However, this isn’t something we would usually recommend and make sure you consult a professional exterminator before using chemicals in and around your living conditions.

How To Treat Flea Bites

If you or a family member have fleas, then you’ve almost certainly already been bitten.

Flea bites show up as red spots on the skins, usually in clusters of two or three. Symptoms include itching, hives, halos on the spots, and swelling. Here are a few tips to help:

• Avoid scratching the bites because that will make them itch even more and can lead to infection and scarring.
• Reduce/stop the itch by washing the area thoroughly, applying an anti-itch medication such as calamine lotion, or taking antihistamines. Washing the area also reduces the change of infection
• Watch out for allergies. Allergic reactions to flea bites are rare but not unheard of. Consult a doctor immediately if you think you are having one.
• Apply natural/home remedies such as Aloe Vera or ice packs which can help reduce the spots and swelling. You can use tea tree oil or witch hazel, which can help with the itch.

How To Prevent Flea Infestations

Unfortunately, it’s sometimes not enough to know how to get rid of fleas on humans. And you may need to regularly engage in practices to prevent flea infestations. These include:

1. Using natural remedies such as adding Brewers yeast or a bit of cider vinegar to your pet’s water. Adding garlic to your pet’s food or bathing them with herbal shampoos and rinsing with diluted apple cider vinegar.
2. Taking care whilst visiting higher risk places and practicing proper hygiene after visiting such places.
3. Treating your homes with antimicrobial solutions like garlic spray, tea tree oil, rosewood oil, and others.
4. You can also put natural flea repellents in and around your home. A good example is planting a eucalyptus tree, which releases a scent that fleas find unbearable.