The trouble with fleas is they are built to be tough. Nearly impossible to squish, fleas' legs are designed to grip to things so tightly they are hard to remove. Plus, the tiny pests are fast and jump high and far, as they can easily spread to other areas of your home in a short period of time.
Squeezing them in your fingers is nearly impossible. Even though it may seem impossible to kill them with your fingers, there is one way to kill them. If you roll them back and forth several times it keeps their legs from moving and that will kill them.
You need to make sure that you do not squeeze the flea (this can cause blood that has been sucked into the flea to be pushed back into your dog, increasing the risk of infection) or leave the tick's head inside your dog. Twisting the flea off your dog is the best method.
Sometimes fleas are swatted in studies to detect blood in their abdomens, indicating whether they've fed or not. Squishing a flea will spill out red vertebrate host blood, as well as blueish insect hemolymph.
Fleas have a complex life cycle. At some stages of their life cycle they are resistant to insecticides and other flea control products. In order to get rid of fleas in all stages of the life cycle, two or more follow-up treatments within 5-10 days after the first application are needed.
These pests are very hard to get rid of. Fleas have flattened bodies so they can move through the fur of their hosts easily. They also have very strong exoskeletons, making them very hard to crush. They also leap out of danger quickly and are very small, so if they do get away they are hard to find again.
Firstly, don't panic. Yes it's horrible that you've found fleas, but rest assured, most pet owners have had to deal with a flea problem at some point! Fleas are tiny, smaller than a pin head, but can jump up to a metre, and are so fast, you often don't see them even when they are in your house or on your pet.
The first sign of fleas in your bed may be waking up with itchy bites on your skin. If fleas fall off a pet and land in the bed, they may bite humans if the pet is not nearby. For some people who aren't sensitive to flea bites or don't sleep with their pet, the first sign of fleas is a pet's constant scratching.
Can Fleas Live in Your Bed? These pests infest multiple areas in homes, especially mattresses, cushions, and carpeting. Pets transfer fleas to the beds and furniture where they sleep. From here, the insects quickly spread around the house.
Fleas are blood-sucking parasites, and if they continue feasting on cats or dogs for any length of time, the pet may develop anemia. This condition can cause lethargy at the very least and may even cause death in puppies, kittens or older pets.
Fleas generally cannot live in human hair. While most species prefer to live on the furs of animals, they can use humans as temporary vectors. In such cases, fleas can infest and bite humans. You may get infected if there is a serious case of flea infestation in your environment.
In Summary
The myth of fleas only being attracted to dirty places is just that, a myth. Fleas want a warm-blooded creature to feed on and don't care if the environment is clean or dirty.
Will a flea die without a host? Fleas are parasites; they need a regular supply of blood to survive. Adult fleas develop a dependency on the blood of their host, so yes, they will quickly perish should they be separated from them for a certain amount of time – this could be as short as a couple of days.
Vacuums cause considerable physical trauma to fleas. Surviving adults are likely critically damaged and unable to move well. It's improbable that they'd be able to escape the vacuum and acquire a host. Instead, they'll soon starve to death.
Some Bodies React More Obviously to Slightest Bites
Another alternative theory that explains why some people are more likely to get bitten by fleas is that their bodies are genetically much more reactive than others.
After a flea bites you, a small, discolored bump forms. A discolored ring or halo may appear around the bite. Flea bites may appear in a straight line or a cluster of many bites. Flea bites most commonly occur on your legs, especially your feet, calves and ankles.
Even if you do treat the environment but only use treatments on your pets intermittently, you won't be able to eradicate the fleas, as they will be able to feed and lay eggs, some of which will survive and go on to develop into a new generation of adults.
Pennyroyal. Eucalyptus. Those are just some of the essential oils that have been found to repel fleas. Dab them onto your skin or spray them onto your clothes to take advantage of their flea-resistant properties.
In most cases, it takes three to four months to completely get rid of a flea infestation since it takes fleas this long to go through their life stages, according to the American Kennel Club.