{"id":350,"date":"2010-10-07T12:03:50","date_gmt":"2010-10-07T16:03:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/umaine.edu\/homeowner-ipm\/"},"modified":"2019-05-14T12:11:00","modified_gmt":"2019-05-14T16:11:00","slug":"frequent-fleas","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/home-and-garden-ipm\/frequent-specimens\/frequent-fleas\/","title":{"rendered":"Fleas"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"image<\/a>
Fleas (Cat Flea shown here)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Fleas<\/strong> are wingless insects possessing mouthparts that are adapted for piercing skin and sucking the blood of mammals and birds, causing them to be labeled as external parasites<\/em>.\u00a0 Pets and other animals are usually blamed for carrying fleas, and perhaps correctly so.\u00a0 But rats and mice can also be sources of fleas or causes of continuing infestation.\u00a0 However, fleas can even survive in homes where there are only humans present, and they can survive a long time without a blood meal, making it a challenge to get rid of them (read the management section of our Fleas fact sheet<\/a> for control ideas).<\/p>\n

Some humans are resistant to or immune to flea bites.\u00a0 They can live with the fleas and not even be aware of them.\u00a0 But most people are very sensitive to flea bites.\u00a0 Flea bites are most likely to be found on the legs, feet and ankles of people in flea-infested areas.\u00a0 The bites have a red halo around a small red spot, and they may swell.\u00a0 Several over-the-counter medications may give some relief for flea bites.<\/p>\n

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\"Bites<\/a>
Cat Flea bites on a child’s feet and legs<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Additional Information: <\/strong><\/h3>\n