by J M K

Created on: October 06, 2009

I recently moved into a new beautiful house and within a day of being there noticed tiny black dots hoping around my floors and my body. The house has no carpeting and I have no pets but it is still infested with fleas. I decided to do some research to learn how to control the flea problem. We finally got rid of our fleas and I became a flea expert.

How do you know if you have fleas?

Fleas look like little black dots that hop around like Mexican jumping beans. Fleas also they leave flea dust which are smaller black dust that turn red when wet and flea eggs which are white.

You should also be checking yourself and family for fleabites. Fleabites are smaller then mosquito bites and they typically stay skin colored but they can itch just as much as mosquito bites. Look for these bites around your feet and ankle. Avoid scratching fleabites if it can be helped. Fleas inject a liquid that causes blood to thin when they are biting. If you scratch fleabites they will bleed and scab.

What do you do if you have fleas?

If you have pets, talk to the vet. The vet can tell you the best flea medicine or shampoo for your pet(s). If you have carpets, shampoo them. Use hot water and borax. Borax is a gentle cleaner that will rid your carpet of fleas. It is important to clean your carpets and upholstery while your pet is getting cleaned. If you can't do it all at the same time, the fleas will just come back. Be careful with foggers or any other chemical products, as they can be dangerous to animals and humans.

Salt is a natural safe flea fighter. Sprinkle salt on your carpets and let it sit for 24 hours before vacuuming.

How to treat fleabites?

Fleabites look like small red bumps, a little smaller than mosquito bites. They often have a visible puncture mark in the center. They mostly appear around the feet and ankles. Fleabites cause localized swelling and itching that should not last more than a few days. Keep the bite point clean and place a cold compress on it. Hydrocortisone cream can be used to reduce the swelling and itching.

The itching caused by fleabites can be extreme (a lot more intense than mosquito bites). Avoid scratching; scratching can cause an infection and leave a scar. If the itching is bad take an oral dose of anti-histamine.

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