Fleas in bed and at home
Table of contents
Fleas (Siphonaptera) are blood-sucking parasites of humans, mammals and birds, with specific hosts, but many species can easily change them. There are about 20 species of these parasites in our country and fleas in bed are a very unpleasant incident.
The most common flea species that attack humans are the rat flea (Xenopsylla cheopsis Roth.) and the human flea (Pulex irritans L.). Dog fleas (Ctenocephalides canis Curtis) and cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis Boushe) are spread by cats and dogs in dwellings.
FLEAS IN BED AND WITH ANIMALS
Cat fleas also spread the rat typhus pathogens Rickettsia typhi and the murine pseudorabies Rickettsia felis rickettsiae. In Europe and the United States, this flea species has been isolated as the causative agent of Lyme disease and Marseilles fever.
Rat fleas are the main vectors of the plague agent. They are also the vectors of tularemia, pseudotuberculosis, listeriosis, typhoid fever, endemic rat spotted fever, and cat scratch disease. Fleas appear quite easily in the bed.
FEATURES OF THE FLEAS
Flea adults are horizontally compressed, yellow-brown in colour. They are wingless, with well-developed hind dancing legs. After each blood meal, females lay 4-8 eggs. They are white and oval in shape. Development from egg to adult takes 4-6 weeks. A flea can lay several hundred eggs in its lifetime. Fleas can also lay eggs. The life span of a flea is approximately one year.
ADULT FLEAS
The adult flea’s oral organs are adapted to pierce the host’s skin (by means of modified serrated upper jaws) and to suck blood. Flea larvae have a gnawing oral apparatus and feed on organic products, including the adult’s faeces. Eggs are not routinely laid on the host, but in cracks, carpeting, nests and other places. It is usually spread by the host moving from one place to another.
HOW DO FLEAS SPREAD IN BED?
The proliferation of these parasites is an indicator of untidiness and poor hygiene, so rooms should be vacuumed every day (carpets and rugs should be vacuumed before leaving the house for long periods). Do not neglect walls and floors and cracks. This will ensure that fleas do not appear in the bed. Regularly clean pet bags, cushions or what they lie on and keep them in the sunlight. Pet beds should be washed in water at 60˚C.
HOW TO KILL FLEAS IN BED?
Eradicate flea feeders such as rats and mice. However, if you notice fleas in your bed, you should spray floors, carpets, rugs, pet baskets, curtains and bedding with residual insecticides.
Only wash pets with products prescribed by veterinarians. For a reliable result, a pest control specialist should be contacted to carry out flea control. Its effectiveness is assessed after 3-5 days. If no live fleas are found during the follow-up check, the disinsection is considered effective. If fleas are found, the disinsection must be repeated.
