Adult Flea Infestation

Adult Flea Infestations

A pet that suddenly scratches, chews or licks itself far more than usual is often the first clue. Part the fur and you may find small red bumps or catch a quick, dark insect darting through the hair. Fleas may also be seen jumping on rugs, beds or couches. People in the house can get bitten too, mostly on the ankles and lower legs, because fleas jump up from the floor and rarely reach higher.

Signs of Fleas Beyond the Scratching

A few simple checks will confirm fleas:

• Flea dirt: run a fine-toothed flea comb through the fur near the base of the tail and along the belly. Tap what you collect onto a damp white paper towel. Specks that smear reddish brown are digested blood, a reliable sign of fleas.
• The white sock test: pull on tall white socks and walk slowly through rooms where pets rest. Dark specks that land on the socks and jump are easy to spot.
• Pet bedding: look for black, pepper-like grit and tiny white eggs in the folds.
• Bites after time away: fleas sealed in cocoons can wait for weeks or longer, then hatch when they sense movement, warmth and breath. A burst of bites after a vacation, or after moving into a home where the previous owners had pets, is a classic pattern.

Indoors, check carpet edges along walls, under beds and sofas, and anywhere a pet naps. Outdoors, fleas develop in shaded, moist spots: under shrubs, beneath decks and porches, in crawlspaces and in dog runs. Open, sunny lawn is a poor habitat for the larvae.

Pets are not the only source. Opossums, raccoons and stray cats that den under a house or shed can carry cat fleas and seed the yard with eggs. In Florida, flea problems can appear in any month, though they tend to build during the warm, humid stretch from late spring into fall. For next steps, see how to get rid of adult fleas.