Fleas can be identified in your bedding by tiny black specks referred to as “flea dirt.” These are flea droppings; when sprinkled with water, they turn a dark-reddish brown color. Flea bites on your body are another sign that fleas have infested your bed.
10 Flea infestation, Fleas in Bed Signs You Should be Aware Of (3 of Them are Hard to Spot)
There are six telltale signs of fleas in your bed –
- Dirt from fleas on the bed
- Flea bite marks on your skin
- Flea eggs in clothing and in your ome
- Flea pupae seen around
- The presence of adult fleas on the bed and more
These flea signs in bed provide an answer to the question, “Are there fleas in my bed?” These six signs of fleas in bed are also a dead giveaway that your home is infested with fleas!
Three of these indicators are so small that they may go unnoticed with the naked eye.
Let’s take a closer look at each of these flea in bed symptoms.
Flea dirt, which is flea feces, appears on your bed as small black pepper-like grains or black specks of dust. Fleas that receive regular blood meals will deposit their feces on your bed.
Scrub the dirt with a wet paper towel to determine if it is indeed flea dirt.
When rubbed, the flea dirt emits a reddish color that is visible on the power towel and bed sheet.
Flea excrement flea feces flea dirt
They produce a reddish discharge as a result of the blood they consume.
However, there is a catch.
You may confuse flea dirt with bed bug fecal marks. However, there is a significant distinction between the two.
Flea feces are microscopic dust-like particles, whereas bed bug feces leaves small black marks on the bed.
Flea bite marks on the body are another telltale sign of fleas in the bed.
Flea bite marks are small, random red spots on your skin that cause severe itching.
However, how can you be certain it is a flea bite mark and not a bed bug bite mark?
It’s difficult to tell the difference between flea bite marks and bed bug bite marks, but there are some critical distinctions.
To begin, fleas bite on the lower half of the body, particularly in the skin folds around the ankles, elbows, and knee bends.
By comparison, bed bugs can bite anywhere on your body, including your neck.
The shape and pattern of the bite marks are the second distinction between bed bug bites and flea bites.
Flea bite marks are typically less noticeable than bed bug bite marks. Flea bite marks resemble pimples or acne, whereas bed bug bite marks are slightly swollen.
Within 24 to 48 hours of bed bug bites, bite marks can grow in size. However, flea bite marks remain constant in size.
Thirdly, unlike bed bug bite marks, flea bite marks are not pattern-based. Flea bite marks are frequently found in random clusters.
Are Flea Bites Toxic To Human Health?
Yes, flea bites can pose a serious threat to your health, even more so if you are allergic to insect bites.
You’d develop rashes and might experience allergic reactions such as sneezing, swollen eyes, red welts on your skin, and a runny nose.
Additionally, the bitten area may swell and develop into a blister. If you accidentally puncture the blister or something stabs it, infection can result.
Fleas can also infest human skin by burrowing into it. Tungiasis is the medical term for this condition.
It is most frequently found on the feet and ankles. Fleas die within two to three weeks of drilling into your skin. This results in a severe infection.
Therefore, if you’ve been bitten by fleas, it’s best to consult a physician.
Now you’re getting into the more subtle signs of fleas in bed.
These signs would require a magnifying glass to be visible.
Flea eggs on the bed are a telltale sign of fleas in the bed, and they can easily be mistaken for salt grains. They are minuscule in size, measuring only 0.5 mm in length, or one-hundredth of an inch.
However, flea eggs are oval, a critical distinction between salt grains and flea eggs.
If you notice something resembling salt grains on your bed, take one action.
Using a pincher, remove the flea egg. Additionally, keep it on a sheet of black paper.
Now examine it closely with a magnifying glass.
If this is a flea egg, it will be soft, oval, and off-white in color.
Bear in mind that if fleas are present in your bed, they will lay eggs on your bed sheets, mattress, and pillows. Flea eggs and flea dirt on the bed are telltale signs that fleas are biting and sucking your blood.
This is because fleas are incapable of reproducing if they do not receive their regular blood meals.
And if the bed contains flea eggs, the egg will hatch. This brings us to the next indication of fleas in bed: flea larvae.
Flea larvae resemble off-white tiny worms covered in a thin layer of hairy bristles.
They measure 0.08 to 0.2 inches (2-5 mm) in length.
Flea larvae can be difficult to detect. Additionally, due to their microscopic size, flea larvae do not crawl on your bed. They remain concealed at all times.
They spend most of the times hiding in the thin gaps and cracks on the bed.
However, they do come out to feed on flea dirt or flea feces from adult fleas. Flea larvae do not bite humans and cannot survive on them. Adult fleas, on the other hand, cannot survive on humans.
The flea larvae molts multiple times before enclosing itself in a cocoon (which is known as pupa).
Flea pupae are also quite small, and they typically pupate in the small gaps and cracks of the bed frame and box springs.
Adult fleas emerge from pupae in search of blood meals and are ready to breed.
The last few days, you’ve been scratching more than a neglected record. Records were big plastic discs that played better or worse music, depending on who you asked. Before mp3s, they played better or worse music.
Yep. The most obvious sign of a flea infestation is that you or your pets are scratching more often than before. Keep an eye out for any scratchy or frustrated behavior from your pets.
How to find out if your cat has fleas
Fleas like to live in thick fur and in places that aren’t very convenient, like armpits, the back of the head and neck, the groin area, and so on.
It doesn’t matter if you don’t have any hair on your body. Your pet might have a lot of itchy bites under all that fur. Because that’s one of the first signs of fleas: if they scratch, bite, or chew a lot, they might have fleas.
If your cat isn’t getting the recommended amount of sleep each day, or your normally calm dog is acting a little shaky and irritable, it’s likely that they’re dealing with the stress of fleas.
Remember that a flea infestation can be a living hell for an animal with much thicker fur than you and a less-than-clean lifestyle.
You’ll be scratching in places you can’t reach, and you won’t be able to explain the problem to your owner.
Check out these signs that your cat has fleas to see if they match up.
When a flea bites you, you may feel the attack itself as a small sting or painful nip. It’s just that the critters move around so quickly and erratically that you won’t be able to catch the person who did this.
A lot of people, though, will end up with their hands dirty. There are many different types of flea bites, but the most common ones are red bumps that are raised and red. It isn’t unusual for the area to be itchy and irritated. How to treat flea bites on humans and pets is here!
Most of the time, the bite itself isn’t very dangerous, and the ‘wound’ will be small and temporary in its pain and discomfort. It might get bigger if you’re allergic to fleas, though.
The bite can get bigger until it’s the size of a penny, though. It’s a shame, but as far as I know, no stores on the high street will accept flea bites as payment.
A time after the end of the world might be when fleas take over and everyone has fleas.
Keep in mind that if you are allergic to fleas, your immune system may overreact to flea bites and release more histamine, which could cause anaphylaxis, so be careful.
Anaphylaxis can cause a rash or hives on different parts of your body, shortness of breath, wheezing, and swelling of your hands and face, especially your mouth and lips.
Anaphylaxis can be deadly if it isn’t treated quickly, so if you’re having trouble breathing, take a Benadryl or use an EpiPen. If it’s bad, call 911 or go to the emergency room.
People can’t blame fleas for the male pattern baldness on their pets, but they can blame fleas for the male pattern baldness on their pets. We have to accept our fate.
alopecia: Some fleas can cause animals to lose their hair in a weird way. This is one of the more obvious signs that your pet has fleas.
You’ll want to start taking care of the fleas as soon as possible to keep your pet from being in pain and making friends with other dogs in the neighborhood with their soap opera-like flowing hair.
However, hair loss may be a sign that your pet has scratched the area a little too much and accidentally pulled some hair.
Alopecia or a severe allergic reaction didn’t happen, but it was still very painful to go through. Take care of flea bites before they get worse!
A quick look around your home to see if there are fleas on your socks or slippers is worth it. In the lower leg and ankle area, most people get flea bites because the flea in question was likely to jump out of the thick carpet and bite into them as they passed through its home. This is why.
When you wear socks or slippers, you’re not only protecting your feet from any unwelcome nibbles, but you’re also giving fleas something to paint on. As the bugs are dark, white socks are best for this.
if you see black spots on your socks after walking around for a while, you know what to do. “How to Get Rid of Fleas” was the second Google search you did on your bad day.
Anemia is a condition that affects how many red blood cells the body makes. It can cause tiredness and a lack of energy, among other things. However, this can be quite difficult to detect, which is why veterinarians recommend checking your pets’ gums as well.
Pale gums are a big sign of anemia, which in turn is usually a sign of a flea infestation that is bad. This means that fleas are taking so many new red blood cells from the body that it can’t keep up. People who have pale gums should go to the vet right away.
In general, flea bites and reactions to the dirt fleas carry show up differently on pets than on humans, in terms of how they show up. Instead of little red blotches or welts, your pet is more likely to show scabs and flaking skin that looks like dandruff.
What is different about this “dandruff” is that it will look like a red or black “rust.” This “dandruff” will get stuck in your pet’s hair and can also be found on their bedding.
It’s a good idea to check thoroughly at this point for signs of any active and live fleas living in the fur. You can use a flea comb to look through the hair.
Flea larvae shed their skin, or molt, twice before reaching the pupae stage of development. Additionally, you may come across shed skin on your bed.
Again, the skin casings can be difficult to identify. You’d need a magnifying glass to determine whether it’s flea shed skin (exuviae).
The shed skin will appear as a soft, tiny white tubular casing when viewed through a magnifying glass.
The flea sheds its skin twice during the pupae stage, or inside the cocoon, before emerging as an adult flea.
Due to the flea larvae’s concealment in the small gaps of the bed frame, you may miss the flea skin on your bed sheet.
However, you’d find them beneath the mattress, between the headboard’s gaps, and on the bed frame.
Fleas that are adults do not shed their skin.
Fleas are not microscopic insects. They can be seen with the naked eye. However, if you have poor vision, you will have difficulty spotting them due to their small size.
Fleas range in color from brown to reddish-brown and reach a maximum size of 0.3 inches. Many people confuse fleas with bed bugs due to their brownish color.
Fleas, on the other hand, have visible long hind legs that they use for jumping. Whereas bed bugs lack such legs and are flat oval-shaped.
Fleas can be found beneath the mattress, pillows, and in the small gaps between the bed frame and headboard.
There is no more visible indicator of fleas in bed than the presence of live adult fleas on your bed.
How Do You Get Fleas In Bed?
There are three ways to acquire fleas on your mattress –
- Your dog is infested with fleas and sleeps on your bed.
- You introduce fleas into your home and bed.
Fleas in bed despite the absence of pets (blame strays and wildlife) Now, let’s take a closer look at each of these methods.
Fleas lay their eggs on pet dogs and cats’ fur and skin. These eggs are coated in a sticky substance that causes them to adhere to the skin and fur.
When your pet dog sleeps on your bed, some flea eggs and even adult fleas fall off his or her skin and fur.
When these eggs hatch and the larvae complete their life cycle, you’ll have a swarm of fleas on your bed, waiting to bite and sucking your blood.
And it is not limited to the confines of your bed. Flea-infested pets can spread fleas to pet beds and soft furnishings such as carpets, rugs, and couches.
However, how does your pet dog or cat acquire fleas?
They pick it up from the outdoors or from contact with other flea-infested pets.
Fleas breed and live in tall grasses near moist areas in the outdoors, as well as in your yard or garden.
Fleas and ticks can attach to your pet dog’s skin when it walks through or plays in overgrown vegetation.
And when the dog jumps onto your bed directly from those flea-infested areas, the fleas are transferred to your bed.
Therefore, if your dog is infested with fleas, your home is at risk of flea infestation.
That is why it is critical to check your dog and cat for fleas on a regular basis, especially if they scratch themselves frequently. And doing so in an effortless manner.
All you need to do is split your pet’s fur and check for fleas using a flea comb.
And it’s unsurprising if you notice adult fleas jumping off, flea dirt, or tiny flea larvae on the skin and fur of your pet.
If your dog has fleas, you will notice adult fleas jumping around in his fur, flea dirt, and even tiny whitish flea larvae on his skin.
If you notice fleas on your dog, you can use flea powder for pets on your dog or cat as a precautionary measure.
However, immediately take your dog to a veterinarian for flea treatment. On dogs and cats, fleas can cause skin infections, hair loss, gum bleeding, and anemia.
The second way that fleas can get onto your bed is from you.
How?
Similarly to how your dog brings fleas into your home.
Fleas will attach to your clothing as you walk through overgrown vegetation in your yard or outdoors.
The majority of fleas attach to the area below the waist.
By walking through those tall grasses, fleas and ticks will hitchhike to your home via your trousers and socks.
And if you place those flea-infested clothes in your bed or other areas of your home, you’ve just brought fleas into your house or apartment.
The third and final reason for fleas in bed is that when a flea-infested animal enters your home or property, it introduces fleas.
This is quite uncommon in an urban environment, but many homeowners have reported fleas in their beds over the years despite the absence of pets.
Racoons, opossums, skunks, rats, mice, and squirrels are all examples of wildlife that can bring fleas into your home.
The attic or crawl spaces are the most common entry points for these animals into your home.
Another reason for fleas in the house and on the bed in the absence of pets is that the previous tenant or homeowner had pets and left fleas behind.
Additionally, there is a possibility that flea eggs and larvae were present when you moved into your home. Additionally, they developed into adult fleas.
Is It Possible for Fleas to Survive on Human Blood?
Fleas can, in fact, survive on human blood. Though their preferred hosts are warm-blooded animals with fur, fleas can survive on human blood if their primary hosts are unavailable.
Fleas have a life span of 2-3 months when they receive their regular blood meals. However, fleas cannot survive for more than a few days without their blood meals.
Fleas would rather live as parasites on your pets. Fleas prefer the blood of your pets.
Are Fleas Capable of Residing in Your Bedding?
Yes, if you do not eliminate fleas, they can live in your bed and complete their life cycle.
However, there is a catch.
Your bed is not an ideal environment for fleas in the same way that it is for bed bugs.
Fleas enter your bed in three distinct ways, which we’ll discuss later in the post.
However, bear in mind that while they are in your bed, they will latch onto any host, which is usually you, and bite and draw blood.
Contrary to popular belief, humans are not an ideal host for fleas. Fleas are parasitic on furry animals, birds, and other animals.
However, fleas will bite you and drink your blood in order to survive in your bed.
Spotting a single flea in your bed is a sure sign of a possible flea infestation in your bed and home.
How To Naturally Get Rid Of Fleas In Bed?
You’re now an expert at detecting fleas in bed.
Additionally, you are aware of how fleas end up on your bed.
However, this knowledge is useless unless you take steps to eliminate fleas in your bed.
This section will teach you how to get rid of fleas in your bed.
What’s the best part?
You are not required to hire a pest controller to complete this task. With a little bit of patience, you can do it on your own.
The following are five steps for eliminating fleas on your bed and throughout your home, as well as protecting your bed from future flea attacks.
Fleas, like bed bugs and bed worms, hide in the cracks and seams of mattresses and beds.
To begin, remove your bed’s covers, pillowcases, and sheets.
What to do with them is explained in the following section. For the time being, let’s concentrate on your bed frame and box springs.
Now, thoroughly steam clean your bed mattress. Heat is generated by steam cleaners.
And the steam cleaner’s heat will kill any adult fleas, flea eggs, flea larvae, or flea pupae that are hiding in the bed mattress.
Additionally, you can use the steam cleaner on the bed’s hard surfaces, such as the bed frame and headboard.
Using a steam cleaner on the bed is the most effective way to eliminate flea larvae.
(Every household should possess a steam cleaner and a packet of diatomaceous earth. These two products, in our opinion, are the best yet most underrated pesticides.)
While steam cleaning, take your time and cover every inch and corner of your bed.
Maintain a slightly longer hold of the steam cleaner’s hose on the cracks and gaps in the bed frame.
Additionally, apply some pressure to the seams of the mattress with your hand.
Remove the headboard from your bed and steam clean it as well.
Not only fleas, but also bed bugs, can hide in the headboard.
Don’t forget to clean the back of the headboard, particularly if it is attached to the wall.
If you lack a steam cleaner, a vacuum cleaner will suffice.
However, do not discard the dust bag from the vacuum cleaner trash bins inside your home after vacuuming.
This is because fleas are excellent jumpers. They’d leap from trash bins and re-hide inside your home.
However, there is one disadvantage to vacuuming. Vacuum cleaners will remove fleas and their eggs, but they will not be killed.
If you do not vacuum thoroughly, you will not be able to eliminate flea eggs, nymphs, and pupae.
These will quickly mature into adults and re-infest your bed.
Scatter food-grade diatomaceous earth on the mattress, bed frame, and headboard to mitigate the risk.
Food-grade diatomaceous earth is completely safe for humans, animals, and the environment.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, diatomaceous earth kills fleas and a variety of other tiny insects.
Allow the diatomaceous earth to settle after scattering it.
After about an hour, vacuum all corners of your bed frame, headboard, and mattress slowly.
Additionally, you can add a few drops of peppermint or citrus essential oil to the mixture.
Essential oils will enhance the effectiveness of the flea-killing spray.
Fill a spray bottle halfway with the spray. Shake it vigorously before spraying it on all four corners of your bed.
Remember to spray the mixture into the cracks in the bed, around the nuts and bolts, and on the headboard.
Naturally, do not overlook the mattress.
White vinegar is acidic, which makes it effective against a variety of pests, including fleas.
Additionally, essential oils, particularly peppermint essential oil, possess insecticidal properties that act as a flea repellent.
For an hour, leave your bed unattended.
Alternatively, you can use a flea killer spray for pets sleeping in their beds.
Washing the bed’s fabrics in hot water kills any fleas that may be present.
Dry them after washing. This will ensure that any fleas on the bed fabrics are killed.
Again, fleas are excellent jumpers and move quickly.
If they’re on your bed, they’re almost certainly hiding in soft furnishings such as rugs, carpets, upholsteries, draperies, and curtains.
Sprinkle carpet flea powder on rugs and carpets and allow the flea powder to sit for a while.
Then vacuum or, better yet, steam clean those furnishings as well.
Do not dispose of the vacuum cleaner dust bag inside your home as a precautionary measure. Otherwise, some fleas will jump off the dust bag and into your home.
It is preferable if the dust bag is disposed of away from your property.
As you are probably aware, your pet can be a significant source of fleas in your bed and home.
Fleas in bed are a sure sign that your pet may have fleas. Additionally, there may be fleas in the yard.
Therefore, check for fleas on your pet and take your furry family member to the veterinarian.
Cut back any overgrown shrubs in your yard to eliminate fleas.
Additionally, you can control the moisture and dampness in your yard or garden by using the appropriate amount of water and repairing any leaks.
Then, don’t forget to use an outdoor flea spray to eliminate fleas in your yard.
Other tiny insects, such as fleas, may be present in your bed. These are bed bug clones that are easily confused with bed bugs.
How to tell If a Person has Fleas
Fleas leave itchy red dots on your shins, ankles, and feet. A straight line of flea bites on your lower limbs is common. A red halo may surround some flea bites.
Conclusion
To summarize, here are the six telltale signs of fleas in the bed:
- Flea dirt on the mattress
- On the body, flea bite marks
- Eggs of fleas
- Flea pupae
- Flea skin / Adult fleas alive on the bed
Your pet dog or cat is the primary flea carrier in your home, and if your pet spends time on your bed, fleas are almost certain to be present.
You’ve learned how fleas get into your bed and how to get rid of fleas in your bed in this guide.