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Flea bites are not much fun!
If you've ever had a dog then it's likely
you may have experienced the flea bite. It is characterized by a red "halo" and a small raised
puncture in the center, which is the actual bite. They typically come in clusters and will occur near
elastic bands such as are on socks and underwear.
The flea feeds on blood so the puncture from
its bite is where it tried to suck your blood. This is also the source of the irritating itch that accompanies
the flea bite. The flea will inject a sticky material into that piece of skin, causing the allergic reaction.
Although fleas prefer cat and dog flesh, in their absence, they will turn to humans.
People with extreme allergies will sometimes
break out into hives and have excessive swelling if they encounter flea bites. Typically, however, the
bites will form a red rash and remain very itchy for hours. To alleviate the symptoms, calamine lotion
may be applied. There are also a number of other ointments, all with similar ingredients, to soothe the
irritation.
If you have received flea bites in a place where there isn't even a pet, then most likely these creatures
abandoned a pet and moved into bedding or furniture temporarily. This was the case one summer when I stayed
in a cottage, rented out by several people before. Each member of my family awoke one morning to find
clusters of tiny flea bites around our ankles and wrists.
Learn how
to get rid of fleas. What we did was we vacuumed very thoroughly and threw away the bag, since it
probably contained eggs. By washing all the bedding in hot water, we killed any eggs that may have been
hiding there. A few days later, we had cleansed the house from the flea infestation but still found ourselves
itching. Flea bites are an irritating part of life, especially if you are a pet owner.
If you are getting flea bites, you should
look into a good flea repellant or buy some flea
traps.
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