Fleas

What are they?

They are tiny, brown insects which like jumping. They are one of the downsides of pet ownership. Mind you, foxes and hedgehogs have fleas too. It’s only the adult flea that bites you! They hop on when it’s time for a meal and then hop off again. They can hop on any time. Fleas usually lounge about in quiet, out-of-the-way places between meals, behind the skirting boards or under the sofa.

What can we do about fleas?

Before you can get rid of fleas, you will need to have them removed from your pet, if you have a pet. So, off to visit the vet first! If you don’t have a pet, then we can move straight to the next bit. It’s a good idea to vacuum clean everywhere first. Include the underneath places, like under the sofa and under the bed. They like dark places. A few treatments should do the trick, but it depends on the flea population. If you regularly get problems, then frequent re-treatment will be needed.

Fleas at work?

Office environments seem prone to outbreaks of biting insect activity, which is usually attributed to fleas. However, most offices don’t have animals. Problems are likely to be sporadic and are probably caused by staff bringing fleas to work. Sometimes the fleas, living outside near the front door or the smoking area, hitch a ride into the office!

In offices which have lots of computers, which really means most offices, staff may find themselves scratching. This may not be due to fleas biting them, but fleas are usually blamed. If lots of people are being ‘bitten’, it would suggest an infestation, but staff don’t usually see what is biting them! It might be static electricity, which is generated through using the computers, which could be the problem. A treatment with anti-static fluid may help, to reduce the likelihood of staff being irritated by static electrical charges, which can be the cause ‘bite-like’ itching on exposed skin!