It may surprise you to know that fleas have a lot in common with bed bugs. They both find hosts to travel on and their food of choice is blood.
That being said there are several species of fleas and there are many ways that they can make their way into your home.
So, can fleas come through screen windows? Yes, fleas are jumpers they move quickly and go unnoticed on account of how small they are, that is until they bite. Fleas can travel up to a single mile in one hour, they can jump long distances to move around. Since they are so small there are no real barriers to your home that can stop them from coming in if they want to.
Read on to learn about how fleas get in your home and how you can combat them.
How Do Fleas Get In Your Home?
In many cases, you can get fleas from a host that is carrying fleas like a pet, stray animals, or wild animals that have come in close proximity to your yard.
Fleas can also get inside your home through floor joists hardwood, air vents, crawl spaces, and gable vents.
You may have received or purchased a used piece of furniture that had fleas in it.
How Did I Get Fleas If I Don’t Have Pets?
If you don’t have pets but you have fleas this may be the least of your worries because you may have wildlife issues that have allowed fleas to come into your home.
You don’t have to have pets to get fleas in your home. If you have mice living in your crawl space or basement, or flying squirrels, raccoons living in your attic, or bats that live in your fireplace your home is susceptible to getting fleas.
Or maybe you have an indoor pet like a cat. The cat probably didn’t bring the fleas in, but if you brought the fleas in they will live on your cat.
The thing is fleas cannot survive without a proper host and we as humans are quickly discarded once they find an appropriate host.
Don’t get me wrong fleas will test bite the snot out of us believe me I have gone to so many homes with flea infestations to treat them and my socks will be full of fleas when I’m done and my ankles get tons of bites.
The point is no whether you have pets or not doesn’t really matter if you have them and they are staying you either have an indoor pet like a ferret, guinea pig, cat, or you have wildlife or rodent issues to handle.
Do Fleas Hitch A Ride On Humans?
Yes, fleas can travel on humans all they know is that they want some blood and even if they are desperate enough for a blood meal they will sink their teeth into us and take a ride wherever we are going.
- Did you throw a blanket outside to have a picnic? Oops, that can allow for fleas to get inside your home.
- Backyard camping can also bring fleas into your home.
- Kids that play in the yard can bring fleas in on them.
- Did your kid get a ride home from a neighbor or friend that has pets?
Does Flea Treatment Prevent Fleas?
If you treat your pets with flea treatment it will prevent fleas, but like I mentioned above if you have other outstanding issues that can occur you can still get fleas in your home.
There is not really home prevention you can perform for fleas except regular cleaning and just be aware of the things that could be lurking in or around your home.
How To Combat Fleas?
- Vacuum Frequently
- Bathe Your Pets
- Wash All Pet Bedding – I would do this 2 times a week
- Change Your Bedding – You should do this once a week
- Use Flea Collars On Pets
- Flea Baths For Pets
- Treat Your Home With A Flea IGR (IGR is a 5 dollar acronym for growth regulator)
When using the commercial pesticide I am about to recommend in this article you will want to do a few things before you get started first turn off the air conditioner and all fans, dehumidifiers, and defusers and leave it all off until it is safe for everyone to return to the home. Usually a few hours, but read the directions.
The chemical I recommend Is Called Nygard Plus. This is a flea and tick premise spray that works well in the elimination of fleas. One aerosol can treat a 2000 sq. ft. home.
How To Use:
You will need a respirator to apply this pesticide.
Now you need to walk to the farthest point in your home and back your way out spraying all floor surfaces and pet beds making your way towards the exit door of your home.
If you have an upstairs and a basement, do those 2 areas first and then do the main floor.
After you are done leave for a few hours and when you return you can turn everything back on and open the windows to air out the scent.
A flea life cycle is about 100 days and you will need to perform this same treatment every two weeks for 3 treatments to get rid of your flea issues.
Having done this so many time I can tell you that it is the best way to get rid of flea infestations and you will be pleased with the results. (see the current price for Nygard Plus on DoMyOwn.Com).
Summary
So, can fleas come through screen windows? Yes, and fleas can get in several other ways as well. You don’t have to be a pet family to get fleas in your home. Fleas will travel on us and they can come from wildlife and neighboring animals. You can prevent fleas by treating your pets and keeping your home clean. And you can be proactive now that you know the power and knowledge of treating them yourself.
Thank you for reading and as always:
“Thanks for Buggin’ Out With Me”
