Although fleas tend to prefer dogs, they can hop around and bite you sometimes too. So yes, if your dog has fleas and sleeps in your bed, this could lead to a flea problem that sneaks up on you in your sleep, leaving you with lots of itchy bites in the morning.
Flea bites can be itchy and bothersome to pets and humans. Getting rid of fleas in and around your bed requires treating the pet, washing all bedding, and vacuuming frequently to remove flea eggs, larvae, and pupae so that no new fleas can emerge.
It is very likely that an animal with fleas could potentially get them into our beds if Fido is sleeping with us at night. Fleas are insects that naturally live outdoors and are parasitic. This means that they survive at the expense of their hosts.
Wash all bed sheets, pillowcases, blankets with detergent on a hot cycle. If you have a dryer, use this right after washing. The fleas will not survive the heat. Give your mattress a thorough vacuum and pay close attention to the seams and underside of the mattress.
Fleas generally cannot live in human hair. While most species prefer to live on the furs of animals, they can use humans as temporary vectors.
You may find it helpful to spray the mattress with a recommended flea home spray, and when dry, slip on a mattress cover and seal it up. Vacuum the bedrooms thoroughly.
Many insect repellents help ward off fleas, and they're safe to use on your skin. Look for a repellent with an active ingredient of DEET, Picaridin, IR3535, lemon oil, eucalyptus oil, PMD, or 2-undecanone to make sure it's effective.
If you love giving your dog a cuddle in bed or on the couch, launder all bedding and blankets to get rid of fleas and eggs. A normal laundry detergent will be enough to kill any fleas on bedding.
Although live adult fleas can get into a person's bed by way of their pet, it's more common to find white flea eggs in your bedding. This is because within 24 hours of starting to feed, adult fleas mate and females start laying about 40 to 50 eggs per day, which can easily fall off a pet.
It is a daily common myth that fleas will eventually just go away on their own, but this is far from correct. If you've got a flea infestation, you can't afford to wait for the problem to resolve itself – it won't.
So, yes, you can be bitten by fleas at night and that is because those little insects are waiting for a host, and they need a snack. They have found a way to get to your bed or bedding and they will make the most of their time there once you fall asleep.
First, you should know that fleas can't fly, as they can only jump. However, they will jump onto your clothing. Clothing provides no nourishment to them, so they're not going to hang on a piece of material for long.
While you can hop in the shower every time you're in a flea-infested area of your home, doing so will only get rid of those fleas on your skin. Because fleas prefer dogs or cats, these bothersome pests are more likely to hop off of us and go searching for another creature to feed on.
THE HUMAN FLEA
This flea does live its adult stages of life anywhere on the body where there is hair. This can be the eyelashes, eyebrows, armpits or pubic areas.
On rare occasions, fleas can even transmit serious diseases to pet parents. Though they often burrow under comforters and sheets, fleas don't typically dwell in beds long term because they can only live without blood for about one or two weeks.
Modern flea treatments, such as FRONTLINE, don't work by stopping fleas from jumping on your pet- they are effective at killing newly arriving fleas within 24 hours.
Fleas may also nest in carpets, rugs, pet beds, or upholstered furniture where they can stay warm. Fleas and bedbugs are considered nocturnal creatures, which means they are mainly active at night. However, they can bite you at any time of the day or night. Fleas are most active at dusk and least active at sunrise.
In other words, different skin reactions, as well as the levels of gases, differs between humans depending on their genes. For example, some people may produce more carbon dioxide than others from their skin reactions, which is a common attractant to various blood-sucking insects and pests, such as fleas.
Mosquitoes usually bite at dusk, but adult fleas can be found at any time of day. While ticks usually infest cats, they can also bite humans. Flea bites on humans can be distinguished with a visit to a veterinarian; they will identify the type of insect that bit you.