What do Flea Bites Look Like on Humans? (Real Images Inside!)

What do Flea Bites Look Like on Humans? (Real Images Inside!)

Our fully inclusive guide on what flea bites actually look like on the average human.

Fleas. Most of us with furry friends have to deal with them at some point in their life span, don’t we? But have you ever sat back and considered what your pet having fleas might mean for you?

That’s right. It’s not just your pets who can be affected by fleas. If your furry friend has them – or even if they’ve found their way into your yard – there’s every chance you could be bitten by them.

But how can you know whether or not you’ve been bitten by a flea, if you don’t know what the mark they leave looks like?

Well, you’re in luck!

Read on for our fully inclusive guide on what flea bites actually look like on the average human. Plus, real images inside you can reference back!

 What Are Fleas, Really?

Before delving right into the nitty gritty of what their bites look like, we’re going to have a little recap of what fleas actually are, just so we’re all starting off on the same page.

Very simply, fleas are tiny insects without wings, who jump from location to location. They are well adapted to pierce skin and suck the blood from within warm – blooded animals. Yup, that includes us humans. Yikes.

The adult fleas tend to be around 3 mm / 0.12 in in length and their colours range from light brown, all the way down to a dark brown / black colour. They are well adapted to jump from place to place, and can travel as far upwards as 30 cm / 13 in or more!

As all sentient beings do, fleas have a life cycle, and it’s pretty typical for an insect. The female will legs on the host animal of their choice. Several days after her doing this, the eggs will hatch, and will begin their development as young larvae. Later in the cycle, they will develop into pupae, until they are ready to emerge as fully grown adult fleas. Their main goal now? To suck your blood and reproduce. They’re pretty much mini vampires.

In terms of life expectancy, the average adult flea will live somewhere between two and three months, however in ideal flea conditions of the right temperature and a fruitful food supply (AKA on a good host), they can survive for much longer. Without a host to feed and live on, they can only survive for a few days.

 What does a Flea Bite Look Like on Human Skin?

Okay, so we’ve taken a look at what fleas are, how they survive, and what their typical cycle of survival is, but now let’s get down to the important stuff. What does a flea bite look like on the skin of a human? After all, if you want to know whether you’ve been bitten by one, you have to be aware of the common symptoms.

Usually, on humans, flea bites will look like a group or cluster of small red spots or bumps – and there’s usually around three or four of them in numbers.

A flea bite can start out on your skin as a tiny red dot which is hardly even noticeable. However, it is your body’s immune reaction to the flea bite which might cause some consequent symptoms such as swelling, and the skin surrounding the bite to become red and itchy.

In some cases, the skin can actually become red and painful, and may even be accompanied by a sensation of burning.

In some more rare cases, people can actually be extremely sensitive to flea bites, and may even develop an allergic reaction when bitten by one. This can result in large areas of intense itching, redness, and even some small pimples developing in the region.

If someone has a severe allergic reaction to a flea bite, they could experience further symptoms. These can include, but aren’t necessarily limited to:

•         Feeling dizzy.
•         It being difficult to breathe.
•         The swelling of different body parts away from the bite.
•         Feelings of nausea.

Finally, remember, that despite the flea bite being itchy, you should avoid scratching it at all costs. If you do scratch it, you could damage the skin which could result in it becoming infected. This is why it’s important to quickly treat the flea bite – so you aren’t tempted to itch it which could cause further damage.

 Thanks for reading!