Flea is a small wingless insect living by hematophagy off the blood of mammals and birds. Fleas attack a wide variety of warm-blooded vertebrates including dogs, cats, humans, chickens, rabbits, squirrels, rats, ferrets, and mice. Fleas are a nuisance to their hosts, causing an itching sensation which in turn may result in the host attempting to remove the pest by biting, pecking, scratching etc,The vicinity of the parasite

Signs and Symptoms of Flea Bites

• Slightly-raised swollen itching spot with a single puncture point at the center.
• Rashes due to allergic reactions to flea saliva.
• Clusters or lines of two bites, and can remain itchy and inflamed for up to several weeks afterwards.
• In Animals, fleas can also lead to hair loss as a result of frequent scratching and biting, and can cause anemia in extreme cases.

Prevention and Treatment of Flea

• The itching in human associated with flea bites can be treated with anti-itch creams, usually antihistaminics or hydrocortisone. Calamine lotion has been shown to be ineffective for itching.
• A spot-on insecticide, such as Advantage, Frontline or Revolution will kill the fleas on the pet and in turn the pet itself will be a roving flea trap and mop up newly hatched fleas.
• The environment should be treated with a fogger or spray insecticide containing an insect growth regulator, such as pyriproxyfen or methoprene to kill eggs and pupae, which are quite resistant against insecticides.
• Vacuuming frequently is also helpful to catche about 96 percent, but you must immediately dispose of the vacuum bag afterwards.
• Dried pennyroyal has been suggested as a natural flea control, but is not recommended in homes with pets due to its high toxicity to mammals.
• Borax is sold as a “Natural Laundry Booster” and can also be used as another home treatment for flea infestations. Borax contains boric acid which kills fleas by dehydrating them.
• Using dehumidifiers with air conditioning and vacuuming all may interrupt the flea life cycle. Humidity is critical to flea survival. Eggs need relative humidity of at least 70-75 percent to hatch, and larvae need at least 50 percent humidity to survive.
• Popular brands of topicals are using for pets that do not contain cholinesterase inhibitors include Advantage, Advantix, and Frontline and Frontline PLUS.