What Do Flea Bites Look Like?

Flea bites look like tiny red bumps with a halo shape around them. They are extremely itchy and can even cause an infection if scratched.

If you have a furry friend who goes outside the house, you’ve probably seen or even experienced a flea bite. Fleas are tiny, wingless parasites that rely on the blood of other animals for nutrition.

For years, they have been blamed for the spread of diseases and plagues because they feed on all animals, including human beings. The most common type of fleas are found on cats and dogs, which is how they get to humans. The question is, how do you know a flea has bitten you?

Tell-tale Signs of Flea Bites

Flea bites manifest as reddish, tiny, round-shaped bumps surrounded by a halo shape. The tiny bump has a red hole at the center, and it can be really itchy. Of course, the severity of the itch depends on the person’s reaction to the bite. Some people are allergic to flea bites, and they can develop hives, rashes, and even a fever. More often than not, flea bites occur in a line or as a cluster of four or five bites.

How can You Tell it’s a Flea Bite?

Flea bites, mosquito bites, and bedbug bites resemble each other a lot. However, it’s easy to tell a flea bite apart because it’s quite small and doesn’t grow in size. The tiny hole in the middle is also distinctive to fleas only.
Unlike bedbugs and mosquitoes who bite you anywhere, fleas only bite the lower part of your body, especially the legs and feet. You can also tell it’s a flea because mosquitoes and bedbugs mostly bite people at night.

Why are Flea Bites so Itchy?

When a flea bites you, it releases some saliva containing an anticoagulant into your bloodstream. This helps to increase blood flow and make it easy for them to feed on your blood. However, the trace amount of saliva left behind registers as a foreign substance to your body. As a result, the body sends a warning signal to your immune system and immediately triggers histamine production. It is this histamine that results in red bumps and also itching.
This process occurs with mosquito bites too. However, the human body is already accustomed to mosquito bites, so it doesn’t react as harshly as it does with flea bites.

On rare occasions, your body will register the left-over saliva as toxic and produce too much histamine. This causes an allergic reaction that manifests as hives, rashes, and fever. The reaction will last at least 24 hours, and you should take an antihistamine to control it.

How do Humans Get Fleas?

Fleas can jump more than 200 times their body length. This is almost 400 meters high, or 40 times the Olympic record of the long jump. Knowing this, you can see how a flea can easily jump from a pet to you in a second.

People who are not pet owners can also get flea bites. Fleas hide in backyards where they can feed on rodents and other outdoor animals. So if you go to your backyard, a flea or two can jump onto you.

While flea bites are nothing to worry about, you should consult an exterminator if you have a flea infestation. In addition, take your pets to the vet regularly and keep them clean to keep away fleas.

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