The appearance of rat fleas
Exists southern rat flea and European, there are only 2 types. The first parasitizes mainly on gray rodents, which mainly inhabit cellars and sewers. It is they who pose the greatest danger, as they carry various infections. Initially they lived in the subtropics and tropical regions, from there they settled around the world.
If we talk about the appearance, they are no different from other varieties of fleas. Body length up to 4 mm. The cover is chitinous, shiny, of chestnut color. Both species have 3 pairs of paws: the front and middle ones are short, the hind ones are slightly longer. They can jump up to 1.5 meters. On the head: round eyes and antennae. The mouth consists of the upper and lower jaw, the lips are equipped with palps. Egg length does not exceed 0.6 mm. Oval, white or yellowish. The larvae are like worms.
Powders
In addition to the aforementioned aerosols, there are also powders on the market. They are no worse in effectiveness, but they are not as convenient to use as sprays. These drugs are scattered in the right places, that is, on the carpet or floor. Moreover, it is necessary to distribute the powder very carefully, since the insect will die only if it comes into contact with an insecticide.
Among these drugs, the following are in greatest demand:
- Delicia;
- Pyrethrum;
- Phenaxine;
- Clean House (dust).
The first product is based on chlorpyrifos. It is capable of destroying any type of fleas, therefore it is advisable to use it if it is not known exactly which parasite has settled in your apartment.
Feverfew is a preparation based on natural raw materials (chamomile). Despite the rather harmless component, it works extremely well.
Phenaxine, in turn, will help get rid of not only fleas themselves, but also flies.
Clean House will also cleanse your home of:
- cockroaches;
- bedbugs;
- ants.
Lifestyle
Bloodsuckers cannot be on the victim's body all the time. After eating, the flea jumps off and returns to its permanent habitat. Often they settle in rat nests, and eggs are laid here. People know that pets have blood-sucking parasites, but do rats have fleas? They are present in all living organisms, even in humans, only they are called a little differently. Females can produce up to 400 of their own kind. 7 eggs are laid per day. Development of the larva takes up to 16 days, then it is wrapped in a cocoon.
An adult flea emerges from the pupa. It can go without food for a long time. But then, when he chooses a suitable victim, he will suck blood for a long time.
Why are rat fleas harmful?
They feed not only on rat blood, people and animals are also not protected from their painful bites. The affected area is often inflamed, festering, and swelling. The manifestation of an allergic reaction is possible. Repeated bites can provoke inflammation of the lymph nodes, headache, mouth ulcers and a nervous breakdown.
This is not the worst, because they are carriers of plague, encephalitis, brucellosis, salmonellosis, anthrax. Rat and mouse fleas carry helminth eggs.
How fleas enter the house
You can get into the dwelling in various ways, namely:
- can be brought from the street, from the basement on outerwear, on shoes;
- through holes, cracks in the floor from the entrance or from neighbors;
- with animals after walking in the street.
Especially in the cold period, they are looking for a damp warm place for their further existence. Often these are: basements and attics, where old things are kept, and so on. Choose rat fleas in the apartment dark and dusty place with accumulation of dirt and debris. Namely: skirting boards and the area under them, carpets, indelible rugs, folds of upholstered furniture.
You can determine the presence of blood-sucking parasites by the behavior of pets: they constantly itch, eat poorly, sleep restlessly. When inspecting the wool, you can see small black dots - eggs, the adults themselves and their waste products in the form of dried blood.
If there are no cats, dogs in the house, fleas in decorative rats can also be. In their absence, the presence can be determined by the characteristic painful bites and traces. The affected area is swollen and itchy.
Description
In addition to the fact that these small insects bring a lot of inconvenience and discomfort in the form of bites and severe itching, they are very dangerous. The danger is that parasites carry infectious diseases, and during an epidemic it is these small insects that are responsible for the rapid and large-scale spread. Diseases that rat fleas can carry include encephalitis, plague, hepatitis, typhus, various types of helminths and other life-threatening diseases.
Regarding external characteristics, they have no obvious differences. Their main food sources are, of course, rats and mice. They do not parasitize on their victims, but use them only as a source of food. Rodent nests, burrows, abandoned houses, basements, etc. settle closer to the victim. Regarding the species - a rat flea, it should be understood that this is not a separate species of parasites, but a whole row, which includes canines, felines and southern rats.
How to deal with rat fleas
First, you need to process pets. Bathe with special shampoos, apply drops on the withers, put on collars to scare off bloodsucking. After that, do the cleaning of the room.
These actions consist of the following aspects:
- Wash all bedding, sofa covers, armchairs and everything else that can be sent to the washing machine. After drying, be sure to iron, steam.
- Vacuum furniture, carpets, rugs. Shake out the contents of the bag into a tight plastic bag or throw it away without much regret.
- Food and everything else that is edible, put in the refrigerator, closet. Children, pets, houseplants, an aquarium for a while with relatives, friends.
- Wear protective equipment: rubber gloves, respirator, closed clothing. Close windows, doors.
- With the purchased insecticidal preparation, treat the baseboards, corners, carpets, rugs and everything else. Do not forget that fleas in rats jump 1-1.5 meters. Process the walls to this height.
Ventilate the room after 2 hours, repeat wet cleaning. Treat all rooms: kitchen, bathroom, etc. When working with insecticidal preparations, do not smoke, store the remnants of the diluted concentrate. Be sure to wash your face and hands with household or antibacterial soap.
Preparations for rat fleas
Wound up rat fleas in the apartment, how to get rid of do not know, it means you have not yet tried to fight blood-sucking insects with these insecticides:
- Aerosols. They are very convenient for treating hard-to-reach areas. For example, you can choose one of these: "Dichlorvos Neo", "Carambol", "Clean House", "Raptor", "Raid" and others.
- Kon, Get, Executioner, Cucaracha, Fanfaron.They affect adults and larvae gradually, mass death is observed in a week. Complete destruction - 30 days. Before use, read the instructions on the packaging, take precautions.
Will die fleas in rats, if you start to fight them immediately, and not postpone until the last moment. Their population is increasing every day; with a large number, a professional service will be needed. Cope with them on your own is unlikely to work, even the most effective means are not able to meet expectations. This takes at least 3 weeks until the laid larvae and eggs die.
Traditional methods
If there is no need to use purchased chemicals, you can use proven folk remedies. Since ancient times, upon detection fleas in rats, treatment carried out by means of herbal decoctions. For decorative rodents, it is better to buy specialized preparations, all indications and contraindications are indicated on the package.
So, let's get acquainted with the options:
- garlic;
- citrus skins;
- wormwood, tansy, mint, lavrushka, chamomile;
- fragrant essential oils (for example, cedar or any other coniferous);
- ammonia, apple cider vinegar or tar soap (add to water for cleaning floors).
To make a chamomile decoction. You need to take 10 teaspoons of a dried plant for 1 liter of water. Lemon, orange peels can be spread on windowsills, in dark dusty corners, under baseboards and in other supposed habitats of blood-sucking insects. In addition, do not forget about the pest control of the trash can and the area around it. Repeat the treatment every 2-3 days until the parasites disappear completely.
What chemicals to use
Not all flea remedies sold are effective enough. Preference should be given to those of them, which contain the following substances:
- Pyrethrin.
- Pyrethroid.
- Imidacloprid.
- Nitenpyram.
- Selamectin.
- Fipronil.
In addition to these modern and practically harmless insecticides, there are others that have been used for many decades and have long proven their effectiveness.
We are talking about products based on organophosphorus compounds:
- Chlorophos;
- Chlorpyrifos;
- Karbofos;
- Dichlorvos.
They, however, have one, but rather significant flaw - high toxicity. Therefore, they should be used with great care. The advantage (apart from efficiency) is the low price.
Among other rather effective drugs, it is worth mentioning the funds supplied to the market under the Raptor brand. Many of them are produced in the form of aerosols and, according to consumer reviews, are quite effective. They are created on the basis of a modern insecticide - cypermethrin. This substance is devoid of an unpleasant odor and at the same time is completely harmless to both humans and pets.
Another manufacturer, Raid, is also very popular among Russians. Aerosols are made on the basis of the same cypermethrin. Of the entire assortment, the most effective is the drug that destroys both cockroaches and ants.
What bites look like, treatment
The problem of the appearance of rat fleas is relevant for residents in private sectors; they are extremely rare in the city. But after a bite, serious complications can develop.
The affected person begins to blush, multiple red dots may form. This indicates the development of an allergic reaction. The bite area itches very much, so this cannot be ignored. After a certain period of time, a blister appears, but it disappears very quickly, and a wound forms instead.
Parasites affect the lower legs: legs, feet. But other parts of the body may also be affected: neck, armpits, arms.This means that they have moved to bed, furniture, clothes. You will have to carry out general cleaning, the vacuum cleaner helps very well, just do not forget to disinfect it after use.
Treatment
After a flea bite is found, immediate action must be taken, especially if a child has been bitten. To avoid possible complications, you must adhere to the recommendations below:
- Treat the affected area with any antiseptic compound. You should also use a soapy or vinegar solution. They are prepared with water in equal proportions. In case of severe damage to the skin, treat the wound several times a day.
- Apply an ice cube or other cold compress to relieve itching. Also, these measures will help relieve inflammation, reduce swelling, and the skin will look normal.
- Apply an antiseptic ointment or cream that is available in your home medicine cabinet. For example, it can be sulfuric ointment, calamine lotion, Boro-plus. But regular soda solution will work as well. Furacilin, hydrocortisone are suitable as steroid ointments. They will relieve pain, itching. But before using them, get expert advice.
- If an allergic reaction occurs in the form of a rash, take an antiallergic drug. In this case, it is better to agree on the treatment with an allergist.
- Lotions from the juice of marigolds, plantain, burdock, dandelion, parsley will help relieve itching, swelling, and moderate the inflammatory process.
Urgent medical attention is needed in case of pustular mass, urticaria, fever, headache.
Flea prevention
In order not to bring fleas into your apartment, you should follow preventive measures and always shake off your shoes and clothes after a walk in the park or forest. If found the rat has fleas, what to do - go to the nearest pet store, veterinary pharmacy and purchase specialized products. A decorative rat can also become infected from pets or in the case of penetration of blood-sucking parasites into all corners of the room.
So, preventive measures:
- if from time to time you have to visit the attic, basement and other places where there may be fleas, wear closed clothes, treat open areas of the body with aerosol repellents. For example, you can select: "OFF", "Comfort +", "Ultraton";
- regularly inspect the fur of domestic cats and dogs for the presence of arthropod parasites, bathe with special shampoos 2-3 times a week, apply drops to the withers. These measures are especially important during a warm period;
- to wash floors with the addition of apple cider vinegar, laundry soap, whiteness, bleach, strong-smelling essential oils. The advantage should be given to cedar, coniferous;
- everyone who lives in the private sector is advised to plant chamomile, marigolds, geraniums and other plants around the house. City dwellers can plant them in flower pots;
- put a few twigs of wormwood and other odorous plant near the front door, in the toilet, in the bathroom, on the balcony.
As many still argue: do rats have fleas, the answer is yes, which is why you need to start with prevention, and not let these arthropods jump over the threshold of the house. Treat all existing cracks, gaps with concentrated solutions. They are also sold in powder form, so follow the instructions when diluting.
Watch the video of rat fleas:
