Wednesday, June 24, 2009

How To Keep Sand Fleas Away From Your Family And Pets

By Ferdinand Emy

A serious threat that you should be wary of are sand fleas. The sand flea is a parasite that feeds on animals and humans, with only about a millimeter in size before attaching to a host. While many sand flea bites are just inconveniences, they can become serious problems.

A little red spot where the flea has bitten you is the first sign of a sand flea bite. The sand flea bites' reaction looks like that of a normal mosquito. They can carry diseases just like mosquitoes and you may like to see a doctor if you get a sand flea bite, specially if symptoms of hives, swelling, fever and welts persist for over a week. Perchance it may be a sign of a more severe problem.

A sand flea may turn parasitic in some certain situations. This is when they attach to a host by digging into the deeper layers of the skin and feeding on blood. Both sexes of sand fleas are blood feeders, but it is the female that is the worst threat. Unlike males, females do not die right away after mating and nest in the skin of its host. Sand fleas can evolve up to one centimeter in size, even though they only start at one millimeter. This causes a lump to form under the skin. This is ordinarily when people notice that there is a problem.

Unlike other types of fleas, sand fleas cannot be removed without the assistance of a physician. Serious infection can be caused by trying to dig out a sand flea. If you have developed a lump under your skin, you should see your doctor immediately, as sand fleas will continue to grow and feed until you run peril of blood clots where you have been bitten. This kind of infection also step-up the chance that you will have a disease transmitted to you from the sand fleas.

You can prevent sand fleas from biting you through several ways. Wearing long pants, socks and shoes when you visit the beach is the basic thing to do. If the fleas cannot permeate your clothing, they cannot bite you. Sand fleas can be targeted by numerous insect repellents. These fleas commonly avoid the hottest parts of the day, so you run a far less danger of exposure if you go to the beach during the day.

Assisting to prevent your pet from suffering from sand flea bites can be accomplished with many flea medications.

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