When you are a pet owner, fleas could be a source of concern.
But not all flea looking pests or insects that could also jump are fleas.
Like other insects and pests, fleas have their own lookalikes.
In this post, we will cover some of the most common bugs that look like fleas and jump.
This includes their identification, intervention for infestation and when you should worry when they are around.
In this article
What are fleas?
Fleas are hoppers and prolific breeders.
Fleas are more commonly mistaken for bed bugs and flea beetles.
They embed themselves in the skin of their hosts and feed on the blood.
How do you identify fleas?
So how would you know if it is fleas that are pestering your home and not something else?
They also have six legs (with identifiable hind legs used for hopping).
Because chances are, they might not be fleas at all.
1.Bat bugs
These ones are very comparable to bed bugs and fleas.
They have the same reddish-brown color, tiny, wingless, and could jump but with more hair.
Their native niche is caves because they generally feed on bat blood.
They share the same spreading habit as that ofbed bugs.
Their main difference is that bed bugs are not high jumpers.
As a matter of fact, they may not even jump at all.
you’ve got the option to also tell them apart with their eggs.
Flea eggs are white whilebed bug eggsare black or dark brown.
They also have six legs, but they are usually hairier and more hunchbacked than fleas.
Look for black carpet beetle eggs along the dark areas of your home and make the necessary interventions.
Crickets have a shiny black color while grasshoppers are yellow green to green or sometimes even brown.
They also rarely enter households because they are niching on farms and grasslands.
Like the others, they are not so much a cause of concern for people.
Fortunately, they do not niche on pets and humans but on plants.
You would spot them in chomped holes in your plants leaves and stems.
They usually jump whenever they are disturbed.
7.Froghoppers
These ones are more harmful to plants and trees than pets and humans.
Nonetheless, they are hardly causes of concern for households because they only feed on tree saps.
Unlike fleas, they do not bite humans.
They usually hover around the soil of indoor plants feeding on their roots.
They are most rampant during summer days, causing irritating itchiness on the head.
They are also wingless, tiny, and with an oval and flat body like fleas.
10.Brown Dog Ticks
As the name suggests, they are only mostly found among dogs like fleas.
Unlike deer ticks, they do not carry Lyme disease.
They embed in the skin of dogs like fleas, and they should be removed immediately.
Although rarely, they could also attach themselves to the human skin.
FAQs on Bugs That Look Like Fleas
Is there a flea season?
Like ticks, flea outbreaks happen during summer.
They thrive more in hot and humid temperatures but overall, they exist year-round.
When do fleas bite humans?
It does not matter who is around as long as it is a probable host.
When you have bites like these, check your beddings and spot flea eggs or dirt.
you’re free to also do the white socks test to confirm.
Here are some steps that need conscious effort to have a flea-free home.
How fast can flea infestation happen in your home?
Can fleas lay eggs on skin?
After laying eggs, they jump to a host and niche on the surface of their skin.
Fortunately, there are signs to look for that could indicate flea infestation in your home.
There are also easy preventive steps that you’re able to carry out to inhibit an outbreak.
If an outbreak is suspected, get in touch with the nearest pest control outlet in your area.
