Since fleas are extremely small, they may be hard to notice around your home. The first sign that you have a flea infestation is your pets will be scratching or licking themselves more than normal. If you don’t have pets, you may notice small, brownish-reddish bugs jumping around your carpet or furniture. You may also notice small clusters or lines of bites around your ankles, on your feet, or on your legs.

Fleas are often found outside in your yard in areas that are shaded and humid. This includes tall grasses, sand, near sheds, and in debris found in your yard. This is why pets easily pick up fleas when they play in your yard. When your dogs or cats lay in the shade in your yard, fleas will often latch onto them before spreading.

Possible bites to people or pets. Possible transmission of disease such as plague, murine typhus, and cat-scratch disease. Allergic reactions in people and pets.

Adult fleas live out most of their lives feeding off of pets. Fleas must feed on blood in order to produce eggs, and lay about 450 eggs in their lifetime. When an egg is laid, it may fall off of your pet and land in your carpet, your couch, your bedding, or your pet’s bedding. Flea eggs develop into larvae that feed on dried blood at the base of your carpet fibers that’s left behind by your pets. The pupae can live anywhere from one day to one year depending on the environment it’s in. If it’s in a warm environment with lots of carbon dioxide and pressure put on the pupae, it will live longer.

You can use preventative measures to make sure that fleas stay off your pets by using natural deterrents such as rosemary. If you use a pet-safe rosemary spray after you bathe your pets, your pets are less likely to attract fleas. You can also contact your veterinarian to find a solution for flea treatment that will be safe for your pets.