To tell our hosts they have fleas

[AddToBasket]

I went to a friend's house on Saturday night for dinner. They have two dogs of their own and there was also another couple staying with a dog. So, three dogs.

After supper, we sat on the sofas with the dogs. I was wearing cropped trousers (big mistake). Got home and noticed a couple of bites, by last night I realised I was covered from the knee down. Like, chicken pox covered: I'd been flea feast.

WIBU to tell the hosts or should I stay quiet? It was a good evening, lovely food and guests, and they had gone to a lot of effort. But, OMG, there's no doubt the sofa throw is infested.

[WaitrosePigeon]

Gross!

[WaitrosePigeon]

Yes I would mention.

[Lucy7400]

Yes definitley tell them.

[Diamondsandpears]

Dog fleas don't bite humans. Cat fleas do. Did they have a cat or a newly acquired old sofa or rug?

[AddToBasket]

Aren't fleas just fleas? Why would they be different from a dog or cat?

We've got a cat, so I suppose it could be from her but no-one else in our house has been bitten and I do deflea her.

[ArtyBlartFarst]

Both dog and cat fleas bite humans and cat fleas can hitch a ride on dogs. Tell them, I don't react to bites but my oh and kids react horribly. Hosts may be like me.

[QueenOfTheNaps]

Ooh it depends how close I was with my friends if I would tell them or not. With my BFF I'd tell her no problem but I'd feel uncomfortable telling a less close friend. Surely if you were bitten they'd get bitten too? Or do fleas not work that way, like mosquitoes ? (Genuine question)
Are you planning on visiting again any time soon?

[birdladyfromhomealone]

I dont think there will be any need to tell her!
If you were bitten then so will she and anyone else there too
One of our tenants left a dose of fleas from their cat when they left the tenancy.
Our next tenants were bitten very badly, there was no mistake.
It cost £200 to fumigate the house, the shop bought stuff is quite superficial.

[WatchingFromTheWings]

Just had a quick Google....there are in fact dog fleas and cat fleas. Dog fleas can bite humans too.

Some people don't get bitten as much as others. We have dogs and a cat and if we do get an outbreak it's me the buggers will go for first/most!

It could be that your friends don't even notice them anymore but I'd definitely say something.

[SoupDragon]

What do you de-flea your cat with?
.

[AddToBasket]

Deflect her with little tubes of gloop.

[maddogs33]

Yes tell them, you can always phrase it to infer it was the other couples dog bringing in the fleas!

[OurBlanche]

Dog fleas don't bite humans. That is a myth, unfortunately.

All fleas can bite people, all pets can get fleas, most pets can get cat fleas, or any other type, as they are rarely host specific.

Tell them!

[SukeyTakeItOffAgain]

Cat fleas are out competing fog fleas and many dogs have them. They're bastards and the bites itch like mad - except never me because I don't seem to get bitten. So they might not have realised.

You should tell them if you can think of the right words I couldn't

[PipersPiping]

Dog fleas definitely do bite humans. I would mention it tactfully, they need to know dont they.

[thequeenoftarts]

www.petmd.com/dog/parasites/evr_multi_understanding_the_flea_life_cycle

You can buy Stronghold, Frontline or Advocate in the vets for both dogs and cats. It's a topical liquid applied to the shoulder blades of an animal and should be applied monthly, especially between March - November, but I apply it all year around. Don't use the supermarket ones, they are useless.
All fleas will nibble on humans, let's face it, blood is blood lol, although they prefer their own hosts(dogs and cats). It is far easier and cheaper to prevent than deal with fleas in your home.

If you find your pet has fleas, there is a life cycle you need to follow, flea treatment will only kill adults,not unhatched eggs/larvae. They will need to be retreated 7 - 10 days later and again twice more at least to kill the young hatchlings.

Also every carpet, bed, curtain sofa, blanket, teddy in the place needs to be boil washed and vacuumed daily.You can buy a flea flogger which you set off in a room, then go out for the day as it stinks, that will also help you in your cure.

It doesn't follow that your hosts may be bitten either, you may have sweeter blood, they sensed a new tasty victim or indeed your hosts are totally immune to being gnawed on lol

People should just buy the flea preventative treatments lol..It really is less work and less money.

[Mouikey]

I've had a similar issue with a friend and her pets - it's so hard for them as they live in a rural spot so the animals pick up fleas regularly even though they get treated. We would often spray ourselves with DEET (😳) before visiting and then strip as soon as we got in and cloths straight into the machine. I forgot a few months ago and we then got them - I found one on me in the shower 😳 I had to deflea the house whilst heavily preggers 😢

[Motheroffourdragons]

It is terrible. We moved into a house many years ago, the previous owners had a dog which must have had fleas. They bit me, and it took us ages to get rid of them. We had two tiny children at the time, and were very lucky they didn't bite them.
I had no idea what it was, and went to the doctor who confirmed they were flea bites, and told me that they generally went for the most fair skinned person if they had a choice.
It was really yucky. We now have a dog of our own, and have never ever had fleas so they are simple to keep at bay as long as you treat them regularly.

[Mouikey]

Ps I don't mention it to them because it's very obvious on the animals!

[Lollollollol]

You should definitely say something. They may treat the pets but be unaware that the house is so bad. We've stayed at a relatives who's house often had fleas. (We would spray ourselves with feet too 😂). They genuinely seemed not to know and even when I showed them the evidence -which was lots of fleas they still didn't think it needed treatment.

Send a text or make a quick call. Tell them that you are letting them know as they might not realize.

[Lollollollol]

Deet not feet

[bummedmummy]

Oh, I'd definitely blame the friends' dog. That's a gift in a situation like this.

[Mushypeasandchipstogo]

Yes tell them and show them your leg. Blame any dog you like. Totally off thread but recently viewed a ridiculously expensive house and came away with so many flea bites it was unbelievable.

[unlucky83]

If you use a spot on - even one provided by the vet you still need to check your cat with a flea comb -look for flea dirt (black specks that turn red when wet).
I used Frontline from the vet years ago and after working for about 18 months it just stopped and it took me a while to realise so she (and the house) were infested. (And it took a few months of the vet telling me I wasn't applying it properly etc before I finally gave up)
Also Dogs get cat fleas.
And fleas will have bitten you even if you don't have obvious bites - you just don't react to the bite. I don't react to cat fleas - growing up my sister would be covered with bites when our cats got fleas - they slept on my bed and I never got one obvious bite -have never had one.
I also don't react to mosquito bites - never get them and have noticed one feasting on my leg and was just left with a bleeding pinprick - no itching etc, no lump, no obvious bite.
(Sadly living in Scotland - midges are a different story - make me itch all over not just on the bites and also I reacted badly to a bee sting recently)

If it definitely isn't your cat I would mention it to them...not tell them, just say you have some bites and your cat is clear - suggest they check their pets. If they do have fleas it will be getting worse and when they do realise it will be a bigger problem...

[Yamadori]

Don't want to worry you OP, but you probably brought one or two of them home with you...