fleas?

I was digging out some grass and noticed in a matter of a minute I was being climbed by about 100 tiny bugs. I thought at first glance that they must be fire ants since they were coming up my legs. Then I saw them hopping so thought they must be fleas. I got them all off (hopefully) and came in to search what fleas look like and my bugs are way more aerodynamic looking, being shiny, black, and teardrop-shaped. Are there flea impersonators, or do I have fleas? Also, do they appear in really large numbers in the soil? Nothing I found as I searched indicated that they appear in the hundreds. Whatever they are, they are already DE-ed, but I would appreciate your help in identifying them.

THANKS!!!
Angie

I don't know anything about your area of the country but here in the sandhills of South Carolina -- yes, they can appear in the hundreds. And if we have a flea or mosquito any where in the county they know when I am outside!!

Fortunately we do not have a flea problem anymore - the chickens and turkeys may have something to do with that.

I'm in Central Texas. After even more research and taking off my glasses to look, I have decided they are fleas. My two indoor greyhounds don't have them, so I imagine some rabbits made a home in my garden and brought them along. I'll be living in diatomaceous earth for a while and praying they don't get inside!

thanks!!!
Angie

You can also utilize Essential Oils in a carrier oil base (Coconut, olive, almond, etc.) to rub on your skin and clothing. THey hate Lavender and Tea Tree oil for sure. Also, Eucalyptus Oil. Many others with deter them from staying on you. They take one whiff and leap off. There is more information around the Internet. ANd probably many other folks around here with more wisdom than me. Coconut oil is a natural anti bacterial, anti fungal etc. so it would protect you from anything they are passin' along.
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I cat sat for someone years ago. They brought along a towel the cat liked. And somehow that towel ended up under my bed on the carpet. The cat left and that towel was still under the bed. And the fleas stayed and multiplied.

This was before I knew about DE--Diatomaceous Earth. Yet if a person does not have DE, try this...At that time, I found on the Internet about how to sprinkle "Gold Bond-type" Mentholated Talcum powder into the carpet and rub it in with my shoe. Then you vaccum up the powder. and repeat daily. Since I didn't have any other animals in the house at the time I would leave the powder in the carpet.

I know now that Talc also isn't the greatest thing to use, but it was what I had access to at that time. I now have buckets of Human Grade Diatomaceous Earth.

I used the cheapest "Gold Bond-type" powder from the Dollar Store.

AND I mixed Lavender and Tea Tree and Eucalyptus Oils into my form of "soapy" (Lifetree brand Tea Tree + Lavender Natural Cleaner) water in a spray bottle. I would spray the water and/or mixed oils over the carpet and the oils onto my skin before I got out of bed. Stepped onto the carpet and any of the remaining fleas would jump on my warm leg and then leap off!

May you continue to nip them in the bud.

Also, you can put out bowls of soapy water with a small lamp/light source, incandescent bulb creating warmth over/next to the bowl. They will head for the warmth and fall into the soapy water to drown.

Fleas are easy to get rid of -

Mix half water and half listerine or some other minty flavoring. Put in a spray bottle and spray bedding, pets and lawn, pasture and livestock if you think of it. I spray hen house to chase off mites.

The other way to rid areas is plant mint. After getting the flea controlled with the above mix, I planted mint where we walk and around the pasture on spots I knew it would walked on (mint is invasive so trampling it is a double good thing).

Problem solved.