Fleas drink blood from animals and people and so are attracted to things that mimic animals or people. These include heat, carbon dioxide and the particular scent of an animal or person. Mildew or mold does not attract fleas because it does not emit heat, carbon dioxide or smell like an animal. But mildew can attract insect pests such as book lice and silverfish. Finding mildew in your home is often the warning sign of a much bigger problem.
What Attracts Fleas?
Fleas are attracted to dark moving objects against a light background, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. Most of the time, those dark moving objects turn out to be animals or people that the flea can feed off of. Fleas are also attracted to carbon dioxide, which is the gas people and animals exhale as they breathe. Adult fleas also are attracted to the scent specific of warm-blooded mammals like rats, suggests Functional and Evolutionary Ecology of Fleas.
Book Lice and Silverfish
Mildew is a type of mold. These two types of insects eat molds that grow on paper, cardboard and wooden items. Silverfish have a wide diet, but can also eat the starchy parts of any wood-based material. Book lice prefer fungal spores that grow on paper, cardboard or food grains but their nutrient-rich feces attract other insect pests, warns the Canadian Conservation Institute. Flea larvae mostly feed on the feces of adult fleas, but can also eat organic debris, which could include feces or dead bodies of other insects, notes Functional and Evolutionary Ecology of Fleas (Cambridge University Press; 2008.)
Sign of Bigger Problem
Mildew is a symptom of a deeper structural problem in the room or home. If left unchecked, mildew will rot wooden structures, leaving them open to subterranean or dampwood termites. Sources of mildew include cracked windows letting in rain, leaky pipes, a leaky roof, high humidity levels or decomposing food and garbage.
Finding Fleas and Mildew Together
Finding fleas in areas with mildew indicates that a flea-infested animal recently was in the area, suggests the Maryland Cooperative Extension. Check pets for fleas by combing the pet. Place material removed from the comb onto a moist white paper towel. Black specks removed from a pet’s fur may be flea feces. If the black specks turn red on the moist paper towel, then they are definitely flea feces. If a home does not have any pets, then the area needs to be searched for feces, chewed on objects and nesting material of birds or mammalian pests such as squirrels, raccoons, possums, mice or rats.
Sources
- Functional and Evolutionary Ecology of Fleas. Boris R. Krasnov. Cambridge University Press; 2008.
- Canadian Conservation Institute. How to Care for Paper Documents and Newspaper Clippings. 2008.
- Illinois Department of Public Health. Fleas.
- Maryland Cooperative Extension. Fleas. Mary Kay Malinoski. January 2003.
