Here's my new understanding of Texas which has several prominent features including but not restricted to: guns, pick-ups & pests. Disclaimer: Just a joke. Don't shoot me, Texans.
On the bottom right is a cartoon of our main subject today, fleas. Their eyes are drawn so innocently big.. I did wonder once if their eyesight is better than mine (or if they 'see' at all). Biologists, please throw them a flea chart and read off the bottom line.
Story 1: What is it?
Rewind memory to 2 months ago, one week after we moved into the apartment. I discovered tens of glaringly red, scratch-to-death itchy bites on both foot. Subconscious scratching will set them 'on fire'. These bites turn into pustules within days. Initial suspects include fire-ants and bed bugs but quickly ruled out as I caught live a sesame sized jumper and contained it in a zipper bag for further identification. I quickly learned to distinguish fleas from bed bugs. The former is a six-legged insect while the latter is eight-legged, a relative of spiders. You can't actually count their legs with naked eye (Unless you squash them? So far I find fleas to be super squash resistant.Their skeletons are worth a thorough mechanical study.) One conclusive feature is that fleas jump and bed bugs don't.
Story 2: Nature's wonder
Fleas came a long way from evolution perspective (Here's a Nature article pointing them to Jurassic period). I totally respect how they survive till today. A powerful spring mechanism enables them to jump 18cm vertically or 33cm horizontally (almost 165 times their body size). That's equivalent of me (1.56m) jumping 257m. Two Jumps to finish off a 500m race in 2 seconds, yeah!
Story 3: Smart bitches
Normally the bites are concentrated beneath the knee, especially around ankles because I guess that's how far they jump on an average day. I started to wear socks and long pants which seemed to work for a while until these blood-thirsty souls attacked me around neck/chest/arm. They are certainly high achievers who finally scale the summit called 'unreachable bare skin'. Do they do triple jumps 'boing boing boing', or employ combined tactics like jump-cling-crawl? If you are lucky enough to catch one in action, quickly snatch it up between fingers and drown it in water. That's the only sure way to kill. Anyhoo, I've decided to wear a 'Yemeni scarf' at home for head to toe protection. Can't wait to see when and how they outsmart me.
Another thing is, after 3 successive Raid bombs, the fleas have grown resistant. Some learned to seek 'bomb shelters' inside hollow lamps or underneath table tops. Insecticide sprays do no more than choking myself to a slow death, while fleas emerge from shelters stronger and livelier!
Story 4: Winning a battle, losing a war.
Checklist of elimination methods
✓ Sprays/Bombs
✓ Vacuuming every other day (Everyone says it works, but do you actually SEE the progress? )
✓ Diatomaceous earth powder/salt (Again no visual evidence it actually works.)
✓ Soapy water trap (On average 10-15 fleas caught every night, and night after night, and after...)
✓ Natural repellents: lemon oil/ chinese herb Baibu soaked in alcohol / lime oil. (a big NAH)
✓ Professional pest control (Is it money for value?)
There's bound to be some crack/crevice that chemicals can't reach. I suspect they even come from possible 'cat lady' neighbours through shared walls, or the vents.
Even pest control company was clueless. 'No carpets. No pets. It's weird. There's nothing I could do for you.' What a 'professional' death sentence.
Story 5:Loss of innocence
The impact of fleas is not simply physical, but deeply psychological. However, there is no 'flea rehab' to check in. I see different pictures. What used to be a healing world of green green grass, cute dogs and cats, fluffy stuffed animals or exquisite carpets has now turned into a single menacing word 'FLEA', or a loud warning sign 'FLEE'. Sometimes I even mistake tiny freckle as flea. This is paranoia, not life.
Even if netizens insist that continuing the routine of vacuuming/powder/spray/trap will eventually lead to triumph, I've simply grown tired of it all. I could have enjoyed a simple day sipping coffee and reading books. Such mentality is in a close way, similar to a late stage cancer patient ready to give up on chemo therapy and 'live normal'. I'm obviously taking a simple matter to an extreme, but I wonder whether I should just try less hard, live in peace with a few fleas and call it a day.
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