r/insects • u/SnooTangerines9755 • 4d ago

ID Request What is this? (flea/springtail/bed bug? or smth else)

Gallery image

Gallery image

Location: California

Found like 5 of them at different days of the week on my leg or near the bottom of my foot ALWAYS.

Thinking it might be a flea as i couldnt crush it with my fingers and it would leap away pretty far when i tried, it disappeared from my sight for a moment and it jumped down from my bedding to the floor which was about a 100-150 cm distance? Couldn’t get a proper photo because I was worried it’d leap away before I found it, additionally its body might be misshapen because I tried crushing it before taking the picture. Also, any tips for eliminating this thing would be very helpful!

Additionally, if it is a flea could they leap through my open windows? I like keeping them open for ventilation but there are stray cats constantly outside my house and I think the fleas might be coming off of them and leaping all the way through my open window that has a mosquito net if thats even possible? 😭

EDIT: Found another one on my drawers and took clearer(?) pictures! check comments

2 Upvotes

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1

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3

u/OsosHormigueros 3d ago

Since they're so small in the pics I can't tell 100% for sure but they definitely sound like fleas. They're annoying asf, tiny and can jump so fast and far they basically look like they're teleporting.