Sand Fleas
Not the most common type of flea but more evil than a normal flea!
Sand fleas (flies) which have a scientific name of Ceratopogonidaes but are more commonly know by us as no see ums or biting midges, theses creatures normally live in the sand (hence the name) or sandy places sometimes mountain sides.
The most common place to get a sand flea bite is from sitting on the beach. Sand fleas do not tend to like extreme heat so being on the beach during the day presents only a small risk of getting bitten.
Female sand fleas are the most vicious (as in most cases with real females) and more common as the male sand fleas tend to die straight after mating.
Sand fleas are really hard to see as they are only 2-3mm long so you would not be aware if they were lurking around the area of beach you were sat on.
If you had been bitten by the sand flea the first you would know about this would be by noticing a small red lump on your body. The sand flea attaches itself to a person and then digs it way down deeper into the skin, allowing it then to feed of the blood.
Sand fleas have to be removed by a doctor as they are under the skin and trying to remove them yourself will cause infection.
If you have been on the beach and have developed a small red lump under your skin you should see a doctor straight away as the longer the flea is in your body the more blood it can drink, so it will grow bigger and may even cause you to have a blood clot in the area it is living. This also increases your chance of getting more infections.
Sand flea bites can be prevented by using insect repellents or by wearing socks on the beach as well as long clothes as the sand fleas are unable to penetrate through items such as clothes.
