This question isn't really about pets, but I couldn't find the right
category for it.

About 4 weeks ago we had a visitor in our house for a few hours.  Ever
since, we have been getting bites around our middles.  Could our
visitor have brought us some fleas with her?  Apparently 'human fleas'
like to bite people's midrifts.

If so, how do we go about getting rid of them?  Searches I've done for
"pest control officer"s of local government bodies shows facilities in
other areas, but not for Bristol.  Our local government site is
http://www.bristol-city.gov.uk - do they offer any such service?  Or
would be be better advised to buy a product and fix the problem
ourselves?  Are these products safe?  Are herbal alternatives
effective?

I know I have asked a lot of questions - they don't all need to be
answered, but are just the kinds of things I've been looking at.  All
I really want is for the biting to stop.

We have no pets, and haven't had these problems before.

Hi opicak,

Yuck, fleas!  I'm a cat owner, and my darlings like to slip out the
window to roll around in the grass out front.  Occasionally, the silly
things bring home pets of their own - fleas.  Like you, we end up with
bites around the midriff, or on our ankles, and we end up having to
treat the cats and bomb the apartment. (At least once a year.)

Yes, it is entirely possible for your guest to have brought fleas
along - they jump, and are easily able to hitch rides on shoes, pants
legs, in cuffs.  Here's a bit more about these...guests:

eFleas.net
http://www.e-fleas.net/

"Fleas can jump over 6 feet, and they enter the house by any carrier
available: pets and humans. White clothing, socks, and sneakers excite
and invite them right into the living room where they remain unseen
and happily reproducing without your ever knowing until the problem is
advanced."

FLEAS? Never Again!
http://www.fleasmart.com/fleasrx.htm

Now, how to evict these clearly unwanted tenants?  The procedures
aren't much different for a non-pet owner than they are for a pet
owner.  In fact, it's a little easier because you don't have to chase
down a reluctant housepet and treat it with a foul smelling chemical.

The first thing you need to do is vacuum *everything* in your home -
carpets, drapes, upholstery - *everything*.  Ortho, a manufacturer of
pest control products recommends the following procedure:

* Thoroughly vacuum all carpeting, upholstered furniture and floors.
* Dispose of the vacuum bag immediately and seal it in a plastic bag
to ensure no fleas escape.
* Repeat this procedure on a regular basis throughout the year to
prevent flea populations from growing.

ORTHO® Helps Homeowners Get a Jump on Winter Fleas
http://www.ortho.com/content/about/releases/winterfleas.cfm

Next, wash all of your bedding in the hottest water possible.  This
will kill off any fleas hiding there, as well as any eggs that may
have been laid.  Vacuum your mattress well while the bedding is in the
laundry, just in case.

Finally, you can purchase a "flea bomb" at your local grocer.  These
are sometimes referred to as "indoor foggers", and are relatively
inexpensive.  Since you have no pets of your own, a single "fogging"
should be more than sufficient to ensure that you've gotten rid of all
of them.  Be certain to follow all package directions exactly, though
- most flea bombs require that the home be thoroughly aired out after
treatment, and you'll need to wash any residue off of surfaces such as
countertops and cupboards, and vacuum thoroughly once more.

This is far less expensive than calling in a pest control service for
a non-recurring problem (unless you think your friend has permanent
fleas? ;)), and really quite simple to do.  This is the method that
I've used for as long as my cats have decided that they want to
bring...friends...home, and it has worked very well.  Since you have
no pets, it should work even better for you - no repeats!

(I had a look at the Bristol City Council page noted above - the one
link to Pest  Control I found led to a page discussing "Gypsies and
Travellers".  I don't think that's quite what you were looking to get
rid of!)

Good luck!

missy-ga

Thanks Missy.  I notice you didn't mention non-chemical solutions, but
I can forgive that.

One quick trick ....

Buy a flea collar and cut it into 3" sections.. before you vacuum
stick a section in the vacuum bag. It'll kill anything that gets in
there. Repeat as necessary.

-K~

Another quick tip!!!

Sprinkle 20 Mule Team Borax over your carpet. Leave it on about 30
minutes and then vaccum normally. You can even use it to get rid of
fleas in your yard, just sprinkle around yard and leave. I know this
sounds silly, but it really works! I have a dog and have used this
method several times.

An alternative to chemicals...

Build a flea trap (one in each room is good)... 

a) suspend a lightbulb over a shallow pan of soapy water - you can
purchase those adapters that allow you to screw lightbulbs into them
and plug them into an AC outlet, then use a disposable aluminum cookie
sheet underneath and pour the sudsy water into it.

b) at night, fleas will jump towards the light and drown

This may not be the whole answer, but it definitely helps. You can
replenish the soapy water (I used dish detergent) when the water
evaporates.

To strawhat-ga:
I tried your system within 15 minutes of reading it, and in our
bedroom it caught 13 fleas within the first 10 hours! I then had a
flea-less sleep. Since then the rate has dropped, but that may be
because there are no fleas left!!
Great and easy to implement recommendation, I'm going to put one in
each kids bedroom. Thanks a lot.

Some potentially bad news:
Sounds to me like you may have chiggers.  Chiggers tend to bite around
the middle, ankles, wrists, and other places where you have elastic
around your skin.
You can find info on chiggers at:
http://lancaster.unl.edu/enviro/pest/factsheets/008-96.htm
I did a basic Google search for "chiggers" to find the above.
Good Luck!!

The best I've found is:  Boric Acid (I found mine at Eckerds) 
Sprinkle on your carpets or other materials (bedspread, couch, fabric
chairs) - This breaks the life cycle of the flea and breaks down their
shell.  You can vacuum and not worry again, unless you wash your
carpet or furniture.  - I would guarantee this for you...........if I
could -  I have 5 cats and I know what I'm talking about....also very
reasonable. - PS - Safe for humans and animals, so no fear of anyone
getting sick.  Good luck!!