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These are the so-called sand fleas, or amphipods. They belong to the Talitridae family. These fleas are otherwise called beach fleas. Local residents have known about them for a long time, tourists only recently learned about them.

They are very small in size. Their length is only 1-2 mm, but they can jump up to 40 mm. Fleas are dark brown in color and look like shrimp - their body consists of separate segments. They are believed to belong to the same family as cat fleas. Insects do not have wings, but they have long legs.

Insect activity occurs in the evening and morning hours- at dawn or dusk. It is at this time that they bite more often.

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Where do they live?

Accumulations of fleas are often observed near seaweed and along the surf line. A swarm of fleas may make a sound similar to a quiet howl. If in silence you hear a sound that does not resemble the splashing of waves, it is better to leave the beach.

Why are they dangerous?

Both males and females bite humans. Males drink blood, leaving behind only the bite site and itching. A female's bite is fraught with more than just irritation. Females use humans as a source of blood necessary for reproduction.

The sea sand flea burrows into the skin and attaches itself to a blood vessel, feeding on the blood it needs to mature its eggs. At the same time, it increases and reaches the size of a pea. As soon as the eggs are ripe, she shoots them out of the wound and dies.

The remains of the female remain in the microscopic wound, which causes suppuration and severe pain. The disease caused by sand fleas in this way is called sarcopsillosis, or tungiasis.

Signs of a bite

The usual ones resemble a mosquito bite - both in the level of pain and in the consequences - itching, redness, and mild pain appear.

If we are talking about a sucking female, then the signs are different:

• swollen red area of ​​skin;
• the presence of a white abscess;
• the black dot in the center is the flea's abdomen;
• strong pain.

Consequences of the meeting

In advanced cases, suppuration will lead to sepsis, blood poisoning and gangrene, which can even result in death. There are known cases of finger amputation after untreated flea bites.

Sea flea bites

A marine flea that lives on beaches, often bites limbs. At the same time, she loves the buttocks, groin area, spaces between the fingers, areas near the nails, and ankles.

Prevention of bites

To prevent the bloodthirsty sea flea from reaching its target, you should follow simple safety measures:

• do not walk along the beach at sunrise and sunset and do not touch the algae;
• do not walk barefoot on sand;
• use sun loungers - do not sit or lie on the beach;
• wear socks;
• to be not on wild, but on sanitized cultural beaches;
• Always wash your feet after walking.

Features of treatment

If a flea does bite, you should not treat its bite like a mosquito bite. If you find suspicious abscesses, lumps on the skin, inflammatory heads, especially those accompanied by pain, you must go to the hospital where the flea will be removed. You can't try to pull it out yourself, like encephalitis tick, pouring oil on the flea. The body of a flea is very fragile, it can break, and its particles will remain in the wound, causing more and more suppuration.

For itching, you can use antihistamines and any anesthetic cream. The good old remedies also help a lot - a compress with soda.

It is important not to scratch the bites to avoid infection.

Sand flea under the skin (video)

In the Sevastopol area, the Black Sea coast is quite rocky. In the washed sea ​​waves The stones often form peculiar baths filled with sea water. And almost always life is in full swing around these baths: small, grey, a few millimeters long, nimble creatures are swarming around, quickly scattering in all directions at the sight of a person. Here they are called sea fleas, although they have nothing to do with insects. These are crustaceans belonging to the order Amphipoda, or more often called amphipods. Although I could be wrong, and this particular crustacean in the photo may be from the order of isopods (isopoda), judging by the double forked tail.

Sea fleas lead a semi-terrestrial lifestyle. They usually live only on sea beaches or other places in close proximity to the sea and remain very closely associated with it.

Amphipods are the main cleaners of the coastal zone. The sea is alive, and in it all the time someone is not only born, but also dies, but no unpleasant odor not by the sea. And this is all thanks to the good work of the orderlies - all kinds of coastal small fry, including the work of sea fleas.

Most often in summer time Every year people tend to take a vacation, go as far as possible from the bustle of the city, to the sea. Warm waves, soft sand, ripe fruits, hot sun - these are the best things that can restore the body after the monotonous life of a metropolis.

Few people know what kinds of fauna lie in wait for numerous tourists on the flowing sand of the coast.

Sea fleas are one of the representatives of resort areas that can cause significant discomfort to vacationers. These small crustacean creatures are capable of biting a person so much that he will wonder whether he should go to the sea next time, or whether it is better to spend his holiday at a ski resort.

Where do they live?

The most common habitats of sea fleas (gammarus) are sea coasts. This is not surprising, because water always has high humidity, and the even, warm climate is simply ideal for raising offspring.

However, the burning sun is already an unfavorable factor for crustaceans, so they often hide in stones, sand, and algae.

Despite the fact that crustaceans are most often found on the shores of the Indian basin, Atlantic Oceans, in Syria, South America and Africa, sea fleas in the Black Sea are far from uncommon.

Sea fleas in the Sea of ​​Azov crawl out of their hiding places at sunrise, and the outside temperature rises to 25 degrees. One has only to lift a piece of seaweed thrown ashore, and one can see amphipods (sea fleas), which begin to rush chaotically, jumping in different directions, because their sedate existence is disrupted.

You can also often find sea fleas in the Mediterranean Sea, on coastlines other seas and oceans.

Unlike sea crustaceans, which prefer to live near the sea, water fleas (daphnia) are completely different from their counterparts. They thrive in standing bodies of water (ponds, lakes, swamps). Water flea larvae are often added to aquariums. In addition to cleaning water, they are also used as fish food.

Since crustaceans choose calm, stagnant water to live in, if the water tank is located on outdoors, then water fleas are often released by villa owners into the pool.

They carefully purify the water, feeding on filtered organic compounds passed through their bodies, rhythmically moving the water surface with legs located on the chest.

Many owners country houses, living on the sea coast, often equip outdoor swimming pools on their property. It is not surprising that the surrounding fauna, especially on hot days, strives for water.

Therefore, in the pool you can often find various insects, which have to be constantly caught. Homeowners who have discovered water fleas in their pools are wondering how to get rid of the insects when there are too many of them.

If you use a regular cage for these purposes, after some time new inhabitants will appear in the tank.

Many people confuse sea fleas with river fleas. The point is that, unlike sea ​​creatures who bite and feed not only on organic matter, but also on the blood of warm-blooded animals, river fleas are completely harmless and do not cause any discomfort or harm to human or animal health.

If you wonder how to get rid of water fleas, the first thing that comes to mind is installing a filter, pump or fountain. River crustaceans are afraid of loud sounds, which means that the noise of the mechanisms will simply disperse them.

Another option is to keep fish in the pool; they will simply eat the crustaceans.

But in this case, it turns out that in order for a person to bathe, it is now necessary to clean the pool after the fish.

Who are they

Few can distinguish an ordinary flea, which feeds mainly on the blood of warm-blooded animals, from other crustaceans that are similar in appearance and structure. Therefore, the question often arises - who are sea fleas?

The sea flea in the Black Sea, also called gammarus, is a crab-like creature that can bring severe pain to humans during bites.

It is because of these creatures that most tourists who come to relax on sea ​​coast, remain dissatisfied with their vacation, and many even decide not to return to the resort area.

For vacationers, finding themselves in a situation where their legs are simply covered with bloodsuckers becomes simply catastrophic.

Daphnia (water fleas), unlike sea fleas:

• feed exclusively on plankton, waste organic matter, bacteria, unicellular algae;
• at the same time, they pass water currents through themselves. They do not feed on human blood, and are the so-called “cleaners” of the water depths;
• their body is covered with a leathery bivalve shell ending in two hooks of the original horny appearance;
• Having one eye, consisting of many small eyes, daphnia are very well oriented in water, since the visual organ is highly mobile;
• Water fleas spend most of their lives in the aquatic environment, rarely moving onto land.

The habitat of daphnia is puddles, ponds, reservoirs, small lakes, etc. They inhabit several continents at once. The exception is equatorial territories. The largest populations are seen in subtropical climates.

Recently, water fleas can be seen in the sea, in vast areas that are unusual for their usual habitat. This is due to human activity and the development of new territories. globe.

Harm to humans

Gammarus, regardless of gender, bites a person, sucking blood for food. After a bite by a male, only a bite mark and an unpleasant itching sensation remain.

If a female bites, the affected area of ​​the skin becomes inflamed, the female attaches itself to the capillary, sucks blood, and at the same time it increases in size.

The diameter of the female who has drunk blood can increase to the volume of a pea. This continues until the eggs she carries inside her mature. After they mature, the flea shoots them over long distances and dies.

After this, remains of the individual remain in the wound from the sea flea bite, which provokes the development of suppuration, a disease called sarcopsillosis, tungiasis. If suppuration is not stopped in a timely manner, the risk of developing blood poisoning and gangrene increases, which can lead to death of the victim.

The most common areas affected are the buttocks, groin, lower extremities, lower legs, feet, and interdigital space.

How to get rid of a rash

To treat flea bites, the first step is to relieve the irritation.

If the symptoms do not disappear or the victim’s condition worsens, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible.

Oatmeal

Water fleas leave toxic substances under the skin after they bite. Oatmeal contains a large number of antioxidants that have a soothing effect on the skin.

To eliminate itching and irritation, add 1 to 2 cups of flour-ground cereals or flakes into a warm bath.

The bath must be taken within an hour.

Since the water flea does not bite a person, if you find irritation on your skin, you can assume that the bite was caused by a sea flea. To relieve irritation, apply calamine lotion to the bite site.

Before using the product, children or pregnant women should consult a doctor.

Vinegar or rubbing alcohol

Water fleas do not have special organs for biting. Accordingly, they cannot bite a person. If you receive a sea flea bite, you can wipe it several times a day with a slightly diluted solution of vinegar or alcohol. This will disinfect and soothe the skin.

Antihistamines

Doctors often prescribe an antihistamine ointment to treat the affected areas. It relieves inflammation and allergic skin reactions.

Hydrocortisone cream

The cream or ointment should be used according to the instructions for use. Use with caution in childhood, during pregnancy, lactation.

Hoping to have a good time surrounded by loved ones, take a swim in warm water, sunbathe on the beach. But most of them don’t even know what kind of inhabitants live in this flowing sand, from which children can spend hours building towers, castles and sculpting Easter cakes.

Gammarus - who are they?

Few people know that the name of this inhabitant is “sand sea flea.” Bites from a small crustacean creature can not only cause pain, but also completely ruin your entire vacation.

In the scientific world, fleas living in sea sand are called gammarus. Few people know about their existence, and even if they have such an idea, they are of the erroneous opinion, thinking that the habitat of small bloodsucking creatures is located somewhere in the distant southern shores. This opinion does not coincide with reality. Sandy beaches middle zone They have become practically family to the gammarus, and not a single vacationer is immune from the possibility of getting a bite from them.

Description of appearance

The coastal sand of African and Indian beaches is filled with these inhabitants. They are found in Thailand, Vietnam and the Caribbean. Discarded scattered along coastline, is a favorite place for flea colonies to live. Hiding from sunlight, crustaceans find shelter and food in algae.

By the way, large accumulations of amphibiotic crustaceans, swarming in the sand, emit quiet howling sounds, upon hearing which it is better to move away from the surf line.

Before nightfall, amphipods burrow into deep layers of sand, but literally with the advent of moonlight they become more active. And during sunrise they crawl to the surface.

Laboratory studies have shown that the described creatures are able to tolerate temperature fluctuations from 0 to +25 degrees. But digging out of the sand is fraught with death for them.

The danger of sea flea bites

The sea flea is capable of biting humans. As a rule, this can occur in places where there is a concentration of such crustaceans. When they drink blood, they leave bite marks accompanied by itching. We can firmly say that gammarus is not so harmless to humans.

The photo presented in the article will help to examine its mouthparts, which are capable of piercing the skin of the victim. By inflicting a bite, the female penetrates the skin and feeds on the blood she needs for the maturation of her future offspring. Thanks to this, its size increases to the volume of a ripe pea, and after ripening it shoots them out and dies, leaving its remains in the victim’s skin. They are the ones that cause suppuration and pain.

In medical terminology, inflamed wounds after a flea bite are called sarcopsillosis or tungiasis.

Signs of a female bite

When biting, the small crustacean causes minor discomfort to humans, comparable to a mosquito bite. But if a female bites, the symptoms change significantly, namely:

• the bite site swells;
• there is a white pustule;
• pain is felt;
• the center of the bite is marked with a black dot - the female's abdomen.

Consequences of a bite

If you are careless about damage to the skin by crustaceans, scratch it and do not take any measures, the consequences can be disastrous. In medical practice, there are cases where a sea flea, having bitten a person, provoked the formation of sepsis, which resulted in the amputation of the toes.

The most accessible places to be affected are the lower limbs, buttocks, groin area, the space between the fingers, and the lower parts of the ankles.

It is important to remember that when you come to the beach, you should not settle in places where the sand under your feet is covered with algae - a favorite habitat for crustaceans.

But not everything is so scary, because sea fleas have coexisted next to humans for centuries. If you stick to simple rules behavior that can be avoided unpleasant consequences their bites:

1. You should not take walks along the beach area early in the morning or after sunset. This is the time of flea activity.
2. Remember that algae thrown up by the surf are habitats for gammarus.
3. Wear special shoes on the beach and do not walk barefoot.
4. Use sun loungers to lie on.
5. Try to relax in specially prepared beach areas.
6. After visiting the beach, inspect your body and especially your legs.
7. If you are bitten by a sea flea, consult a doctor.

Treatment of bites

In case of a bite with noticeable redness, thickening of the skin and pain, you should not try to remove the flea yourself. The likelihood of damage to its body is high, since its particles can remain under the skin, causing suppuration. This manipulation should be carried out at the nearest medical facility.

Itching after a bite will help relieve pain relief creams and antihistamines. At home, soda compresses are a good anti-inflammatory agent.

Benefits for the ecology of the beach

Environmental scientists have proven that fleas naturally clean coastal sand by feeding on microorganisms living in it. However, they, of course, are unable to process pieces of cigarette butts, chips, meat - everything that careless vacationers leave behind in the city beach area.

Crawling out of their hiding places in the evening, crustaceans also clean coastal waters. Small sacs in the area of ​​the front legs allow them to breathe oxygen.

Do not panic and deprive yourself of a sea holiday, thinking about bites and their consequences. Gammarus, the photo of which you see in the article, is not so scary. If you follow the basic rules of caution, it will not interfere with any rest.

1. Modern scientists have described 2086 species of fleas.
2. The British Museum houses a collection of these creatures, which was collected by Charles Rothschild, a banker and entomologist.
3. A flea hatching from a pupa immediately looks for a host animal to settle on. As a rule, this is a representative of mammals.
4. The flea is capable of transmitting infectious diseases from one host to another.
5. Sea flea feet different sizes and serve for different actions. Some help you swim, others help you run.
6. Gammarus has four life stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult.
7. The components of sea flea saliva can cause allergic reactions.
8. The maturation period for egg laying is about 7 days.
9. Gammarus lead a semi-terrestrial lifestyle, spending time in coastal zone beaches and in the depths of the sea, but always strive to get to land.

If it were not for the existence of crustaceans, our beaches would be mired in the remains of dead snails, mollusks and jellyfish.

The term "sea fleas", water fleas, was strange to me until this May, when terrible experience meeting them while on vacation in Mexico.

At first, I thought I was having a sudden allergic reaction to sea ​​water. I wonder why these terrible creatures chose me over all the other swimmers?

What is sea lice rash on humans?

These rashes appear when a swimmer, scuba diver or snorkeler comes into contact with and is stung by tiny digitalis jellyfish larvae ( Linuche unguiculata), sea anemone ( Edwardsiella lineata) and other types of marine life.

These miniature sea creatures have several specialized stinging cells on their bodies called nematocysts.

When touched, the tentacles with natatocysts of jellyfish and sea anemones inject toxins in self-defense. Toxins are responsible for the rash.

Of all the sea larvae that can cause sea lice rashes, the most common culprits are foxglove jellyfish larvae. This means that when people complain about sea flea bites, they should really be talking about thimbles.

In water, foxglove jellyfish larvae cannot be seen with the naked eye. They often sneak through swimsuits and diving suits, where they become trapped. When they are near the body, they begin to sting, for the purpose of self-defense.

Although they occur at any time of the year, sea flea stings and the associated itchy rash occur between April and August.

Florida, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean are the most dangerous areas where lesions occur quite often, similar problems have also been reported in South America (Brazil), Australia, South-East Asia(Thailand, Philippines) and New Zealand.

In Mexico, people visiting Cancun, Cozumel and other popular tourist destinations during the warmer months are at particular risk of developing sea flea rash. I can personally attest to this after my bad experience in Cancun.

It is reported that in last years Cases of sea fleas have become more frequent. This prompted authorities in several parts of the US (especially Florida) Caribbean and Mexico to install purple flags along contaminated sea beaches as a warning sign during peak season.

Good news - Sea flea rash is not contagious.

Symptoms

The bite from an adult thimble jellyfish is usually painful, and you will not immediately notice the attack of their larvae. Only after some time will you feel a tingling sensation in areas of the body covered or subject to friction from swimming or diving equipment. For example, the areas of the armpits, groin, chest, internal sides hips, neck.

In addition to itching and blistering, the rash may be accompanied by the following symptoms, especially in more severe cases:

• Fever;
• Chills;
• Nausea;
• Headache;
• Fatigue, especially in children;
• Urethritis (inflammation of the urethra);
• Redness of the eyes.

Symptoms vary from one person to another depending on the body's response to the sting. People who develop the rash earlier are more likely to develop symptoms.

"People with allergic reactions, who are immunocompromised are at higher risk of developing severe rashes,” says Mebane, MD, medical director of the Divers Alert Network (DAN).
Sea flea rashes last from a couple of days to a week. In severe cases, it may take several weeks to heal completely.

What does it look like

Sea lice bites cause red, raised areas of skin along with bumps or blisters, as you will see in the following pictures:

How to get rid of a rash quickly - effective remedies

Although sea flea bites are harmless and heal within a week in most cases, the rash and itching are very uncomfortable.

The home remedies for sea rash listed below will help relieve you from the discomfort of itching and other symptoms, speeding up the healing process.

Do not rub or scratch the skin

This is not the way to get rid of a rash, no doubt. Scratching or rubbing the affected area will only make the condition worse.

The urge to scratch itchy areas can be overwhelming, but restrain yourself from doing so. If you use a towel to dry yourself after a shower, gently pat your skin rather than rubbing it across the surface.

Take a shower

Taking a shower will help relieve skin irritation. One mistake people often make is washing while still wearing a soiled swimsuit. This causes the larvae to become trapped in the fabric of your suit and sting.