Fleas or Mites??

[puddinpie]

Ok, so I have been feeding my grey squirrels for quite some time now. I have a few that like to come up on my porch and stand on my railings and wait for me to feed them. I have one that will actually let me stand right next to her to feed her. Well the other day I noticed a longer thin bug crawling on her belly. Well I just fed her now, she was sitting on my railing. I noticed a lot more of these long thin like bugs crawling on her and after she finished eating and left, I noticed 7 of these things crawling on my railing! Are these fleas or mites? They looked kind of reddish brown in color. Also, are these transmittable to humans? Do all wild squirrels have fleas? How do they get them, I mean where do they pick them up? Also, how to tell the difference between fleas and mites??

[Rhapsody]

Neither fleas or mites are long or red...... both of them are roundish, small and dark brown to black in color (mites are much smaller).
If would help if you could get a pic of the bug you are talking about. Fleas and mites are naturally found in nature and get on animals.

[farrelli]

I think that they actually can be long. Please see the following thread. Is this what you saw:

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?42526-saw-tiny-longer-bug-crawling-on-one-of-my-wilds

[Rhapsody]

I think that they actually can be long. Please see the following thread. Is this what you saw:

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?42526-saw-tiny-longer-bug-crawling-on-one-of-my-wildsOh that is NASTY looking FLEA!! --Thanks..... I never knew. :eek and :yuck


Sounds to me like it could have been a (squirrel) flea, they too are long and thin.
They are not like cat and dog fleas in appearance, neither do they jump like them.
Adults can almost appear to be a crawling worm with legs, some appear to be black also.
214731

[stepnstone]

Oh that is NASTY looking FLEA!! --Thanks..... I never knew. :eek and :yuck

Rhaps I have to agree, being used to seeing dog and cat fleas I found
these fleas to be rather nasty looking too! They move in and out the fur like
they are related to a Weasel, the good thing is they can't jump like dog/cat fleas.
I took in a little girl that was infested with them, TG for Capstar! :bowdown

[puddinpie]

Yes, the bugs look long like the fleas in the picture you showed! Ick, they do look nasty. She must have a lot of them because I just fed her again, and once again I saw like 4 of them crawl off of her onto my porch railing. Now in the winter when it gets cold outside, do these fleas die? Are the wild squirrels able to get rid of them on their own? I am glad to hear that they do not jump though! I would Not want those on me or in my house. So these fleas must be all over out there in the trees and grass then? I mean how else would these animals pick them up? I live in the City of Chicago and I started feeding my wild greys about a couple years ago. Well I now have like 15 squirrels that visit my yard! I love feeding them ( I also feed my birds), but I am getting overrun with them Lol! They are so adorable though.