Fleas?!

[Scarlett]

I have recently noticed tiny black 2mm long thin lines (best description I can do) that resemble thunder flies, in my room, on me. If I go to squash them, they jump away so fast they are gone forever. They also bite and leave a little red raised lump. I don't have any pets but do have a fireplace- I an hear pigeons outside a lot, and they do sometimes poo down the fireplace onto the tiles below. I worry that these things may be bird fleas? Anyone else heard of this or similar?

[Kathyan]

They sound like fleas to me. They could have been brought into your house by someone who has dogs or cats!

[Eve]

At a former workplace there were pigeons nesting in the wall behind me. We could hear them scratching about initially then a few of us started getting bitten by something.

After getting some bites on my foot I ended up with a bad case of cellulitis which took a few doses of very strong antibiotics and lying with my foot above my head for 48 hours to clear up. I reckon they were some kind of pigeon mites/ticks.

Thankfully, after that more of a effort seemed to be made to stop them getting in the space. The few times they came in to sort it though the smell was absolutely horrendous, they pulled a dead bird or two out and this stagnant water and it was disgusting.