Can Fleas Live on Human Hair?

I was browsing through pet-related sites when something caught my attention: "Can fleas live on human hair?" Several websites and forums say they can. A few say they can't. What do you think?

As we tackle this question, it is perhaps good to begin with what fleas are. Fleas are insects that feed on the blood of a host. Normally, they live on dogs and cats. They stay there sucking blood out of our pets until such time that they hop on another animal. As they hop, they can stay in various debris in our environment such as pet's beddings, sleeping areas, tiny particles of dirt, fibers from carpets, rugs and furniture, etc.

Humans can get fleas when they make contact with their flea-infested pets. They can also get them from pet's beddings and furniture where fleas thrive. Fleas will grab any opportunity to suck blood from a potential host. They will hop on humans and bite but they will not live there for a long time. Most often, they will bite ankles, lower legs and lower arms.

It is possible that fleas may get on human hair when the person makes contact with his or her flea-infested pet. In very rare cases, fleas may bite on the scalp but they will not stay for long. As long as the person makes every possible effort to get rid of the fleas such as washing his or her hair, eliminating fleas off from clothing, frequent vacuuming of the house, and regular bathing and applying of flea control products on the pet, he or she can be flea-free.