See Freaky Creatures Hiding Under Your Feet on Northwest Beaches

If your like my wife, you DO NOT want to know the crazy and freaky things that might live under the places you walk. If you have ever walked on the beaches of the Oregon or Washington coast, these little freaky creatures were right under your foot. I am talking about Sand Fleas, also known as beach hoppers or sand hoppers.

True sand fleas are from the family Talitridae and are crustaceans. They mostly do not bother people and eat algae and sea foliage left on the sand according to Terminix.com. They actually live inches below the surface, but come out at night. There are other creatures in the sand that people also call sand fleas, some are insects and bite the heals of people. There are also Chigoes, which are fleas that are parasitic and actually borrow into the soles of peoples feet. Chigoes usually live in tropical beaches in Mexico and South America, so you don't have to worry about those here in the Northwest.

Sand fleas are really good for bait or fish food if you are a fisherman or if you have fish tanks and live by the ocean. If you have ever walked on the beach and seen little bubbles or bumps in the waves as they flow back off the beach, those are caused by sand fleas. If you want to try to catch some for yourself, watch this YouTube video I post below. It shows exactly how you can find and catch sand fleas for yourself.