Adult Flea
Fleas are small insects that feed on the blood of warm blooded animals and humans. they are about 1/8 of an inch long and can jump up to 200 times their body length.
There are around 2500 species of fleas found in the world, but only a few that are encounterd by humans. The most common flea in the U.S. is the cat flea. Don’t be fooled by the name, cat fleas have no problems with dogs or human blood.
Fleas have a four stage life cycle, egg, larva, pupa and adult. The female flea must feed on blood before reproduction and can lay 20 eggs at a time. The egg will take anywhere from a few days to a 2 weeks to hatch. The flea larva are blind and stay in dark areas they feed on organic material like feces and dead insects. The larva pupate and weave a silken cocoon, and in a few weeks an adult flea will emerge. On of the things that help fleas survive so well is the can stay in the pupa stage for moths, the adult flea will not emerge until there is a food source.
There are around 2500 species of fleas found in the world, but only a few that are encounterd by humans. The most common flea in the U.S. is the cat flea. Don’t be fooled by the name, cat fleas have no problems with dogs or human blood.
Fleas have a four stage life cycle, egg, larva, pupa and adult. The female flea must feed on blood before reproduction and can lay 20 eggs at a time. The egg will take anywhere from a few days to a 2 weeks to hatch. The flea larva are blind and stay in dark areas they feed on organic material like feces and dead insects. The larva pupate and weave a silken cocoon, and in a few weeks an adult flea will emerge. On of the things that help fleas survive so well is the can stay in the pupa stage for moths, the adult flea will not emerge until there is a food source.
Flea Bites
Fleas are vectors for many diseases in humans. Just a few hundred years ago one third of Europe’s population was wiped out by a bubonic plague. But the most common problem fleas cause today is they can drive us crazy with inching. Fleas are definitely the most annoying pest that is commonly found inside the home. (bed bugs are catching up though)
