Fleas are parasitic insects that feed on the blood of animals and humans. There are a lot of frequently asked questions about fleas which we will address. Some of these wingless parasite species attach themselves to hosts for their entire lifespan. They appear flat, blackish and 1/8 inch long although it is rare to spot one as they are known to found mostly in hidden areas.
Fleas reproduce at a high rate and once they find a suitable host and a fresh blood meal, the females will lay eggs that will fall off the hosts bodies into carpets and cracks in the floor, unseen and out of sight. In a matter of days under favorable conditions, a flea free home becomes completely infested.
One of the common species known to attack pets is Ctenocephalides felis – Cat fleas. They choose dogs and cats as host animals rarely people. In order to effectively prevent flea infestation, reduce the amount of time that your pet spends outside and use vet recommended products to clean out the surrounding and exterminate any flea around.
Can cat fleas attach to dogs also?
Answer: Yes, Cat fleas despite their specific names can attack dogs too among other mammals such as guinea pigs, ferrets, rabbits and pigs.
Are cat fleas resistant to flea products?
Answer: Yes, there is no question fleas are common and are fast becoming resistant to many products but making use of several types of cat flea pesticides can reduce the rate of their resistance.
Are wild animals susceptible to cat fleas?
Answer: Yes, in the absence of cats and dogs’ fleas can attack any available animal including animals so long as there is a fresh blood meal. If any of these infested animals come close to your surrounding hey can deposit cat flea eggs and begin an infestation.
Do fleas jump from one host to another?
Answer: No, Fleas choose a suitable host and feed off it for its entire lifespan, the females even reproduce while on a host also. The eggs will fall off but the adult remains put so long as the conditions remain favorable.
What is flea dirt?
Answer: Flea dirt is flea excrement. It is shaped like a comma and they are excreted on the skin mostly by female fleas that consume far more blood than her body weight (fifteen times)
How does a flea pierce its hosts’ skin and feed?
Answer: Fleas posses specialized mouthparts which allows the insects to pierce and break through their hosts skin. First, it transfers saliva and somewhat digested blood into the open skin then it sucks blood. This process is the reason why diseases get transmitted through a flea bite.
Can flea infestation lead to a pets’ death?
Answer: Yes, especially where the population is high. Their feeding habit has caused the death of calves, goats, lambs, kittens and puppies.
How long does it take for a flea to get satisfied?
Answer: Most species including cat fleas will begin to feed on the animal five minutes after attaching to it and they take at least an hour to be completely satisfied.
How fast does a flea reproduce and lay eggs?
Answer: a female flea cannot lay its eggs unless it gets a fresh blood meal, after feeding, it will take another twenty-four hours for it to lay eggs. A flea will lay up to forty eggs each day according to its body weight or more because feeding make its weight increase fifteen times.
How long does it take for fleas eggs to hatch?
Answer: Under favorable conditions of humidity 70% and temperature 95°F, all the eggs will hatch in less than two days. If temperature drops to 55°F the eggs will hatch after six days.
How long can flea egg survive without a host?
Answer: This is an excellent and also frequently asked question about fleas. If the environment suits the parasite in humidity after hatching, sixty percent will survive for sixty days without a host and if the surrounding is too dry, less than 10% will survive without a host.
How fast is flea metamorphosis?
Answer: a flea goes through complete metamorphosis and it takes approximately three weeks to develop into an adult if the environmental condition is suitable.
How many weeks will it take a single flea to reproduce to millions
Answer: A flea lays approximately a thousand eggs before it dies so in six weeks it will multiply to a million or more.
Can fleas survive winter?
Answer: Fleas cannot survive in extreme weather conditions, but they are still found in the far cold north where the temperature is colder than 37°F. This is because the parasites attach themselves to any animal around in order to maintain some warmth.
Why do fleas find animals more preferable to humans
Answer: fleas thrive in dark and shady areas so naturally they prefer hosts with more hair to burrow into. They try to hide from sight and light ad will dash out of the way into hiding if they are seen. They are extremely difficult to find.
Do fleas have a favorite spot in animals
Answers: This is a frequently asked question on fleas and the answer is Yes! They are usually found clustered around a pet’s extreme end where the animal cannot reach to pull them off easily. They also live on pet’s stomach or along their spine. The infestation on a dog begins on its tail.
Is everyone faced with a flea problem?
Answer: Yes, fleas are found everywhere in the world are they can infest any home or environment easily especially those overrun with rodents and homes with pets. It only takes one infested animal to bring in one parasite to begin the infestation.
Another thing is that it takes an awfully long time to get rid of them, a Vet doctor spent three months trying to exterminate fleas from an apartment in Chicago, it forced him to become a Vet dermatologist also seeing all the problems he encountered with flea bites. He devotes his time to helping others suffering from flea issues.
In the North, there is no respite from fleas as they survive from the cold by hiding in barns, heated garages, wild life, hay bales, pets and rodents.
Can fleas transmit diseases through bites?
Answer: Yes, Flea bites are dangerous when the insect is a disease carrier. When a pet eats diseased flea, it opens whatever disease it’s carrying such as Typhus, Bartonellosis, Dipylidium caninum. If you notice tan, rice-like tapeworm segments in your pet’s excrement, they are infected and any human that comes in contact with it become affected also.
Now that you have some answers to frequently asked questions about fleas you can make the best choice for your needs!