Flea Life Cycle and Behavior
The flea is a common pest around your home and pets. Their narrow body allows them to move through your pet’s fur quickly. From side to side, they are flat. They can jump up to six inches in the air due to their well-developed back legs. Their piercing mouth parts allow them to suck blood vital to their survival. Fleas are parasitic, so killing them using your fingernails is not advisable. A flea can transmit disease.
Identify Flea
The flea is a narrow wingless insect with spines across its body and around the head. There are several hairs across the body as well. It is less than 1/4 inch long and dark brown.
They have a complete life cycle, which comprises her laying Eggs. The female lays between 400-800 eggs throughout her lifetime. The eggs hatch into larvae and feed on adult flea excrement’s dried blood. After the larvae mature, they cocoon and pupate, where they transform into the adult. It can take 16 days to a year for them to develop from an egg to an adult.
Behavior of Flea
A flea feeds on its host blood. The host of a flea could be humans, dogs, cats, or other animals. They need a blood meal for reproduction. The flea will remain with the host until it is scratched off or succumbs to death. Eggs may be deposited on the hast that may fall off and infest other areas. They can spread from your yard or other animals in your environment.
How do I know if I have a Flea problem?
You will see that your pets are scratching excessively. They will also have reddened and irritated skin with small black excrement dander in the pet’s fur. Although there will be the presence of fleas, the severity may be unknown. If you start developing flea bites on yourself, the bites may be around your ankles and lower legs.
Health risk
The flea has been associated with bubonic plague. They transmit murine typhus to humans. They annoy pets and will cause skin damage and hair loss in pets. Please get in touch with the National Pest Management Association if you want more information on their health risk.
Treatment for Control
A homeowner can perform a treatment, but dealing with fleas can be frustrating. Understanding their life cycle will benefit treating them. It can take 21 days or longer to break the lifecycle of a flea population. Seeking professional pest services from ZipZap Termite & Pest Control is always an option. Please call with your questions or if you would like to schedule. 816-407-7378.
Jeffery Preece BCE,PHE
Jeffery is a Board Certified Entomologist at ZipZap Termite & Pest Control
