HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE FLEAS?

• A bad flea infestation is very obvious.
• If your pet is scratching excessively, you should examine his or her fur. Flea-infested animals have reddened skin and may lose hair. The hind quarters of dogs and the head and neck of cats are where you will likely find fleas.
• Fleas can be seen visibly moving between hairs.
• Their red and black droppings may also be visible on your pet’s skin.
• 95% of flea eggs, larvae, and pupae live in beds, rugs, carpets and sofas – not on your pet.
• Try walking on your carpet wearing white socks. If you see tiny black bugs on your socks afterwards, those are likely fleas and/or flea dirt.

WHAT DO FLEA BITES LOOK LIKE?

• Flea bites appear as small, red bumps.
• There is a red “halo” around the canter of the bite.
• Often there are three or four bites grouped together or in a straight line.
• The most common location for flea bites is around the ankles or leg’s
• Flea bites are also found around the waist, armpits, breasts, groin, or in the folds of the elbows and knees.

WHAT DO FLEAS LOOK LIKE?

• Adult fleas are approximately 3/32” in length.
• Their wingless bodies are flat, narrow, and covered in hair.
• Fleas are dark in color, ranging from brown to reddish brown.
• Like other insects, fleas have six long legs.
• Adults have mouthparts which are used to extract the host’s blood
• Flea larvae are dirty-white in color and measure 1/8” to 13/64” in length.

ARE CAT FLEAS AND DOG FLEAS DIFFERENT?

• Cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis) are a different species than dog fleas (Ctenocephalides canis). However, their differences are best identified under magnification.
• North American flea problems are cat flea infestations.
• Despite their name, cat fleas affect dogs and many other animals, as well as humans.

ARE FLEAS DANGEROUS?

• Although the risk of contracting a disease from a flea is very, very small, it has been reported that about 10-20 plague cases are reported annually in the United States, mostly in rural areas of the Southwest (Vermont Department of Health, Epidemiology Field Unit).
• However, flea bites are very itchy and the more you scratch them, the more likely you are to open your skin and cause a secondary infection.
• People allergic to insect bites can develop hives and rashes from flea bites.
• Fleas can cause life threatening diseases in your pets.
• Dogs and cats can become infected with the plague – yes, the same plague from back in the Middle Ages.
• Fleas can infect cats with Cat Scratch Disease.
• While usually transmitted by ticks, haemobartonellosis can also be carried by fleas.
• Your pet can get tapeworms from fleas.
• Fleas can cause Flea Allergy Dermatitis.

I DON’T HAVE PETS. COULD I STILL HAVE FLEAS?

• Yes, even if you don’t have a pet, you still could have fleas in your yard.
• If you have tiny red bites after a day in your yard, wear white socks and walk around the shady areas of your yard and near decks, woodpiles, or storage buildings. If you see little black specks on your socks after walking about, you probably have fleas in your yard.

WHY ARE FLEAS IN MY YARD?

• Fleas most likely got into your yard by dropping off wildlife like squirrels, deer, raccoons, rabbits, chipmunks, and stray cats.
• Fleas prefer cool, shady, moist areas and do not thrive in sunny areas or in open grass.

WHAT DO FLEAS EAT?

• Flea adults suck the blood of animals and people; while larvae feed on adult’s feces, containing partially digested blood.
• Larvae can also feed on organic matter, but will not develop without the adult’s feces diet.
• Adult fleas begin searching for food as soon as they emerge from the pupal stage.
• Fleas only have about a week to find their first blood meal. After that, they can survive for several years without food.
• Fleas need a blood meal in order to be able to reproduce.
• A female flea can consume 15 times her body weight in blood on a daily basis.

WHAT IS THE LIFECYCLE OF FLEAS?

• Fleas undergo complete metamorphosis. The lifecycle, or stages, of the flea is composed of the egg, larval, pupal and adult stages.
• Cycle length ranges from several weeks to several months and is largely dependent upon environmental conditions.
• A female flea lays eggs within 35 to 48 hours of her first blood meal.
• A female flea lays at least 20 eggs a day. Half of the eggs will be female, which will eventually produce about 20,000 new fleas in 60 days.
• Under ideal conditions, ten female fleas can produce over a quarter of a million fleas in one month.
• A female flea will lay about 2,000 eggs over the course of her 2 to 3 month life, but is incapable of laying eggs until after its first meal.

IS A FLEA BOMB EFFECTIVE AT GETTING RID OF FLEAS?

• No, a flea bomb is not considered an effective or recommended solution.
• Flea bombs, also known as foggers or total release foggers, release pesticides into a room to treat indoor flea infestations.
• The pesticide-infused fog fills the space then falls to the ground where it sticks to surfaces.

There are several problems with flea bombs:

• All surfaces in the room are contaminated with the pesticide, including pet’s toys and bedding, children’s toys, furniture, lampshades, pictures, knick-knacks, food preparation areas, and any cooking and eating utensils that are left out.
• The chemicals and propellants in a flea bomb can be flammable. Use extreme caution. Turn off the water heater, furnace, and gas stoves and extinguish the pilot lights. Cut the power to all fans, lights and other electrical devices.
• Most importantly, flea bombs do not reach sheltered areas, such as beneath furniture or the interiors of closets and cabinets, where fleas hide. Fleas in these protected areas will be unaffected by the flea bomb and therefore will survive.
• Lastly, pupae and adults inside cocoons will not be affected and will emerge after the flea bomb to continue to infest your home.

12 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT FLEAS:

1. Fleas can jump 110 times their length. A flea jumping several inches is like an average-sized human jumping over a 30-story building.
2. Fleas can pull 160,000 times their own weight, which is the same as you pulling 2,679 double-deck buses.
3. When a flea jumps, it accelerates 20 times faster than the space shuttle.
4. A flea can jump 30,000 times without stopping.
5. Fleas don't have ears and are virtually blind.
6. Fleas have been on the earth for at least 165 million years. Flea fossils date back to the Mesozoic era, which includes the Jurassic period.
7. There are over 2,000 species and subspecies of fleas (that we know of).
8. Fleas reverse direction with every jump.
9. Flea larvae don't like the light so they move away from it, deep into carpets, cracks in flooring or any nook or cranny.
10. Flea brides and grooms (dressed, but dead) were popular collector's items in the 1920s.
11. Flea circuses originated in England in the 16th century.
12. One of Britain's oldest games can trace its origins to the flea. In approximately 15 different European languages, the word 'tiddlywinks' translates as 'the game of the flea'.