Having a pet is a lot of responsibility, and part of it is keeping your pet free from bugs like fleas. If you're a pet owner, you know that it takes more than a cat or dog collar to keep these fleas from invading your home. You also know that once fleas make it onto your pet and into your home, you want them gone as soon as possible. Here are some interesting facts about these annoying insects, as well as tips for getting rid of them, from the experts at MosquitoNix®.
What Are Fleas?
Known as the more common name for the insect order Siphonaptera, fleas are tiny insects that live as parasites on mammals and birds. They survive by consuming blood from their hosts, which are often family pets.
Adult fleas are reddish-brown in color, and measure one to five millimeters in length. They have a flattened body, tiny antennae and predominant hind legs, as well as a specialized exoskeleton that allows them to jump distances covering more than 12 inches.
There are about 2,000 different species of fleas found worldwide, with some 300 thriving in North America. Many species prey on specific hosts, such as rabbits, but any warm-blooded mammal makes a suitable blood meal for a flea.
Flea's Mating Habits
Adult female fleas store sperm after mating and can continue to lay eggs their entire lifespan, which is about one month. For reference, one cat flea can produce up to 2,000 eggs. The eggs go through three larval stages off the host, then to a pupa stage that can survive up to a month with no host, but is one which requires a blood meal to emerge as an adult.
Fleas and Pets
Fleas require a warm-blooded mammal as a host for feeding and breeding, and live in the fur, hair or feathers of the host. While they frequently hitch rides on pets, they can enter your home on mice or humans. Adults can lie dormant for more than a year in areas previously occupied by a host, then jump more than 12 inches to take up residency on a new victim.
Because they feed on blood, fleas can transmit disease. Flea-borne encephalitis, tapeworms and murine typhus are a few of the diseases fleas can transmit to humans or pets. Not all fleas carry illnesses, but it's best to take care to prevent bites just in case. Generally, their bites result in itchy, red welts, though some pets can have allergies to the bites and can form excessive scabs underneath their fur from continued scratching. Some humans and pets can have severe allergic reactions, resulting in hives or extreme rashes.
Fleas and Humans
While a human could get fleas from a dog, cat fleas are the more common type that will latch onto a human host. What do flea bites look like on humans? Just like with your pet, a flea bite on a human can leave small, red, itchy bumps that could be accompanied by a larger ring of red bumps. Depending on if the person has an allergic reaction, raised clusters could turn into painful blisters. Bites usually can be noticed on the armpits, along the waist or on the feet and ankles.
Fleas can also transmit diseases and illnesses to humans with their bites, so it's best to take care of any infestation immediately so everyone stays healthy.
How Can I Tell If My Pet Has Fleas?
There are several ways to detect fleas on your pet. If they are scratching more than usual, that's a sign the bugs are busy biting. Additionally, fleas leave feces behind that resemble coarse black pepper and can often be found in pet beds. You can comb your pet's fur to see if you find traces of fleas or check the patches of fur by their ears, tail and hind end where fleas like to hide and see if you find live ones or their feces.
Solutions for Fleas in Your Home
Adult fleas are easy to spot. But, like other insects, their eggs, larvae and pupae are more difficult to detect. In fact, about 80% of the flea population in your home will be in egg or larvae form, so dealing only with the adults won't fix a flea problem at all in the long term.
Talk with your veterinarian about medications or treatments for your pets as a means of ongoing preventative care. Many medicines can safely deal with fleas at every stage of their life cycles. It's best to keep up with monthly flea preventative measures so your pet never gets fleas.
But, if that doesn't eliminate the root cause of your infestation, MosquitoNix can provide thorough and affordable pest control for your flea issue. Flea control solutions will take care of all areas of infestation to make sure your family and pets get back to enjoying life. Contact our friendly customer service team to learn more about our services and to receive a free cost estimate today.