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| Description | Danger Signs | Potential Harm | Fleas Preventative Measures | Fleas Pictures |
Fleas |
| Description |
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Fleas are a parasite, which feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals, including humans.
The common cat flea is found on both cats and dogs, and is the species usually identified in attacks on humans and usually responsible for flea plagues.
Within a 1-3 week period, the larvae will grow and undergo 4moults prior to pupating in a silken cocoon, which they spin. The adult fleas emerge from the pupal case in 1-2 weeks but can remain dormant in theircocoons forseveral months depending on the availability of food andconditions. Often the emergence of adults from the pupal stage is triggered by vibrations,which occasionally happens on entering an unoccupied home of previous pet owners.
The eggs are oval, white to cream in colour and measure 0.5mm in length; they can hatch within 1 week, but this will be dependent on prevailing conditions as larvae are extremely sensitive to dryness.
They feed on flea faeces (commonly referred to as flea dirt),which is largely composed of undigested blood. Larvae eventually make cocoons where they remain for weeks or months. Adult fleas emerge when cocoons are properly stimulated by warmth, carbon dioxide (breath), or vibrations. |
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| Danger Signs |
Fleas often enter a building on dogs and cats, and are commonly deposited in carpeted areas, in the garden.
Traces of flea faeces little black specks on your pets fur and skin. Look for them especially around head and ears, on the back of the neck, root of its tail and on the tail itself.
Fleas live on the outside of the body of animals (ectoparasites) and need to feed on the blood of these animals in order to produce eggs. Because fleas usually feed and lay their eggs while the pet is sleeping, the pet's resting areas are where the most fleas will be found. Many pets acquire fleas outside in the yard.
A good first step in the fight against fleas is identifying where they are most common.
This is usually where your pet spends a lot of time, e.g. eating or sleeping. Because flea eggs don't stick to the animal but drop off, you can expect a lot of fleas in those areas. You can test for the presence of fleas by using the white socks test. Walk through your home wearing white socks. The fleas, attracted by the warmth and movement as you walk, will jump to your feet and ankles. It is easy to see their dark bodies against the white background of the socks. If you are still not sure if and where you have fleas, you will require specialised traps effective in attracting fleas. |
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| Potential Harm |
Some fleas can attack a range of hosts, and their ability to transfer from one host to another allows for the possible transfer of pathogens including viral, bacterial and parasitic diseases, such as, tapeworms.
One female flea can lay about 18 eggs a day and just 20 fleas on a dog can produce 360 eggs per day and over 2000 eggs in a week.
Flea eggs can take several weeks to more than 12 months to hatch - generally during hot humid weather causing an instant infestation of plague proportions.
The resulting irritancy of the anti-coagulant chemical around the bite site can be severe, particularly to people with soft sensitive skin. Scratching is difficult to resist but this can cause infection of the bite area. If this is a likely problem, you should consult a Doctor or Chemist to obtain appropriate medication.
They pierce the skin, inject an anti-coagulant chemical into the host to prevent blood clotting and suck out the blood some passing straight through their rectum in order to lay their eggs.
When a flea feeds, it will crouch low to penetrate the host's tissue with a sawing motion of the mouthparts. A small amount of anti-coagulant is injected with the saliva, to permit easy siphoning of the blood. Fleas will bite only accessible parts of the body and clustered bites on the lower limbs are diagnostic. Blood feeding maybe interrupted, and fleas will often probe several times before repletion which can increase their total body weight by 30%.
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| Flea Preventative Measures |
It is essential to help prevent re-infestation for carpets to be thoroughly vacuumed especially in low traffic areas, under furniture and wash your pet (dogs and cats) with shampoo containing a flea control product.
Prevent other unwanted pests such as rats and mice which can be a troublesome combination.
It is important to understand flea biology when preparing to tackle their control. Adult fleas feed on blood and spend almost their entire lives on their favourite hosts, rodents, cats and dogs. They also can feed on urban wildlife. Females lay eggs that are non-sticky and usually fall to the ground. After 2 - 5 days, eggs hatch into small, white maggot-like insects. When the maggot-like larvae emerge, they are sparsely covered in hair and have no legs but are capable of moving rapidly in search of food, which consists mainly of skin scales or undigested blood excreted by the adults.
Once you have located the flea hot spots, it is a good idea to vacuum, concentrating where you know fleas are present. Regular vacuuming can help reduce flea populations. Throw away vacuum cleaner bags (or if practical, freeze for several days) after using. Vacuuming also removes flea faeces, an important food source for the larvae. A steam carpet cleaner is effective in killing all stages of fleas. You should also wash any pet bedding in hot water. Wash any human bedding if it becomes infested with fleas.
If after a home is treated with insecticide, it may take up to two weeks or more before fleas are no longer seen. The reason for this is that flea pupae are unaffected by the treatment until the adult fleas emerge from their pupae cocoon. In any flea population, all stages of the flea will be present including numerous pupae. It will take several weeks for all adult fleas to emerge from these pupae and contact the treatment. Vacuuming as often as possible after the treatment can speed up this process because it stimulates adult fleas to emerge from their cocoons.
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Flea Pictures |
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| A close up of a flea |
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Check your pets for signs of fleas |
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| Fleas feeding on a host |
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Flea bites can be very itchy and are generally on the lower part of the body |
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