Flea Facts  Signs of a
Flea Problem Description |
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 | A number of diseases are transmitted by fleas,
including epidemic typhus and the bubonic plague. |
| Fleas also carry tapeworms from dogs and rodents and
can transmit them to humans. |
| More than 2400 flea species exist worldwide. |
| A female flea consumes 15 times its body weight in
blood daily. |
| Fleas are blood-sucking parasites. |
| Fleas are highly mobile and often not particular
about what species they visit. In the absence of a pet, for example, humans become
the flea's blood meal. |
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Dark spots on your pet. Pets experience uncontrollable itching and hair
loss. |
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Humans experience small, red itching wounds from flea bites typically
around the feet and ankles. Allergic reactions and more serious diseases can occur. |
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Black and White spots found where the pet has been sleeping is a mixture
of flea eggs (white) and dried blood (black) |
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(Order Siphonaptera)
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Appearance:
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Black to brownish black, about 1/20th to 1/16th of an inch
long: six legs, with many bristles on legs and body, they also have a flattened body.
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Habits:
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Found on dogs and cats year round, but most common during the
warm and humid months of the year, they readily attack and feed on humans; they can jump
as much as 7/8 inch vertically and 14- 16 inches horizontally.
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Diet:
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Blood
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Reproduction:
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Females can lay approx. 20- 25 eggs per day, up to 800 eggs
during her lifetime, fleas undergo complete metamorphosis, in about 14 to 90 days.
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Other Info:
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Carrier of many diseases, adults can live 1 - 2 months without
feeding.
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