Fleas

Fleas are small, wingless insects typically measuring 1.5 to 3.3 mm in length. They have flattened bodies covered with tiny spines and bristles, which help them move easily through the fur or feathers of their hosts. Fleas possess powerful hind legs that enable them to jump impressive distances up to 15 cm vertically and 40 cm horizontally.

Size: Around 1.5 to 3.3 mm.

Colour: Brownish black in colour. Once they’ve fed, they get a reddish.

Description: Small flightless insects surviving as external parasites of mammals and birds.

Order/Family: Siphonaptera/Pulicidae.

Scientific Name: Ctenocephalides felis/Ctenocephalides canis.

• A single flea can lay up to 50 eggs per day, leading to hundreds within weeks.
• Fleas can jump over 100 times their body length, easily moving between hosts and rooms.
• Flea eggs fall off pets and hatch in your carpet, bedding, and cracks hidden from plain sight.
• Flea larvae survive on dried blood and skin flakes, thriving in your home’s darkest corners.
• Fleas bite repeatedly, causing itching, allergies, and can spread serious diseases like typhus and tapeworms.

Behavior

Fleas are external parasites; they often hitch a ride on pets after picking them up in grassy or infested outdoor areas. Once inside your home, fleas feed, reproduce, and can quickly multiply, causing discomfort to both pets and humans. Their bites cause itching and irritation and may trigger allergic reactions.

Habitat

While adult fleas live on their animal hosts, eggs, larvae, and pupae develop often in pet bedding, carpets, cracks in flooring, or shaded outdoor areas. Fleas thrive in warm, humid environments where pets frequently rest or spend time.

Diet

Adult fleas feed exclusively on blood from their hosts using their specialized mouthparts. Flea larvae, however, feed on organic debris such as dried blood, skin flakes, and flea feces found in their surroundings.

Fleas undergo four stages, egg, larva, pupa, and adult, each with unique behaviors that impact control efforts.

Egg Stage

• Laid on pets but fall off into carpets, bedding, or soil.
• Eggs hatch in 2–14 days.
• A female can lay up to 50 eggs

Larva Stage

• Small, worm-like larvae feed on organic debris (including flea feces) in dark, hidden areas for 5–20 days as they grow and molt.

Pupa Stage

• Larvae spin protective cocoons and enter dormancy, lasting days to months.
• Pupae resist treatment and emerge when sensing a host nearby.

Adult Stage

• Fleas jump onto hosts to feed on blood.
• Begin laying eggs within 1–2 days, and live weeks to months depending on conditions.