Fleas are a type of parasitic insect, the little buggers are known as an itchy nuisance, but they also come with a risk of further disease. These pests if left untreated can cause your animal to get sicker with other illnesses such as dermatitis, anemia, and other parasites like the tapeworm. You can easily spot these pepper looking bugs inside your pet’s coat where they feed on your pet.
Once you have detected fleas on your pet, you may already have an infestation. Fleas like your pet, but they also like your carpets, rugs, and upholstered furniture. You should always consider treating the outside of your home as well as the inside. Fleas are first introduced to your pet typically through your lawn. Once a flea jumps on its host, it will bite for a nice blood meal while it goes along for the ride, and begins to reproduce. An adult female flea only needs to feed on its host once, before laying eggs. The life cycle of flea begins with one single adult female laying around 25-50 eggs each day. These little white eggs may resemble salt, and are easily detected in and around your pets bedding because the eggs usually do not remain on the host. The eggs fall from the host because they are quite slippery and they later hatch in your home, on your carpet, and on your lawn.
Flea larvae can grow into adults quite rapidly in as little as five days, and up to a month depending on environmental conditions. These adults soon jump onto any nearby hosts for mating and feeding, and this is where the infestation cycle continues unless it’s controlled. Adults actually only represent about 5% of the flea infestation, and the eggs of the fleas make up about 50% of the infestation. The typical or average life cycle of the flea is approximately 18-28 days in favorable conditions for the flea.
The best ways to protect your household against the flea is professional servicing of your home You should focus on treating both the inside and outside areas of your home, since the fleas come in through the outside typically, and then are brought in on the coat of your furry family member. Additionally, flea control efforts should be implemented in a way that targets the entire life cycle of the fleas, and it would be wise to also have your pet medically treated with recommendations by your veterinarian.
W.J. Arnold. © 2016
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