If you've ever wondered how long can flea eggs last, how long can flea larvae live, or what a flea cocoon is, this section is for you. We'll detail the complete life cycle of fleas in houses, to give you an idea of what to expect once you find flea eggs, flea cocoons, or full-grown fleas on your pet. The life of a flea begins when an adult female flea feeds for the very first time on a new host.
Once this mother flea finds a host and takes her first meal of the host's blood, she instinctively lays a cluster of eggs. It's only after this first feeding that eggs can be laid, because the blood provides the flea with enough energy to reproduce.
These eggs are in clusters of up to 20 eggs. A female flea can lay multiple egg clusters in a 24 hour timeframe, and can generally lay a maximum total of 50 eggs per day. The laying of the eggs is largely focused on how much blood the mother flea can draw from a host's skin, as blood translates directly to energy for the fleas. The eggs are laid in the animal's fur, but they don't stay there. These eggs are small, pearl-like figures that fall out of the animal's coat as it walks around.
Where they fall, they normally stay until it's time for hatching. When the eggs fall out of the fur of animals, fleas are transferred from one host to another. If the mother flea chose a domesticated host like a pet dog or a cat, the eggs normally fall into the fibers of carpet or into small crevices in the home. These are the places that flea eggs thrive, since they are so well hidden and dark.
When the flea eggs hatch, legless embryos called larvae appear. These larvae are blind, and hide themselves from light sources. Normally, they burrow deeper into the carpet fibers where they emerged from the eggs. In the wild, they will burrow into dirt or the roots of plants to stay out of the light, which irritates their undeveloped sense of vision.
The larvae subsist on pre-digested blood packs from their mother flea while they develop. This helps them to grow during this adolescent stage without the need to attach to a host for nutrients.
As they develop and move toward adulthood, the larvae spin tight webs around themselves, encapsulating themselves inside. These are called cocoons or flea pupae, and they can live in these encapsulations for up to five months without food or light.
During this time, the larvae mature fully into adult fleas with a lowered metabolism which doesn't require feeding. This period of time is the longest a flea could ever extend its life cycle, as it has reached adulthood but not yet emerged into the world as an adult which would require feeding. When a potential host passes by the cocoon, an adult flea will sense it due to changes in thermal energy around them.
They will then emerge from the cocoon and hop on to their new host, then feed immediately. Well, for starters, the flea needs to live on a host. This is the absolute most important task in any mature flea's life: find a host on which to feed continuously. Also, fleas thrive in hot, humid climates and generally tend to freeze to death in cold weather.
An ideal life cycle for a flea would entail easy access to a host in a muggy, mostly warm environment. However, conditions are not always favorable. The answer of how long a flea can live as an adult is best answered by understanding more about fleas as a species, which this article will detail further.
Where do fleas come from if you don't have pets? Do fleas live in grass or dirt? Can humans carry fleas from one home to another? There's a ton of misinformation out there regarding fleas and how they move around, and we're here to set the record straight.
We'll give you the full on how fleas get from one place to another, and the likelihood of transference from one animal to another. No, fleas can't fly. This species is known for its distinct jumping capabilities. The height a flea can jump relative to its body size is equal to that of a human being jumping meters, or feet. This is their primary mode of transport. Fleas jump from their cocoons to a host, and will often jump from one area of the host to another in order to get around.
Fleas DO have the ability to crawl along the skin of a host, but it expends far too much energy to crawl for very long. Normally, fleas will only crawl in a dire circumstance, such as injury to the legs. Fleas can't swim in water, but they won't sink , either. How can this be? If something falls into water, it will either sink or float, right? Wouldn't it defy gravity for a flea to neither drown nor swim?
Well, not entirely. This happens because fleas are much too light to break the surface of water. Also, they're covered in a water-repellent wax naturally all over their bodies, which means that they are essentially weightless in a body of water. Here's a common worry among pet owners:. That their perfectly clean dog can pick up fleas from another animal outside, just by close contact.
This fact may come as a relief to many dog and cat owners: an animal with fleas can't spread the fleas by contact alone. Once the flea finds a host, they tend to stay there for the remainder of the life cycle. Adult fleas won't go out of their way to find a new host. Once they're on an animal, they'll stay there for life. Now, it's possible that a flea cocoon could exist on one animal and produce brand new fleas, which would then jump to the new host.
For this to make sense, we would have to rewind the flea life cycle back to the beginning stages: eggs are laid by a mother flea and don't drop off of an animal. Larvae hatch and remain within that animal's fur, creating their cocoons where they shed their eggs. The adult fleas will emerge from there, on the animal where they were deposited as eggs, and then PERHAPS jump onto the skin of a new host nearby.
However, are you aware of how fleas get their nutrients? Cat fleas do not normally live on humans, but do bite people who handle infested animals.
Flea bites cause small, red, itchy bumps, usually on the ankles and lower legs. People with allergies to flea bites suffer from hives, rashes or generalized itching. Allergic reactions usually appear 12 to 24 hours after a bite, and may last a week or more. Fleas that have fed on rodents may transmit diseases, including plague and murine typhus. For this reason, avoid close contact with wild rodents such as squirrels, rats and prairie dogs.
Their fleas can bite you and may transmit disease. Cat fleas, however, do not carry plague. An integrated flea control program includes good sanitation and treatment of the pet and environment. You can eliminate fleas from your home with proper treatment, but it may take time, especially if the infestation is heavy. Change pet bedding regularly and vacuum thoroughly. Vacuum under furniture, cushions, chairs, beds, and along walls.
Discard vacuum cleaner bags at least once a week. Fleas can continue to develop inside vacuum cleaner bags and re-infest the house. Treating Pets. Soap acts as a gentle insecticide and helps control light infestations on your pet.
Though time consuming, combing helps reduce the need for insecticides. Flea combs have fine teeth that remove adult fleas from fur. Most dogs and cats seem to enjoy this treatment; pay special attention to the face and neck, and the area in front of the tail.
Dip the comb frequently in soapy water or an alcohol solution to kill fleas removed from the pet. Insect growth regulators, or IGRs, are a safe preventative treatment for fleas. These products work by disrupting the normal development of flea eggs and larvae.
When exposed to IGRs, adult fleas are unable to reproduce; eggs fail to hatch and larvae die before they complete their development. Because most IGRs kill only eggs and larvae, they do not eliminate adult fleas quickly. For this reason, they are usually mixed with a mild insecticide. Insect growth regulators are available as sprays, spot-ons, pills or food additives.
These products are available only through veterinarians. They are very effective, particularly for indoor pets. Two other insect growth regulators for topical use are methoprene and pyriproxyfen. Methoprene and pyriproxyfen are available at pet stores as dips, pet sprays, spot-ons and flea collars. Control requires 4 to 6 weeks. For severe flea problems, an IGR treatment may not be quick enough. Both products have low toxicity to mammals and pose little risk to pets or people.
With all products, read and follow label directions carefully. Products designed for use on adult dogs should not be used on puppies or cats, unless specified on the label.
Botanical plant-based insecticides kill adult and larval fleas and are relatively low in toxicity. Botanical insecticides include pyrethrum or pyrethrins and citrus oil extracts limonene and linalool. Use botanical insecticides with care. Though usually safe when applied according to label directions, some pets especially certain cat breeds are sensitive to botanicals—especially citrus oil products. Volatile oils in fresh cedar chips are toxic to fleas, but the effect lasts a very short time.
Treating homes. This kills immature and newly emerging fleas and prevents re-infestation of the pet. If you have swelling in just one eye or have found a spider in the area where you were bit, it's safe to assume a spider or similar bug is to blame. Most spider bites are harmless, and symptoms will go away after a few days. Seek immediate medical care if you suspect the following.
Learn how to safely and quickly remove a leech, as well as how to recognize a leech and when to seek immediate medical treatment. Termites feed off wood and live in dark environments. A noticeable bug bite is more likely to be from a different insect, but here's what you can look…. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Medically reviewed by Vincent J. Do fleas live on people? Can fleas live in your hair? How long can fleas survive on people?
Can people be flea carriers? Do fleas bite people? Can dog fleas or cat fleas live on humans? Can humans get fleas in their hair? How long can fleas live on humans? Can humans carry fleas from one home to another? Do fleas bite humans? Share on Pinterest Flea bites on a person. Do fleas pose any other dangers to people, pets or homes? How to get rid of a flea infestation. Preventing a flea infestation in your home.
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