Flea Facts

Most often, PMPs encounter cat fleas and dog fleas. These species are similar in appearance, biology and behavior.

Here are some interesting facts about cat and dog fleas to share with customers and to help hone your treatment protocol:

• Strong legs let fleas jump six inches straight up into the air.
• Backward projecting spines help them move between the hairs on host animals.
• Females lay 4 to 8 eggs at a time (400 to 800 in her lifetime) on the host animal and/or its bedding.
• Eggs hatch in about 10 days.
• Larvae feed on adult flea feces, which contains blood from the host animal.
• Depending on temperature, larvae molt three times over a period of seven days to several months.
• Larvae are ¼ inch long when fully developed and look like fly maggots except for their well-developed head.
• Mature larvae spin silken cocoons in which they pupate. The pupal stage lasts up to 20 weeks.
• Fleas stay in cocoons until vibrations — such as a pet or human walking nearby — stimulates them to emerge.
Development from egg to adult flea can take 16 days to one year or more.

Source: PCT Technician’s Handbook: A Guide to Pest Identification & Management, 4th Edition