Biology of Fleas
When it comes to pests that pack a nasty wallop for their size, there is no bigger heavyweight than the flea. These ubiquitous little insects can cause someone to break out in dozens of itchy red bites, and they’re worth getting rid of. What they aren’t worth is getting rid of by any means necessary.
Integrated pest control is an approach to getting rid of pests through an understanding of how those pests operate, and through the use of the least toxic means possible. Chemicals are used as a last resort, and localized least toxic chemicals are always used first.
Understanding the biological makeup, breeding habits, life cycles, and feeding habits as well as habitats of creatures like fleas make it much easier to devise and apply a solution strategy which proves least harmful to other living organisms, such as humans. Let’s take a look at the biology of the flea.
The physical flea
Fleas are tiny creatures, no more than one eighth of an inch long. They have a compact build, including very long and powerful legs which allow them to jump from one host to another easily. The are dark in color, and feed through tubes in their mouth parts which cause those bites to appear. They are also very flat, making them virtually impossible to squish.
Flea life cycle
The point at which the bite is caused is the beginning of the life of the next generation of fleas. Female fleas use the blood the get from the host animal both to feed themselves and to incubate their eggs. Once a female flea has feasted on blood, she is capable of reproduction. She will lay about 20 eggs at one time - fleas do not lay their eggs on the victim of the bite, but usually close by.
The larvae themselves don’t actually eat blood, instead making meals out of organic material including dead insects, vegetable matter and feces. They prefer dark places such as bedding, sand, cracks, and deep carpet for their living areas.
Adult fleas emerge from their cocoon only after receiving a signal that a blood host is nearby. The three fleas which plague humans are categorized according to preferred host (cat, dog, human) but they will jump from one species to another when their numbers grow large enough.
Adult fleas can live a very long time, although they do need to eat blood frequently. On average a flea will live for two months, but in some cases they may survive for up to a year. During the entire time, adults will remain fertile. This means that over her longest life span, a female flea may lay up to 500 or more eggs.