(Siphonaptera)

Fleas are very much like us in one way: they like moderate temperatures. Outside, the cold will kill eggs, larvae and adult fleas only if the temperature drops below 30 degrees and stays there for days. Indoors, of course, we keep them comfy year-round. We have perfect flea-producing conditions inside our homes throughout even the cool fall/ winter months. The fleas that you see on your pet, the adult stage, make up only about 1% of the total population that is in your house. The remaining 99% of the fleas in the environment are in developing stages.

Because cats and dogs have higher body temperatures than humans, the fleas generally prefer the animals. When fleas bite people, the resulting reaction is usually quite itchy and the bite often becomes infected. Adult fleas are not only a nuisance to humans and their pets, but can cause medical problems including flea allergy dermatitis (FAD), tapeworms, secondary skin irritations and, in extreme cases, anemia. Adult fleas may live from two months to one year without feeding, so there is often a desperate need for flea control after a family has returned from a long vacation. Adult fleas develop inside a pupal cocoon and remain in a kind of "limbo" until a blood source is near. Waiting hungry hordes of fleas immediately attack the family returning from vacation.

Reproduction:
Fleas can reproduce with amazing speed-in one month 10 females can generate a population of over 267,000 offspring.

Habitat:
Most of the flea eggs, larvae, pupa and adults will be found in your pet's immediate environment, especially their favorite resting and sleeping areas.

Control Method:
Flea control is best achieved with a simultaneous, coordinated effort involving an inspection, home preparation, premise treatment and pet treatment.