Although Fleas prefer nonhuman hosts, they will feed readily on the blood of humans. They are small, wingless with an average size of 1/12 to 1/6 of an inch long. The body is narrow which allows it to move easily through hair or other narrow areas. Their legs allow them to jump as high as 8 inches and 16 inches horizontally.
An adult female flea will lay a few eggs each day, up to 300 in her lifetime. The eggs will hatch anywhere from two days to a week depending on environmental conditions. The life cycle of the flea can vary. Before the flea develops into an adult, it will go through a pupa stage where it is encapsulated in a cocoon. This stage can last for several months up to a year. It will emerge from the cocoon with warmth or vibration or mechanical signals such as such a paw stepping on the cocoon. It is not uncommon for a family to move into a empty home that had a flea infestation and then suddenly have a reinfestation. This is due to the long pupa stage.
Fleas can be found both indoors and outdoors depending on conditions. Indoors, the flea will be concentrated in areas of the host like a dog or cat bed, but can be found anywhere in the home.
Commonly, the first sign of a flea infestation will be itchy bites around the ankles or lower parts of the body. If you think you may have fleas, call us today to schedule an appointment for treatment.