Services >> Fleas
Fleas
Order Siphonaptera
Fleas are usually found on cats and dogs, as well as carpets, furniture, dusty floors, sandy sub floor areas, and even grassy areas. Although the common names, cat flea and dog flea would suggest that each particular species would restrict itself exclusively to its name host, that is just not the case. Either of the above mentioned species can be found ‘biting’ various types of host, including humans, although without doubt the cat flea (ctenocephalides felis) is the most common flea to both cats and dogs. Humans don’t miss out! We have the Human flea (Pulex irritans), although it is more commonly found in USA than Australia.
The body of an adult flea is laterally compressed, enabling them to move quickly and easily through dense hair or fur. Each of the six legs has a pair of claws at the tip to enable them to remain attached to the host, regardless of scratching.
The hind legs are well developed to facilitate both jumping onto and off passing, unsuspecting hosts, although one established on a host, there is usually no reason to leave.
Fleas are only found on warm-blooded animals and birds, with both the male and the female requiring blood meals to survive. The adult female flea must take a blood meal prior to egg laying. She is capable of laying several hundred eggs during her lifetime. The eggs develop into creamy white, leg-less larvae that feed on a wide variety of foods including food debris, human skin scales, and undigested blood in the droppings of adult fleas.
After several weeks, the larvae pupate into a silken cocoon, where they remain for 7 to 14 days. The adult flea emerges from the cocoon and attaches herself to a host, ready to start the cycle again. Of particular interest, the adult flea can remain in the pupal stage for up to 20 weeks awaiting favorable conditions. Persons entering a long vacated house, such as a holiday home, sometimes have cause to complain of a huge invasion of fleas appearing ‘suddenly’, shortly after entering the building. The reason for the invasion is usually because the fleas resting in their cocoons beneath floors, carpet pile and floor cracks etc. have come out in response to vibrations caused by people moving in their proximity.
Ants tend to be the significant natural enemy of fleas, and are often noted feeding on the larval stage. Unfortunately, ants also tend to fall victim to any insecticide used to control fleas.
When a flea infestation occurs in a domestic residence, the bites suffered are usually noticed a small red spots on the ankles and lower parts of the legs. This is due to the injection of flea saliva at the time of the bite to prevent the blood coagulating. The saliva often causes severe irritation to the host. Women seem to be bitten more often than men.
HEALTH PROBLEMS.
The role of the flea in the transmission of disease is well documented. Some of the more famous diseases attributed to fleas are; Bubonic plague (where the disease is transmitted between rats and humans via the flea) and Murine or Endemic Typhus Canine tapeworm is also a serious problem in which the flea is a vector. The larval stage of the flea ingests the tapeworm eggs. The immature stage of the tapeworm develops in the flea larvae and then the adult flea. Ingestion of the infested adult flea by the pet (or humans) results in the establishment of the tapeworm in the new host.
Fleas prefer a warm humid environment and breed mainly during the warmer months; hence ‘flea plagues’ are more common during summer, especially outdoors.
TREATMENT
Before ant treatment takes place, the premises must be carefully cleaned, especially the areas under furniture, beds and carpet edges Fleas are adept at discovering and residing in areas that the broom and the vacuum seldom go. Upholstered furniture and areas where pets rest or sleep should be given special attention. The contents of the vacuum bag or catchment container should be burnt or sprayed with an aerosol insecticide to kill off any fleas and/or larvae present.
All access to the sub floor (under house area) should be blocked off to prevent pets visiting and sleeping in these areas and either depositing or picking up newly hatched fleas.
Pet bedding should be washed or replaced, and the pets given an insecticidal flea wash at the same time as the property treatment. Your local veterinarian is best able to advise on an appropriate product to use.
Chemical treatments are most effective these days. The treatment is usually multi faceted, involving a surface spray using a pyrethroid with an added Insect Growth Regulator (IGR) that prevents the immature stages if the flea developing and then a gassing inside with a pyrethrin.
All occupants and pets must remain outside during treatment and not re-enter for a minimum of three hours.
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