Fleas


Life-cycle of Fleas

Like most insect control, successful flea treatments must stop the "cycle". This cycle includes the eggs, larva, pupae and adult. Here is a brief description of the cycle:-

An adult flea jumps onto you, your pet, your child, etc. and gets a meal. Fleas feed on blood and although their mouth is small, a flea bite can hurt and most certainly can become inflamed, itchy and swollen.

Once fed, the flea will look to mate and immediately lay eggs. This can occur in the garden, the house, and on the pet.

In the next two to three weeks, the average life of a flea, hundreds and hundreds of eggs will be laid. Some of these may fall in the garden, some in the house and some will remain on the pet.

When the eggs hatch, a small caterpillar like creature comes out to feed on anything organic. This includes dried blood, flea faeces, animal hair and a variety of otherwise disgusting organic matter in the garden, the carpet and on your pet.

The flea larva will feed for days after which it will spin a cocoon and undergo metamorphosis. This stage is called the flea pupae. This is the worst stage of all because we can't kill it! No spray will kill flea pupae consistently or completely.

The cycle is then completed when the flea pupae hatches out. This hatching occurs when a hot blooded meal is close at hand. Only then will the flea risk coming out of its protective cocoon. And when it does, it will bite and the cycle will start all over again.

Fleas can lie dormant for up to one year, they do this when a food source is not available i.e. empty houses and it is vibration and heat detection that alerts them to a new food source.