NPIPM:Siphonaptera
Authors: Ashley Mueller, Buyung Hadi
Identification
Fleas are oval-shaped, laterally flattened, and wingless. They are red-brown in color, and adults are 1/8 inch long. They obtain blood meals from hosts using their piercing-sucking mouthparts. Fleas have large hind legs which they use for jumping. Cat fleas are the most common type of flea found on cats, dogs, and livestock.
Habitat
Fleas are found all over the U.S. Adult cat fleas stay on the host to feed, mate, and lay eggs; this behavior is different than most fleas. Larvae and pupae are found indoors on or near the areas where pets are most active and where they sleep, like pet beds, carpet, and upholstered furniture. Outdoors, larvae and pupae can be found in certain places where pets sleep, if the conditions are warm and humid. Other places fleas can be found outdoors is in the soil near concrete sidewalks and porches and in shaded, damp soil under shrubs.
Life Cycle and Seasonal History
Cat flea females lay about 20-50 eggs daily, which are white, oval, and very small. The eggs do not stick to animal fur, and they easily fall off and land in the pet’s environment. After two to five days, the eggs hatch, and flea larvae are about 3/16 inch long, and they are hairy and wormlike. Larvae do not have eyes or legs, and they feed on dried blood and adult flea excrement. After 8-15 days, larvae build small cocoons using pet hair or carpet fibers in which they pupate. Adult cat fleas live approximately one month on the host. At room temperature, the entire cat flea life cycle can take place in nearly three weeks; at cooler temperatures, larvae can remain in their cocoons for nearly one year.
Fleas can be found on pets and livestock anytime of the year, but flea populations are usually highest in the spring and early summer when the warm conditions encourage larval development. Adult cat fleas can survive the winter.
Human Interaction and Urban Impact
Fleas are not an economically important pest, but they are a health concern. Fleas can bite, causing discomfort in humans, pets, and livestock. In humans the bites are typically found on the ankles and calves. Humans can show an allergic reaction to flea bites, usually in the form of redness at the bite location and itching that can last up to five days after the bite.
Cat fleas are capable of transmitting rickettsiosis, and its symptoms include headaches, fever, chills, vomiting, and rash. They also serve as intermediate hosts of cat and dog tapeworms. A tapeworm can develop if an adult flea that contains a cyst of the tapeworm is ingested by a cat or dog while grooming.
If an allergic reaction to flea saliva causes discomfort, a physician should be contacted for relief options. If a pet or livestock experiences discomfort from a flea bite, a veterinarian should be contacted.
Prevention and Management Approaches
In many cases, flea infestation in homes and buildings is facilitated by pets. To prevent a flea infestation in the home, a single pet-sleeping area should be established, and the area should be vacuumed at least weekly. Sleeping areas may need to be vacuumed a couple of times a week in the late summer and early fall when flea populations increase.
Several types of topical and oral products are available to pet and livestock owners for the prevention of fleas. Talk with a veterinarian for recommendations for a specific companion or livestock animal. Another way to prevent fleas from entering the home is to inspect used furniture and carpets before they are brought indoors.
If an infestation is confirmed, the pet or animal needs to be treated. Indoors, locate areas where larval development occurs, which is usually where the pet sleeps or rests frequently. Vacuum the pet resting areas, carpets, upholstered furniture, under furniture the pet frequents, and in crevices, and around baseboards well, and dispose of the vacuum bag. Vacuuming daily or every other day for 10-14 days is recommended; it is effective in picking up adults, killing larvae, and stimulating emergence from cocoons. Laundering pet bedding, other pillows, and blankets in hot water advised.
Insecticides labeled for flea control in a building include permethrin, esfenvalerate, cyfluthrin, pyrethrins, carbaryl, bendiocarb, pyriproxyfen, or methoprene. Pyriproxyfen and methoprene are insect hormone regulators that prevent eggs from hatching or larvae to pupate. Therefore, their applications do not control adult fleas and should be used in conjunction with other insecticides. Always use precaution and follow the label carefully before using any insecticide. Insecticides have a certain amount of toxicity to mammals; children and pets are especially at risk.
Other Online Resources
University of California, Davis
For information regarding labels of chemical control options, please visit NPIC MAPL
