Fleas undergo 4 stages in their life cycle: eggs, larval, pupal and adult. They lay between four to eight eggs which fall to the ground and hatch within one to twelve days. The larval stage lasts from four to eighteen days, and then the flea will enter the pupal stage. The pupal stage can last anywhere from three days to one year. Once the flea emerges from the pupal stage they become adults, and begin searching for food. Fleas will likely become adults more rapidly when in warmer temperatures and high humidity.
How to Combat Fleas
The Life Cycle of a Flea
The Life Cycle of a Flea
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Fleas find hosts and those hosts are warm-blooded animals. Naturally they are usually dogs and cats, but they can also be opossums, rats, and other rodents.
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According to the ASPCA, since fleas can consume 15 times their own body weight in blood, they can cause anemia and a significant amount of blood loss over time. They can even cause tapeworm.
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A female flea can lay 2,000 eggs, and fleas can bite up to 400 times a day, so you should have a flea prevention plan in place to keep your home and pets protected.
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The most common diseases carried by fleas are Murine Typhus, Mycoplasma Haemofelis, Tapeworms, and Cat Scratch Disease. For more information on the listed diseases visit the CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/dpdx/fleas/index.html.
Eliminate Fleas from Your Home and Pets
Did you know that due to a flea's complex life cycle, it can take up to three or four months to thoroughly rid your home of a flea infestation? Yikes! Waiting until you have an infestation before learning how to get rid of fleas is not a winning strategy against these biting pests.
So, when should you start the process of sending fleas packing? Determine the likely beginning of flea season in your area, then start your flea prevention program a month before. Just because you and your pet aren't getting bitten yet doesn't mean fleas aren't present. They're tiny (smaller than a sesame seed)! And while fleas can't fly, they can jump long distances from one host to another.
Mosquito Joe of Gulf Coast Alabama can help!
Our mosquito control services also kill and prevent fleas and ticks, so let Mosquito Joe be your first line of defense against these disease-carrying pests.
Call us today to get in contact with Mosquito Joe of Gulf Coast Alabama!
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