Types of Fleas

YESpestpros • February 13, 2021

There are over two thousand species of fleas around the world. Each adult female can lay up to 500 eggs per day! So it is common to encounter fleas at some point in your life, especially if you have an outdoor-loving furry animal living with you.

Fleas live outside of their host and love to hide in furry environments. The most common fleas you are most likely to find:

Dog fleas
Cat fleas
Oriental rat fleas
Human fleas

Each flea shares similar traits and does not limit itself to one type of host; they freely feed on various kinds of warm-blooded mammals.

How do Fleas Look?

Brown in color and oval-shaped, a flea is about an eighth of an inch long. They have six legs, are wingless, and their strong hind legs are designed for jumping up to fifty times their body length! The perfect anatomy for quickly moving and jumping from host to host. Although small in size, their appetite is not. These parasites feed daily and consume about fifteen times their body weight, sucking blood for up to 30 minutes per meal.

Are Fleas Harmful to You or Your Pet’s Health?

Yes. Fleas can cause animals to injure themselves by scratching and biting their skin to try and alleviate the pain or possible allergic reaction from a flea bite. Which can result in a bacterial infection that may cost you an expensive trip to the vet, but more importantly, it can cause more pain to your pet.

Are they dangerous to humans? They can be. Their bite will cause your skin to become irritated; some people have experienced an allergic reaction from their saliva. For humans, mostly just a gross annoyance, fleas such as the oriental rat flea can carry and transfer a life-threatening disease with only one bite!

What Should You Do If You Notice Fleas?

If you see your pet displaying excessive biting or scratching and notice little brown dots, this means you are dealing with a flea infestation. Fleas will lay their eggs between tufts of fur and can fall anywhere, sticking to other surfaces like carpets, couches, or bedding. Anywhere your pet chooses to go! You can risk spreading the eggs and even triggering early hatching if you try to get rid of them yourself. However, keep in mind there is no guarantee they will not survive. These can then grow in number, making them harder to get rid of on your own.

Thankfully our experienced staff at YES Pest Pros, Inc. will make sure to keep any harmful pest from infesting your living spaces.

The post Types of Fleas appeared first on Yes Pest Control.

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