Have you had a problem with Fleas? North End Animal Hospital can help!
One of the most important things to remember is that if you have fleas, they will live on anything in your household with fur, ie. The dogs, cats, bunnies, guinea pigs. If one has fleas, they all have fleas. This is good to understand for when making treatment decisions for your pets.
Life Cycle of the Flea
There are 4 stages to the flea life cycle:
- Egg
- Larvae
- Pupae
- Adult
The total life cycle can take 2 weeks to a couple a months to complete depending on the environmental temperature and humidity. The best conditions for fleas would be a temperature of 70-85*F and 70% humidity.
Adult fleas will lay eggs after a blood meal. Blood is necessary in order for them to be able to reproduce. The adult flea can lay up to 40 eggs a day. The eggs are only about the size of a grain of sand, making it hard to see on your pet.
Eggs:
The amount of eggs seen roughly represents about 50% of the entire flea population in the average home. It takes 2 days to 2 weeks for these eggs to hatch into larvae. They will hatch a lot faster in warmer humid climates, and a lot slower in colder dry climates. These eggs will fall off of your pet throughout the environment where the pet spends their time. Once the eggs are hatched, they are now in the larvae stage.
Larvae:
Larvae are blind and will avoid being in places where there is light. They develop over several weeks by eating flea “dirt” which is pre-digested blood. This flea dirt is passed on by adult fleas. They will also eat other organic debris that may be found in the environment. Larvae can be up to about 1/4 inch in length and are white, giving an almost see-through appearance. They are also legless. They make up about 35% of the total flea population in the average household. With optimal temperatures and humidity, the larvae will spin cocoons in 5-20 days from when they hatched. This is then called the pupae stage.
Pupae:
The pupae represents about 10% of the total flea population in the average home. This is the last stage prior to developing into an adult flea. The cocoon will protect the pupae for several days or weeks until the adult flea emerges. If the environment is not ideal, the pupae can stay in the cocoon for months and up to several years. The cocoon tends to have a sticky coating allowing them to hide deep in the carpet, and preventing them from being removed easily by a vacuum or broom. This cocoon can also protect the emerging flea from chemicals.
If there isn’t the presence of a potential host, the adult flea will not emerge. The pupae are able to detect presence by vibrations, increased carbon dioxide as well as body heat. This could be triggered by a pet walking by, or a family moving into a new house. This will alert the flea to emerge from the cocoon so that it can feed.
Adult Flea:
Once the flea has emerged, it will need to feed on a host within a few hours. Shortly after they feed on their first meal, they will breed and start to lay eggs within a few days. They are not able to lay any eggs until they have had a blood meal.
Newly emerged fleas tend to have a flat-bodied appearance and are very small and dark in colour. Once they have fed on a pet, they become larger and lighter in colour. Adult fleas account for less than 5% of total flea population within the average home. They spend most of their time living on a host so that they can feed, breed and lay eggs. They can live a couple of weeks and up to several months on a host.
Thankfully there are several veterinary products that are safe for your pets in order to aid in the prevention and control of flea infestations. Ask your veterinarian which products are appropriate for your pet.