Fleas

Fleas are small (1/16), dark, reddish-brown, wingless, blood-sucking insects. Flea bodies are laterally compressed, (i.e., flattened side to side) permitting easy movement through the hairs on the host's body. Flea legs are long and well adapted for jumping. The flea body is hard, polished, and covered with many hairs and short spines directed backward. The mouthparts of an adult flea are adapted for sucking blood from a host.

Several species of fleas may be pests in Florida, and five kinds have been found on a single animal. The cat flea is the most frequently found flea, although the dog, human, and sticktight fleas are also found in Florida. Fleas may attack a wide variety of warm-blooded animals including dogs, humans, chickens, rabbits, squirrels, rats and mice.

Flea Cycle:

In any flea infeastation there are four stages of the flea life cycle present: the egg, larva, cocoon, and the adult. While the adult is the most visible stage of the flea development, it accounts for only 1% of a typical infestation. Adult female fleas feed then lay their eggs on a host. Their eggs make up 34% of the infestation, flea eggs fall off the host into carpet and upholstry where they hatch into worm-like larvae after 1-10 days. Larvae make up the majority of a flea population, as much as 57%. After feeding for 5-11 days, they begin to produce a silk like cocoon and enter the pupal stage. New adults fleas usually emerge from the pupal stage in 8 days. 1 ADULT FLEA CAN LAY 50-60 EGGS EACH DAY ! ! !