Warm and moist weather may not be very inviting to many of us but it is definitely appealing to some… the fleas!
The most common canine pest, the flea is actually a wonder of flexibility that would be much admired if they weren’t so irritating.
Fleas begin to emerge from their pupae as adults and migrate to the nearest dog or cat for blood meals. An adult flea mates shortly after emergence and begins laying eggs within 36 hours. In her brief 50-day lifespan, a single female flea can lay more than 2000 eggs.
An adult flea is size of a pinhead, it can jump about 100 times its own height, a far greater leap than that possible for the multi-million dollar basketball player. This ability to jump makes it possible to travel quickly from host to host and from host to hiding place for laying eggs.
Female fleas need blood to complete their reproductive cycle. Baby fleas need blood to grow. Fleas do have a preference of the food they choose to intake. Their all time favorite food is blood from dogs and cats, but in times of scarcity they wouldn’t mind human blood as well.
Fleas are wonderfully adapted for survival. The female lays eggs on the host animal, but the eggs fall to the ground, carpet, sofa, dog bed or owner’s bed where they hatch in two to five days time. The flea larva feeds on organic debris in the environment. Within a week or two, depending on temperature and humidity, the larva spins a pupa (or cocoon) to protect it during metamorphosis to the adulthood.
In the hard-shelled pupa, the larva transforms from a tiny maggot-like creature into a six legged blood-thirsty super-jumper able to leap 100 times its own height, and the cycle begins anew.
Signs of Infestation
Fleas are masters of their universe. They can hide in a forest of pet hairs, especially on long-coated or double-coated dogs, and can zigzag among and between hair shafts faster than you can imagine. So don’t depend on seeing the flea to know if its there. Instead, look for clues.
How do you know if your pet has flea infestation?
If Fido scratches, he may have been bitten, but that’s not always the case, he may also have dry skin or an allergy.
If he bites at his rear end especially around his tail or the inside or outside of this thighs, fleas are a possibility.
Flea dirt looks like sprinkled pepper on the dog. If you drop some of this “pepper” onto a damp paper towel and it turns reddish, its fleas!
