Any pet owner will know to keep on top of fleas with regular treatment. But what do we really know about these little pests?
- Female fleas can lay up to 50 eggs a day- a major infestation can happen in less than 2 months!
- To develop from an egg to an adult flea takes around 21 days. Eggs are laid on a host, these eggs hatch into larvae, and these larvae spin a cocoon and become pupae. Eventually, the pupae emerge as adult fleas.
- Fleas have incredible jumping skills- Fleas can jump more than 150 times their body length! If we did this as humans, we could jump over tall buildings and cover amazing distances!
- Fleas can transmit parasites- Fleas carry parasites, the most common being the tapeworm. When your dog or cat grooms, they can swallow the fleas which release the parasites into their bodies.
- Fleas can last one to two weeks without having a meal.
- Female fleas can drink 15 times their body weight in blood on a daily basis
- There are more than 2000 known species of fleas.
- Fleas can live a long time on a host- Fleas can live up to 100 days on a dog. With the correct conditions (correct temperature, food supply, humidity), fleas can live up to a year and a half, but generally, only live for 2 to 3 months.
- Fleas can cause anaemia in pets- In extreme cases, fleas can cause anaemia in your pets. For smaller animals, this can lead to them requiring a blood transfusion!
- Fleas have been around for over 100 million years. 22-million-year-old fleas have been discovered in the Dominican Republic.
