Understanding Dog Fleas

dog fleas

Fleas belong to the insect order Siphonaptera.

Although many species of fleas feed primarily on one type of animal, the common cat and dog flea will readily take blood from a variety of animals, including man.

Dog fleas, like human fleas, are parasites and are generally detrimental to the health of our pets. Dog fleas can also affect us humans and can feed off us. Removing dogs from the house, therefore, is not a healthy solution if ever one is having a major dog flea problem in the house. This would only cause the fleas to feed off us humans instead.

Fleas can’t reproduce without a blood meal from your dog or another animal but can survive for long periods of time (2 months to a year) in hibernation without a meal but usually they will die off within one week without hibernation. Starved fleas will readily seek other sources of blood and more often than not, man is the alternate host.

The female flea is generally 2.5 mm long-with the male flea being slightly smaller, brownish to black insects which are characteristically flattened from side to side. Adults have strong back legs that let them jump from one dog to another or the environment. They don’t have wings for flying but their strong back legs are enough for them to find their next host. Adults feed exclusively on blood with their piercing-sucking mouthparts. When not actively feeding, adult fleas often hide in locations frequented by the host animal such as your dog bedding, sofas, or carpeted areas.

After feeding and mating, the female deposits her eggs, usually on the host. Female version of these small little pests can reproduce at the alarming rate of 50 eggs a day max and an average egg count is normally around 20- 30 a day. Fleas can start to lay eggs as soon as 48 hours after having their first blood meal which makes getting rid of these fleas early on essential. Several eggs are laid daily and up to several hundred over a lifetime. Eggs normally fall off the host into bedding material or similar areas and hatch within two weeks.Flea eggs accumulate in areas where the host spends most of its time.

Fleas undergo complete metamorphosis, that is, they pass through four developmental stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Immature fleas do not resemble adults at all. Around half of the flea population are eggs, 30% larvae, 15% pupae and only around 5% of the population are biting adults. These larvae take anywhere from a week to a month to become biting fleas and as you can see by the stats, the key to stopping your flea problem and letting your dog get a good night sleep again is through getting rid of the eggs.

The larvae of a dog flea is double the length of the adult and it generally feeds on particles of dry blood, excrement, and various organic substances collected in corners of infested premises.Flea larvae are tiny, light colored, and, worm-like, without legs.

Flea larvae occur indoors and outdoors, wherever the eggs have fallen off the host. In houses, flea larvae live in carpeting, furniture, animal bedding and other protected areas with high humidity. Flea larvae also live outdoors in areas where animals spend time such as under porches in and around dog houses, etc.

Because flea larvae depend on the adult’s fecal pellets of dried blood as a food source, they cannot live in lawns or other outdoor areas unless the pet visits those areas enough to provide this food.

The pupa is contained within a loose silken cocoon which is often covered by bits of debris. Under average conditions, the life cycle of the flea normally requires between 30 and 75 days but may take much longer. Adult fleas inside the cocoon, called pre-emerged fleas, will stay in that condition for weeks to months if no external cues from a host is available.

Persistent attacks from fleas can cause severe allergic responses in some people and pets. Once sensitized, a single flea bite may produce symptoms including hair loss, usually around the base of the tail, dermatitis, and intense itching. In worse cases, puppies and young kittens can also died from serious fleas infestations.

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