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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 infestation 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 ! ! !
Free
treatment suggestion:
Do yourself a big favor, have all of your pets treated
with a flea preventative such as: Advantage or Frontline. Do
away with the need for unnecessary treatments by a pest control operator
such as Pest King unless, the problem is out of hand and beyond what you
want to do to correct the situation.
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