Fleas Adult fleas are very small insects (up to 1/8 inch), so it is
difficult to see a number of the characteristics used to describe them. These
reddish brown
to black, wingless insects are compressed from side to side so
that they look like they are walking "on edge." They have
piercing-sucking mouthparts
through which they obtain blood meals from their
hosts. Flea larvae are tiny (up to 3/16 inch long), hairy, and wormlike with a
distinct, brownish head,
but no eyes or legs. Common household fleas don't
usually transmit diseases to pets and people. The tiny insects are mainly just
a nuisance. Adult fleas
must feed on blood in order to reproduce; however,
adults can live for long periods without feeding. Fleas usually live and breed
most heavily where pets
rest. Persons coming near these resting places are also
subject to attack. If fleas are established in a home, they will feed on man as
well as on the pets.
The usual places of attack are the ankles and lower
portions of the legs. Hot, wet, summer months favor egg laying. Hot, dry
periods give maximum
adult production, so greatest adult flea populations are
produced in August to September. Fleas often breed in large numbers where pets
and other
animals live. Pets infested with fleas bite and scratch themselves
constantly. Their coats become roughened and the skin can become infected.
Symptoms of sensitized hosts are often mistaken for mange. Cat fleas and dog
fleas may be intermediate hosts for the dog tapeworm.
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