How to get rid of Fleas
What are Fleas?
Fleas are very small, brown, wingless parasitic insects from the Siphonaptera type, of which there are literally hundreds of species all over the world. The flea can be seen with the aid of a magnifying glass and you will observe that they are rather flattened (as if they have been shut in a book) the flea has spines on its body and claws which it uses to try to prevent it being removed by the host.
This particular Siphonaptera parasite has mouthparts which are designed to pierce the skin of their host (that’s you, me and the family pet) and then suck our blood!
Fleas live on all different types of mammals, cats, dogs, rabbits, pigs, foxes, and gain nourishment from their blood. Fleas are particular and like to remain with their chosen host however the cat flea which is the most common in the UK lives primarily on dogs ( probably just to annoy them) and will feed on humans if necessary. Dogs do have their very own specific dog fleawhich interestingly is not found commonly on cats.
Fleas can transfer disease as they suck blood from one victim and move on to the next. The Bubonic plague is widely believed to have been transmitted through the bite of a carrier flea and was the cause of the “black death” in the 1930’s, most victims died between four and seven days after becoming infected.
When you begin to think about how to get rid of fleas you are not only thinking of how to get rid of fleas on my cat, rabbit or dog as you know if they are on your pet they are in your home. Once fleas are in the home it is a very different matter, we then take it very personally it is like a home invasion and I don’t know about you but I don’t want to be nibbled at when I’m sitting watching the tv by some little beastie. They really have to go.
Flea facts
- The most common flea is the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felix
- A flea consumes 15 times its body weight in blood every day
- A female flea can produce 20,000 eggs in a period of three months
- Fleas thrive in warm, moist environments and climates
- Fleas are responsibly for more deaths than all the wars the world has ever fought over 175 million deaths due to disease.
- There are over 2000 species of flea worldwide and over 60 in the UK
- Flea eggs can lay dormant for up to 90 days before conditions are right and they hatch
- Fleas have 3 pairs of legs, the hind pair are designed for jumping
- A flea can jump over100 times its own height
- Most adult flea populations are booming between August and September
- Fleas have a lot in common with cockroaches they adapt and survive
