
CATS FLEAS AND TICKS
Fleas are the worst kind of pest. They cause you so much grief, they pester your pets, and they cannot be seen. As the weather warms in Singapore the fleas are out in full force Resulting in the deaths of an estimated 75 to 200 million people. The Black Death is estimated to have killed 30% to 60% of Europe’s population.
Fleas are wingless insects and are not capable of flight. However, they have long legs and have extensive jumping skills meaning they can move through dense fur or hair. Fleas are common throughout the world, with numerous species residing primarily in households.
Here are three of the most important things you should know about fleas in your home.
Fleas feast on the blood of their host, but they can go more than 100 days without feeding on blood. A female can consume up to 15 times her own weight when she feeds.
Fleas don’t only feed on dogs and cats. Hosts for feeding can be birds, other mammals, reptiles, and humans.
Fleas can jump up to 150 times their own height – that is about 8 inches.
The Process
Egg
Larwa
Pupa
Adult flea
A fully-developed flea only emerges from its cocoon when a host is available. The newly-emerged flea jumps on the host right away and begins the blood meal. A female flea will begin to lay eggs within 24-48 hours of her first blood meal. She defecates blood from her host that will fall off the host along with the eggs, re-starting the life cycle. Adult fleas can live for about 4-6 weeks depending on the environment.