Fleas are one of the
more important groups of insect pests because they not only cause discomfort
by biting, but they can transmit several diseases.
Cat fleas are found
throughout the United States and the rest of the world.
Adults about 1/8". Wings
lacking. Body laterally flattened (side to side). Color brownish black
to black. Females lay 4-8 eggs after each blood meal, laying some 400-500
during their lifetime. Eggs are oval, whitish, and about 1/64" long. They
usually hatch in 1-12 days. Flea larvae feed on organic debris but almost
all require dried fecal blood in order to complete development; they do
not bite but feed on adult flea fecal blood. Larvae require high relative
humidity (45-95º:.) Adults usually begin to seek a blood meal on the
second day after emergence, but can live for several months on stored body
fat. Once on a host, they tend to spend all of their time on the host,
feeding, mating, and laying eggs, unless dislodged. Although they have
a preferred host, they will readily bite people and can survive using other
species as hosts. Depending on conditions, they can survive up to a year.
It is not necessary to have pets in the building in order to have fleas
present.
Fleas are most protected from traditional insecticides
during the pupal stage. Fleas develop into adults and remain in their cocoons
until conditions are conducive to successful reproduction. This intermediate
stage is termed the "pre-emergent adult." When conditions are right for
successful reproduction, adult fleas emerge from the cocoons and begin
the cycle again. One female cat flea can lay between 158 to 420 eggs in her life
time. Some estimates are higher.
Time to development for each stage of the flea life cycle
Flea control requires removal of fleas from the pet, removal of fleas from the environment, and control of the life cycle of the flea.
Insect growth regulators, or IGRs, are a safe preventative treatment for fleas. These products work by disrupting the normal development of flea eggs and larvae. When exposed to IGRs, adult fleas are unable to reproduce; eggs fail to hatch and larvae die before they complete their development. Because most IGRs kill only eggs and larvae, they do not eliminate adult fleas quickly. For this reason, they are usually mixed with a mild insecticide.
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