Aug 02, 2017
Fleas are tiny wingless insects that hosts on the blood of the mammals. Fleas are tenacious parasites that keep on irritating the pets every year. In many parts of various countries, they thrive for the whole year.
A fleabite can causes a lot of irritation to the pets as it causes scratching and biting in the fleas. Moreover, it also bites other pets in the house and infects the entire household.
Like any other living organisms, fleas also have a cycle of life and death. Learning about the stages of flea life gives a better understanding on how the treatment works on them. There are 4 main stages of flea life cycle:
1. Egg
Most of the time the eggs are laid on the host’s body only. The number of eggs that a female flea can lay depends on the species. Flea eggs are generally non-sticky and easily fall off on the ground from the host’s body. The breeding ground in developed where the host i.e. your pet spends the most time of his day. Eggs take around 2 days to 2 weeks to hatch.
2. Larva
The larva when hatched from eggs requires proper supplements for its growth. The larval stage has 3 growth stages within this stage only. The eat the feces of the adult eggs and any organic matter found on the ground, flooring, soil, bedding like dead insects, feces and vegetable matter. Avoidance of sunlight and living in dark humid surroundings is best suited for it. This stage last for about 5-18 days depending on the environmental situations followed by larva spinning a silken cocoon.
3. Pupa
This is the final metamorphosis stage to develop into adult form, which takes place inside the cocoon only. Depending on the outer conditions, the pre-adult flea can either come out of the pupa stage and become a fully-grown adult flea or stay inside for months to wait for the right time. The correct moment is determines by the triggering factors like vibration sounds, heat, increased level of carbon dioxide and humid conditions.
4. Adult Fleas
Adult fleas prefer to live on animals and feed on their blood. Fleas have mainly 2 tasks to do – have a blood diet to be alive and reproduce. The adult fleas feed through a tiny mouth part which is known as proboscis. The saliva secreted from the flea’s mouth contains an anticoagulant, which prevents blood clot formation. The protein that the saliva has causes allergic reactions to the pet’s body such as Flea Allergy Dermatitis.
