They are tiny insects that measure about 1/6-inch in length and are laterally flattened. Their flat shape allows cat fleas to easily pass between the hairs of animals. The cat flea is the species involved in most home infestations and will attack both cats and dogs. It is usually carried into the home by a pet. They are reddish brown in color.
A female flea can lay about 18 eggs a day and just 20 fleas on a dog can produce 360 eggs per day and over 2000 eggs in a week. After the home is treated, it may take up to two weeks or more before fleas are no longer seen. The reason for this is that flea pupae are unaffected by the treatment until the adult fleas emerge from their pupal cocoon. In any flea population, all stages of the flea will be present including numerous pupae. It will take several weeks for all adult fleas to emerge from these pupae and contact the treatment. Vacuuming as often as possible after the treatment can speed up this process because it stimulates adult fleas to emerge from their cocoons. Fleas are ectoparasites of animals, meaning they live on the outside of the body and need to feed on the blood of these animals in order to produce eggs. Because fleas usually feed and lay their eggs while the pet is sleeping, the pet's resting areas are where the most fleas will be found.
Controlling a flea infestation successfully requires four steps which are preparation for treatment. Treatment of pets, treatment of the inside premises, treatment of flea activity sites outside and obviously, the pet is critical to minimizing flea infestations and regular grooming helps to limit fleas on the pet. Customers need to keep the pet groomed and treated with on-animal flea control products. |
