About Fleas

Fleas are not uncommon and it is likely that, at some point, every cat and dog will carry them at some stage of their lives. Every pet is at risk from fleas, especially during the summer months and in warm, centrally heated homes, therefore all pet owners should have some understanding of the flea life-cycle

Does your Pet Have Fleas?

The first indication that your pet may have fleas will probably be its constant scratching. You can confirm this by checking its coat for fleas or flea droppings

Flea droppings are small black specks of mainly dried blood and they are usually seen as clusters lying next to the skin. This can be spotted quite easily on light coloured pets by brushing back its coat. If your pet is dark coloured it might be better to comb the animal over a sheet onto which any droppings should fall. You can confirm if these are droppings by adding a few drops of water. If they turn red then your pet has fleas

Life Cycle

An understanding of the flea’s life-cycle is important if you are going to get control of any infestation. Adult fleas spend long periods of time on the cat or dog but most of its life-cycle, as an egg or larvae, is spent in the animal’s environment.

If we consider starting the cycle with the adult stage, then a typical life-cycle might be as follows:

1. An adult, female jumps onto your pet when it is outside
2. The flea feeds on you pet then, once in your home, can lay many eggs
3. These eggs are laid in your pet’s coat but soon drop off on pet bedding, carpets or soft furnishings.
4. In the course of her life an adult female can lay as many as four to five hundred eggs, usually in batches of up to 20
5. Flea eggs are sensitive to temperature and humidity so can take between 2 – 16 days to hatch
6. The larvae which emerge from the egg are very active, will hide from light and feed on adult flea droppings and household dust.
7. This stage of the flea’s life lasts between 7-10 days
8. When the larvae is fully developed it spins a cocoon to form a pupa in which the adult flea develops
9. This stage lasts between 10-17 days but if temperatures are low this can take several months
10. When the adult flea emerges from the cocoon it immediately seeks a blood meal and so the cycle continues

Control

As fleas can be found on and off your pet, at various stages of their development, complete flea control will involve treating both the pet and its dwelling. In order for any treatment to be effective we ask that you do the following before using any pesticide:-

1. All floors and soft furniture should be vacuumed thoroughly to remove organic debris and flea eggs and pupae. Particular attention must be given to areas where pets have been allowed to roam and rest, such as under furniture, under chair and sofa cushions, cracks and crevices in floors and along walls. On completion the vacuum bag will contain fleas, eggs and pupae and so should be disposed of in an outside refuse bin
   
2. All items such as clothes and toys should be removed from the floor before treatment begins.
   
3. All tile and concrete floors should be swept and washed or vacuumed
   
4. Any cats and dogs should be treated for fleas with a suitable product from a pet care shop or vet. Pet bedding should be destroyed or washed in very hot soapy water to destroy any stages of the life cycle which may be present
   
5. Purchase a suitable crawling insect pesticide, from a pet shop or some of the large DIY stores, and be sure that you read, understand and follow all the instructions that come with the product before you apply it in your home
   
6. After  you have carried out a treatment try not to vacuum for 10 – 14 days as this will allow the insecticide to have maximum effect
   
7. You may see some fleas after treatment. This is due to new hatchings so you should not expect eradication till several days after treatment.