Fleas

Fleas have four life stages: egg, larva, pupa, biting adult. They feed on the blood of their host, which can be many species – humans, birds, reptiles, and wild and domestic animals. The female flea can lay 2,000 eggs in her lifetime and can live more than 100 days without a blood meal.

The female flea consumes 15 times her own body weight in blood daily, so they are almost always feeding. Fleas can jump approximately 150 times its own height. That’s like if you could leap over tall buildings in a single bound! Pets with fleas may develop anemia, tapeworms or intense bouts of itching (pruritus) so flea treatment is very important, especially if you have pets. Some pets may develop an allergy to flea saliva, which causes severe irritation and itchiness.