Tell me about fleas and my pet.
Did you know that starting flea control in the spring is the best defense against summertime fleas?
Fleas are small, brown or black, wingless insects with flattened bodies. Several types of fleas infest the hair coats of animals, and some may occasionally feed on people. These bloodsucking insects cause considerable irritation and distress to infested pets. Severe infestations may lead to anemia from blood loss. Fleas spread the common dog and cat tapeworm, and carry several viral and bacterial diseases. Flea bites also cause skin allergies, rashes and sores on both pets and their owners.
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The best place to look for fleas on your pet are the hindquarters, base of the tail, stomach and groin regions. Sometimes no fleas are found but only tiny, black granules that resemble black pepper. This material is flea feces and consists of digested blood ("blood crumbs"). To distinguish this material from dirt, smudge it on white paper or add a drop of water to it. If you see a reddish-brown color, your pet has fleas, even if you can find none.
Life Cycle: After taking a blood meal, fleas drop off the animal and deposit their eggs in cracks, crevices and carpeting. A single breeding pair of fleas may produce 20,000 fleas in 3 months. Eggs hatch after 2 - 12 day into larvae that feed in the environment. Larvae molt 2 times with 2 - 200 days and the older larvae spin a cocoon in which they remain for 1 week to 1 year. The long period during which the larvae remain in the cocoon explains why fleas are difficult to eradicate from the environment. A hungry adult flea emerges from the cocoon.
Flea Control: There are many different products available to win the battle against fleas. To control or eradicate fleas, you must apply the flea treatment correctly and at proper intervals. All pets and the environment itself must be treated to effectively control or eradicate fleas.
