What are fleas?

Fleas are small (1/10"-1/5"), biting insects usually associated with cats and dogs but fleas bite people too. Female fleas require a blood meal in order to lay healthy eggs. Larval fleas are worm-like (lower right) and live in the "nest", or pet bedding. Larvae do not bite but rather feed on organic debris and adult flea feces which contain digested blood.

Adult fleas have no wings and are flattened side to side. This shape helps them move between the hairs of their host animal. They jump when disturbed. Fleas can transmit diseases, internal parasitic worms (tapeworms) and cause a skin ailment called flea dermatitis.

Fleas have also had an important and surprising impact on human history. At least three Plague pandemics have been caused by a flea-transmitted pathogen, Yersinia pestis. The pathogen is transmitted from rodents to humans through flea bites. The rat flea, (Xenopsylla cheopis) is the main vector of this pathogen.

Pet owners can now safely and effectively manage flea infestations with simple-to-use flea medications (see below). While relatively expensive these medications are so effective that no one, nor any pet, should have to tolerate fleas any longer.

common misspellings: flee, flees, dog flee, cat flee

Updated flea control

You can now effectively get rid of fleas using insect growth regulators and/or topically-applied (spot-on) flea medicines. Very effective and relatively low toxicity materials and methods are available. See the following articles for details about new flea control medications, flea dirt - which is often the first sign of a flea infestation - flea collars, flea biology (pdf) (also includes information about low cost methods of flea control), and a horrific disease that can be transmitted by these blood feeders.