Do Fleas Need a Host to Lay Eggs?

Fleas live in the fur of animals. If they are brought inside, their eggs can easily be transferred from the animal they’re feeding on to your home. Flea larvae can be found in dark areas of your home. Fleas can survive up to one week without food if they don’t find a host to lay their eggs on.

Female fleas lay eggs on a host, usually a cat or a dog. The eggs are white and smooth, allowing them to easily slide off and fall into floor or carpet fibers. Fleas can lay up to 500 eggs in their lifetime.

Once an adult flea has a host, they live on that host for up to two weeks. Fleas feed on a host’s blood every 12 hours. This food allows them to grow and reproduce. In the home, adult fleas are less than five percent of the total number of fleas. They spend most of their time on the host animal.

Adult fleas can lay up to 40 eggs a day if they’re near a blood source. Eggs take between two days and two weeks to hatch, but they need a warm, moist environment in order to hatch. It is important to note that flea eggs hatch faster under warmer, moister conditions.