Does Fleas Like Water?

Fleas are tiny insects that like to live on animals with fur. When they’re away from their animal host for too long, they’ll die. However, there are a few things you can do to help keep fleas away from your pet. One method is to use petroleum jelly or vegetable oil. These substances have a lower surface tension than water, so fleas will sink much more quickly into them.

Fleas have an oil-like coating on their bodies that helps them float on the surface of water. This coating also acts as a barrier, keeping water from entering the trachea. However, even though fleas can survive a brief time in water, they won’t break the surface and will thrash about until they can crawl out.

Although fleas can survive seven days on the surface of water, they can survive fully submerged in water for up to 24 hours. Their lifespan is one hundred days, and they can live in water for up to seven days without finding food. Therefore, it’s imperative to remove any fleas that have been submerged in water as soon as possible.

While there are chemical options to kill fleas, many dog owners don’t want to risk the toxicity of chemical pesticides. Luckily, there are natural and chemical-free flea control methods.