How Are Fleas Born?
WouterFleas are born as eggs on the body of their host animals, then turn into larvae and pupae. Once the eggs are laid, they can survive anywhere from a few hours to a couple of months before emerging as adults. The adult fleas have the ability to jump up to four feet and live for about 100 days without a blood meal. Once the female flea has ingested a blood meal, she starts to lay her eggs, which will hatch within 36 to 48 hours. During this stage, the flea consumes 15 times her body weight in blood a day. The next phase of flea life is the pupa, which will eat organic debris in the environment of the host animal.
Adult fleas will emerge from their cocoons about a week after the first blood meal. In a favorable environment, this development time can be less than two weeks. However, in unfavorable conditions, it can take as long as 50 weeks. Once the adult fleas emerge, they begin feeding on the host animal, and they begin laying eggs a few days after they have had their first blood meal.
While humans and other mammals are not known to suffer from fleas, rodents are the most heavily infected mammals by fleas. They have hollow bodies and a large stomach, and they make their nests in holes in their skin. Unlike many other parasitic animals, fleas can survive for long periods of time away from their host. A rabbit flea, for instance, can survive for nine months in freezing temperatures.
