How Big Can Fleas Be?

Despite their small size, fleas are quite active creatures. They can jump up to 25 cm high and move from one part of the animal to another. The emergence of fleas from their cocoons is triggered by human activity. Once the fleas have emerged from the cocoon, they release their legs and jump onto the next host. This is how they spread their infection.

Fleas are microscopic insects that feed on the blood of their host. The average adult flea is an eighth of an inch long and is reddish brown in color. They are so small that they are easily missed by humans. The female flea is about three times larger than the male, and has a much thicker abdomen. The whole flea life cycle lasts one to two weeks, with the pupa stage being the shortest.

Fleas have three stylets on each side of their mouth, the middle one of which is used to draw blood from their host. This structure is called a fascicle. Their thorax is also composed of three segments. The segments are overlapped at the rear to facilitate the squeeze and are flexible.

Fleas live on pets and other warm-blooded animals. They lay up to 50 eggs in a single day. After this, they start to hatch into larvae, which are white and legless. The larvae feed on pet feces and develop into adult fleas in about eight to 24 days.

Continue reading:

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