How Big Can Fleas Grow?
WouterFleas are tiny parasites that live in animals. They are only about 3 millimetres in length, with flattened bodies that allow them to move through the fur of their hosts. They lack wings, but do have hind legs that are well-adapted for jumping. They also have mouthparts that can pierce human skin. The flea’s body is made up of three segments: the head, thorax, and abdomen. Each segment overlaps in the rear, making it easier to squeeze through the host’s skin.
A flea’s life cycle begins at the larval stage. In the first two weeks after being born, they are four to five millimeters long and half a millimeter wide. They remain in this stage until they find a suitable habitat to emerge as an adult. Adult fleas spend most of their time on a host animal. They can live anywhere from two weeks to several months in this stage.
Fleas reproduce in two ways: they lay eggs and then develop into pupae. The adult flea needs a blood meal to reproduce and lay eggs. The eggs are white and flat and are deposited on the skin or hair of the host animal. Flea eggs fall off a pet’s coat as they move, and these are about 50% of the total number of fleas in an average home.
The larval stage of fleas lasts anywhere from two days to two weeks. The pupae stage occurs after the flea’s larva has grown to about an eighth of an inch. The larvae feed on blood and other organic debris in their environment.
