How Small Are Baby Fleas?

Baby fleas are extremely small – in fact, they are practically invisible! Their eggs are deposited on a host animal, and then fall off before hatching into larvae. These fleas can lay up to 40 eggs a day. Their larvae will begin feeding after hatching and will soon be ready to enter the environment.

Flea larvae are between three and five millimeters long. They are semitransparent and white. In the first instar, the flea larvae feed on predigested blood, and then enter the pupae stage, which lasts four to 18 days. Once completed, the flea larvae will start building their cocoons.

Adult fleas are about an eighth of an inch long. The female flea is slightly bigger, while the male is much smaller. The adults feed on any warm-blooded animal, but they prefer hairy creatures. The adults’ feces is a black color and contains mostly dried blood.

When they hatch, baby fleas are small and flat-bodied. Their head lacks legs and eyes, so they cannot feed on pets. In addition, they do not travel very far from their breeding grounds. They usually burrow into cracks and carpets. They are often invisible but can be observed through a microscope.

Fleas spend ninety percent of their lives on surfaces. Although they are very tiny, they can leap up to 200 times their body length! They need a relatively warm environment to develop. This is why upholstered furniture, carpets, and pet bedding are a common place to find them. Since their larvae require an environment that is relatively moist, temperatures above 95 degrees Fahrenheit will kill them.