How Strong Are Fleas?
WouterFleas are very agile and have an incredible jumping ability. Their body length is only about half as long as their wingspan, and they can jump more than 50 times that distance. They have a sensilium, which allows them to detect temperature, vibration, and movement, which helps them locate their hosts.
These insects are so aggressive that they have the potential to kill large numbers of animals. A single flea can live for up to nine months without a blood meal. Once they find a host, they will not purposefully leave. That means they can survive in large numbers for a long time without food.
Despite their strength, fleas are not capable of flying, and their legs are much shorter than a dog’s. But they can jump about twelve inches, which is more than half the length of a cat. Cats are the number one source of flea infestations. The female flea is more than five times as large as the male, and she can feed on up to 15 times her own weight in blood a day.
Once the adult flea has a blood meal, it undergoes metabolic changes that make it much more active. Once a blood meal is received, a flea will continue to live and reproduce for up to a year. Within 24 hours of its first blood meal, a female flea will start to produce eggs, and she can lay over 25 eggs per day.
