Most Fleas Don’t Stay in One Spot
WouterMost fleas don’t stay in one spot, but they can be found on your clothing and other surfaces in your home. In addition to living on your clothing, fleas can also live on your bedding and animals. If you notice that your pet is scratching frequently, then fleas might be living there.
Fleas are most active during warmer months, which means that they are feeding on warm-blooded mammals. Fleas are able to attach themselves to human skin because they can sense body heat and vibrations. Their saliva irritates the skin and causes intense itching. They transmit germs through their feeding, their feces, and their bites. Fleas can also infect your open wounds.
Adult fleas lay around 2,000 eggs during their lifetime. Female fleas lay their eggs after a blood meal from your pet. Without blood, female fleas cannot reproduce. The eggs are usually laid in bunches of 20. Flea eggs do not stay on your pet, but usually roll off to your lawn or home. The average life span of fleas is between two and three months, but this varies depending on their food supply. With a continuous food supply, they can live for up to 100 days. However, if their host does not move, they can remain in the same place for weeks or even months.
Adult fleas are tiny insects that range from 1/12 to one eighth of an inch long. They are reddish brown or black in color. Their hind legs are modified for jumping, and they can jump up to 16 inches horizontally and eight inches vertically. They have thin bodies covered with spines that help them maneuver through their host’s hair.
