14 FLEA-TING FACTS

1. Fleas have been around for more than 100 million years dating back to the time of the
   dinosaur.
2. Cats and dogs are afflicted by the same flea (Ctenocephalides felis).
3. The average lifespan of a flea on the pet is 60 to 100 days.
4. Fleas will feed up to 4000 times per day consuming up to 15 times their own body
   weight in blood daily.
5. Only the adult flea feeds on blood.
6. Fleas can jump more than 100 times their own length.
7. Female fleas produce 40 to 50 eggs per day, which translates into 2000 eggs in her
   reproductive lifetime.
8. Eggs fall off a pet and infest carpets, bedding and furniture and then hatch into larvae
   within 14 days.
9. Immature fleas avoid light, burying themselves in carpets and crevices.
10. Most fleas overwinter in the larval or pupal stage with optimal survival and growth
    occurring during warm, moist winters and spring.
11. A typical flea population consists of 50% eggs, 35% larvae, 10% pupae and 5% adults. The number of fleas found on a pet represents only 5% of the fleas in the environment.
12. Researchers have suggested a genetic component to flea allergy dermatitis.
13. Fleas do not use muscle power to jump, but energy stored in a protein named resilin.
14. The flea larva is small, pale, has bristles covering its worm-like body, lacks eyes, and has mouthparts that are adapted to chewing. Larvae feed on organic matter, including the feces of mature fleas.

Courtesy of our friends at Bluepearl Veterinary Specialists