Fleas

I just took some on-line courses for my continuing ed (for the new members that may not know me, I run a pest control company). Here is some of the study course material I had to bore myself with on FLEAS that some might find useful and educational. I have other stuff on ticks, mosquitoes, bed bugs, etc I can post if anyone is interested. I wont bore yall if there is no interest

FLEAS

Residential flea infestations are often linked to pets living in the home. Animals commonly fed upon by fleas include dogs, cats, and rabbits. Flea bites can cause noticeable skin irritation resulting in itching, hair loss, and skin infections. Anemia may develop in cases of severe flea infestations.

Parting the fur may allow owners to catch a fleeting glimpse of a rapidly moving dark, reddish-brown colored flea. Short hairs directed backward cover their cuticle and permit rapid movement through a host’s coat. If fleas are not clearly visible, a flea comb can be used to check for the presence of flea dirt. Comb through the animal’s fur and then wipe the comb on moist white tissue paper; a reddish-brown discoloration of the tissue paper indicates the presence of flea dirt.

The discovery of fleas on a pet usually shocks owners. Some recoil and cringe when fleas drop off the animal. Owners immediately become concerned about the apparent flying ability of fleas. This is a misconception though; fleas are wingless insects incapable of flight.

BIOLOGY & LIFE CYCLE

Fleas are blood-sucking insects belonging to the order Siphonaptera. Fleas differ from mosquitoes in that both male and female fleas seek a blood meal; thus, both male and female fleas are capable of transmitting diseases.

Females require a blood meal in order to produce their eggs. Eggs deposited on a host’s hair/coat sometimes fall onto floors, bedding, and furniture in the host’s environment. In some cases, fleas will lay eggs directly in the crevices of baseboards and floorboards. Favorable conditions like high humidity and warm temperatures prompt eggs to hatch.

Eggs hatch and develop into larva one to twelve days after being deposited. Larval stage lengths are usually completed in 7 to 14 days, but this can vary based on the availability of food resources in a host’s environment. The primary food sources for larva are organic matter and dried adult flea excrement. When food resources are scarce, the duration of the larval stage can be extended.

The ability to wait for food sources to become more plentiful increases the probability of larvae survival. Another factor influencing survival of larvae is relative humidity. Larvae require a moist environment when developing - a relative humidity, below 75%, can be fatal.

Larvae that survive environmental conditions can undergo pupation. Again, the duration of the pupa stage varies depending on food source availability. The pupa stage can span 5 weeks if hosts are absent from the environment. Vibrations caused by hosts returning to the environment stimulate adults to emerge from their pupal cases. Immediately, they begin searching for a warm-blooded animal to feed upon. Adult fleas usually survive 25 to 60 days; females can lay several hundred eggs during that time frame.

Noting the variability in pupa stage is important because new homeowners complaining of bites around the ankles and lower legs are often bewildered when informed that they have a residential flea infestation. They often remark that they “have not owned any pets” since moving into the home. It is possible to have a flea problem and not own a pet. This is due to the ability of pupa to lay dormant and wait for hosts to return. After emerging, these fleas seek a blood meal and humans often become their victims.

Treatment & Control

Ridding premises of fleas is important for the overall health of humans and animals. These small insects are vectors of human diseases such as tularemia, plague, and typhus. In addition to skin irritation, flea-infested pets often suffer from tapeworms and hookworms. This is because fleas are intermediate hosts for the intestinal parasites Dipylidium caninum (dog tapeworm) and Ancylostoma species (hookworms). In order to control and eliminate fleas, one must treat the pet(s) and the environment. As indicated below, several types and forms of flea control products exist and the owner can obtain them from the veterinarian.

Product
Administration

Effective against

Revolution (selamectin)

Topically; once every 30 days

Kills adults fleas & prevents flea eggs from hatching; effective against American dog tick & heartworms if used monthly

Advantix (imidacloprid & permethrin combined)

Topically; once every 30 days

Repels & kills ticks, fleas, and mosquitoes

Advantage (imidacloprid)

Topically; once every 30 days

Kills adult fleas & flea larvae; not effective against ticks

Frontline

Topically; once every 30 days

Fleas & ticks

Comfortis (spinosad)

One pill by mouth every 30 days

Chewable tablet effective against fleas

Capstar (nitenpyram)

One pill by mouth every 24 hours

Chewable pill that kills biting adults fleas in 30 minutes; effective for 24 hours

Pills administered orally to pets can provide 24 hours to 30 days worth of protection from fleas. Pill formulations, often based on the weight of an animal, are used to kill blood-feeding adult fleas. Using a lower dosage or formulation than required may not provide adequate protection against fleas and could lead to the development of insecticide resistance. Spray-on products such as flea sprays kill fleas when they come into contact with an animal’s coat; these products provide short-term protection to the animal and must be reapplied often.

Some owners treat the animal, but forget to treat the environment. This is a common reason why re-infestation of premises occurs even when animals are on flea control. It is very important to treat animals and the environment at the same time. This is where your expertise comes in.

Areas frequented by pets should be thoroughly cleaned. All bedding should be washed in hot, soapy water at least once weekly. Once washed, owners can use short-residual knockdown sprays on animal bedding; short-residual knockdown sprays help control adult flea populations.

Thoroughly vacuuming or steam cleaning rugs, carpets, and furniture will remove flea eggs and larvae. Be sure to vacuum crevices around baseboards, windowsills, and floors as flea eggs and larvae sometimes inhabit these areas. Knockdown residual sprays can also be applied to rugs, carpeting, and windowsills. Consideration and care should be taken to prevent small children from ingesting these flea control products.

Vacuum bags should be immediately disposed of after cleaning the residence because fleas can survive and continue their life cycle within the bag; adult fleas may also escape the vacuum bag and re-infest the surrounding environment. Sealing vacuum bags in plastic and placing it in a covered container is one method of disposal. Another method is burning the vacuum bag.

Outdoor areas of soil and grass should be treated with insecticides. Pets and small children should not be permitted to play in insecticide-treated areas until the areas are dry.

Treating the pet and surrounding environment for fleas is not the final step. As mentioned earlier, pets with fleas often suffer from intestinal parasites such as Dipylidium caninum (dog tapeworm) and Ancylostoma species (hookworms). Owners should consult their veterinarian and have their pet tested for intestinal parasites. This is very important as these intestinal parasites can be transmitted to children and adults. Humans often contract hookworms through soil. Examples include children playing in sandboxes, walking around barefoot, or gardening without gloves on. Humans develop a long red, itchy track when they become infected with hookworm larvae; the condition is known as cutaneous larva migrans.

Pets with intestinal parasites require an oral medication or a dewormer to kill the parasites; and intravenous fluids or blood transfusions may be necessary in cases of severe flea infestation.

Cleaning the environment and using a regular flea preventative will decrease the likelihood of re-infestation.

Treating the environment for hookworms may be a more tedious task. Egg-laden stools contaminate soils. Thus, pet fecal matter should be removed from the yard daily (preferably immediately after a pet defecates). The problem is that removing stools from the yard may not be effective enough. There is evidence that hookworm larvae can encyst and lay dormant in tissues when conditions are unfavorable. These parasites can later resume and complete their life cycle, escape host stools, and contaminate soil all over again. Thus, hookworms can repeatedly infect animals and humans.

All humans and animals suspected of having a hookworm infection should be tested and treated. This can’t be stressed this enough. Failure to treat hookworm infections can result in worsening health and anemia.

Shoes and gloves should be worn at all times when cleaning or working outdoors. Wash hands thoroughly after working outside or petting animals.

Make contaminated areas off-limits to children and pets to prevent hookworm transmission. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) reports that one can mix 1.5 pounds of salt with one gallon of water or sprinkle dried borax on the ground to treat soil for hookworms.

Nowadays, heartworm preventatives (i.e. Interceptor, Sentinel, and Heartguard plus) contain drugs that help prevent parasitic infections in pets. Regularly combining a heartworm preventative and flea control product offers the best strategy to control fleas and intestinal parasites in animals.