Cats

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FLEA CONTROL

Fleas

• Most common and successful parasite of dogs and cats.
• Difficult to control without a planned approach.
• The most common cause of allergic skin problems.
• Some animals are allergic to flea saliva and show skin problems despite no apparent evidence of fleas.
• Fleas come from an infected environment, not animals.
• One untreated flea-infested hotspot area may be enough to cause major problems.
• Treat all animals in the household and areas where they sleep.
• Maintenance is important to avoid reinfestation from external sources.

Adult Fleas

• Once hatched they must feed, so they actively seek a host.
• Females lays 5 - 20 eggs at a time and 400 - 500 during a lifetime.
• They leave dark grit on the host (digested blood) as food for their young.
• Most of the life cycle is spent away from the host.
• The entire life cycle is 3 weeks to months depending on temperature and humidity.
• Fleas can jump long distances and readily attach themselves to animals moving through infested environments.

Flea Eggs

• Laid on the host and roll off into the environment.
• Hatch in 1 - 10 days, depending on temperature and humidity.

Larvae

• Move down and away from light and traffic areas.
• Live under furniture, in carpets/cracks/soil and especially near where your animal lies and sleeps.
• This stage lasts between 5 - 11 days.
• Heat and drying will kill them.

Pupae

• Difficult to control.
• May live several centimetres below the surface in soil, carpet etc. where they are protected.
• If warm and moist conditions prevail, pupae will emerge in 5 days and peak at 8 - 9 days.
• If protected from drying pupae can survive up to 140 days in the environment.

Pre-emerged Adults

• They can hatch in less than 1 second.
• All fleas reach this stage then hatch when stimulated, for example by vibration, which results in a "plague" of fleas after your return from holidays.

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