Fleas Siphonaptera

Color:
Medium to dark brown

Size:
1/12 to 1/6 inches. Very flat side to side

Habits:
Feed on blood from animals. Eggs drop off and fall to the ground. Larvae feed on excreted blood from adults and organic matter such as animal hair and skin scales. Good jumpers.

Habitat:
Adults live on animals. The larvae live in nests of animals. Most common flea is the cat flea but it and other species live on dogs, squirrels, raccoons and other animals. Will bite humans but do not live on them.

Threat:
Bites can cause itching. Fleas can transmit some diseases such as plague.

Prevention:
Pets which roam outdoors can be treated by a vet to prevent fleas. Vacuum pet areas frequently and thoroughly to remove skin scales, hair and flea blood droplets. Keep lawn groomed to prevent rodent habitation.