Fleas are tiny, dark brown to light brown insects which are 0.04-0.11 in (1-3 mm) in length.These nocturnal small insects have slender bodies. They can consume 10-15 times their own body weight and can also remain alive without feeding for 100 days.Many people want to know whether fleas can fly or not. Fleas do not have wings and cannot fly, yet their movement is very fast. Their jumps are very high. They can jump 100 times their size. They try to live on grasses in yards until they find a good host. They can’t be put in water. As soon as you put them in water, they will jump out of it. That is why people use dish soaps to treat them. Not only furry animals will bring fleas into a house, but they can also come into your house from your yard. Any raccoon, possum, rabbit, or squirrel can bring them inside your house by nesting under your deck. Even a fresh laundry bag can have them attached, and when you shake the clothes inside, fleas will jump out on the carpets, and soon you’ll start spotting flea eggs. There are many species of fleas that only infect humans; these types of fleas are among the most difficult to treat.There are many species of fleas, but the most common of all fleas are the C.f.felis. Most humans are talking about this species when they mention flea bites. Fleas have been in existence for many centuries, and with generations passing by, adult fleas show even stronger adaptations and abilities. Now, infected fleas have become even more resistant to the artificial chemicals made to kill them.If you have a pet dog, you may have noticed it getting irritated by the presence of a small but slightly invisible insect on its back. These are the same dog fleas as mentioned above. They have very strong legs, which help them to jump very high and cover a large distance from one place to another. They change their host very quickly. A flea’s body is divided into a head and thorax and is extremely tough. It can be uncrushable and indestructible. There is a high possibility that you can step on a flea, and it will still be alive. Adult fleas have various colors, like yellow-brown, grey, brown, and black. Fully-grown flea larvae can range up to 0.23 in (6 mm) in length and are whitish in color. Fleas can be seen on dogs and cats throughout the year, but they are very commonly seen in the summer months. This type of environment is very much suitable for them to grow in. They are attracted to light which is why most flea traps are white in color due to their high reflecting power.Fleas are attracted to warm places, and these places are found inside houses, which also guarantees them meals. Furry animals provide them both with a lot of comforts, especially pet animals. You can make your house unattractive to fleas to get rid of an infestation. A flea lays eggs on animals, and these animals move all around the house, which spills the eggs everywhere. Now, for this reason, it is very important to keep your pet very clean and groomed. Just bathing them with shampoo every day can be very helpful. However, if an infestation is very extensive, you should go for soap that has insecticides in it. Vets always give this advice to pet owners to get rid of fleas.If you enjoy this article, you can also read about whether flamingos fly and whether hamsters hibernate on our website.What looks like a flea but has wings?If you think you have a flea problem, but the pest also appears to have wings, this might be some other type of insect inhabiting your house or yard, which can cause another pest problem. There are several types of insects that resemble fleas a lot and have wings. They may be fruit flies, which can be seen flying in kitchens, as they like to feed on rotten food sources. Fungus gnats are also tiny flies that can be spotted around houseplants. Gnats commonly get confused with fleas because of the huge resemblance between them both. However, fleas cannot fly, whereas gnats can fly.Do house fleas fly?House fleas are wingless insects, and hence they cannot fly. They can jump very well and high enough to go to different places.It is very common to think that these kinds of small bugs have wings as they jump very high. It looks like they are flying. If you spot one of them, you may easily think that they can fly. Fleas have very strong legs and also have resilin pads present on their hind legs that act as catapults. These pads help fleas to jump 100 times their own body size. This is how they go from one host to another. The length of a flea is around 0.09 in (2.5 mm), so human eyes can see one. They have a very hard outer shell area called a Sclerites that acts as armor and is very difficult to crush with human hands.How do you get rid of flea flies?Pets are the primary hosts of fleas, and because of that, they can come across various diseases. Fleas are a severe threat to furry pets because it gets very difficult to detect them. Dealing with fleas for a pet has now become a huge market where many pet owners share the same flea problem. Fleas cause many problems like flea dermatitis and anemia. The pet’s fur may get itchy and also lead to hair loss and pet scratching. Ifdoesn’tdoesn’t get treated after a flea infestation, it will keep multiplying as they feed on a lot of blood. This is more serious in younger pets especially.Your pet will feel very relieved after flea treatment. You can use flea combs with metal teeth so that they can remove fleas from the body of your pet and prevent fleas. After that, flick them into a solution of soapy water. You should wash your pet using specially formulated shampoos for flea treatment; it will remove live fleas as well as their flea eggs. Spot treatment is one very effective alternative to treat the problem of fleas. It is used between the shoulders of your pet. This will protect your pet from getting fleas for a period of a month. Always use a strong product for this. Flea collars are also used to detect the presence of fleas onIt’ss.It’s not just about pets. Getting rid of fleas and bed bugs at home is also a huge task. Treating them is very important because their presence will invite more and more pests inside. Try to vacuum those spots where fleas can hide, like carpets, under tables and many more. You have to be very quick when you vacuum as you should seal the vacuum bag as soon as possible to prevent them from escaping from there. Fleas mostly hide around windows, baseboards, and doorframes. These places need special attention. Continuous vacuuming decreases the chances of a flea infestation in the future. Wash the bedding of your pet continuously. Throw out pillows and rugs as these are places where fleas try to hide. You can also use powders, sprays, pest control, flea control, and foggers.What can be mistaken for fleas?There are many creatures that look like fleas but do not have wings. They are springtails, tobacco flea beetles, and others. Tobacco flea beetles do not usually choose a pet’s body, like dogs and cats, as their hosts.Flea beetles just jump like fleas because they have large and strong hind legs. The flea hopper resembles flea beetles because it has very long legs. They both are very good jumpers. Springtails are a little larger than fleas. They like to live outside rather than living inside the house. Springtails do not bite because they don’t like to feed on the blood of humans. The sand flea, which is also called a chigger, chigoe flea, or jigger flea, can be seen in tropical countries. Just like regular fleas, they also have wingless bodies and burrow in the sand. Sand fleas usually bite people who are barefoot and burrow deep inside the skin of feet as it is softer. Because of this, severe inflammation can happen, as well as ulceration and allergic reaction. Many secondary infections can occur.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked finding out whether fleas fly, then why not take a look at our articles on where oats come from or where olives come from?
Fleas are tiny, dark brown to light brown insects which are 0.04-0.11 in (1-3 mm) in length.
