Fleas are an issue that you don’t have to put up with if you contact your Tulsa pest control company. These small insects are parasites that will feed upon our pets and loved ones. They’re a blood feeder that’s indiscriminate in who or where they bite. They will can take the blood from your dog, your cat, your rabbit, a squirrel, a rat, or even you. It’s important to protect your family and your pets from these insects for many different reasons. So in this article, let us take a good hard look at fleas, their life cycle, and what you and your Tulsa pest-control company can do to stop them.

FLEA LIFE CYCLE, AND YOUR TULSA PEST-CONTROL

Fleas develop using a complete metamorphosis. This means that the female flea, living on the host will lay her eggs on the host animal. Of course, as fleas move around on your dog or cat, they will start to scratch. This will knock those flea eggs off the host animal out on the ground. This is usually somewhere in a high traffic area or around their bedding. Here the eggs will lie dormant until they sense a host animal nearby. 

This usually doesn’t take long, but the vibration and heat will tip them off that there’s a host animal nearby. At this point, the eggs will begin hatching, and a larva will emerge. This larva will search for food in the area in order for it to develop. The number one food for a flea larvae is flea dirt. Flea dirt are the droppings from an adult flee that fall off when the house animal scratches. These droppings are rich with undigested blood for a flea larva to consume.

FLEA PUPA AND TULSA PEST CONTROL

As the flea grows, he will eventually get to the point where it’s time to move into its next stage of development. The pupa is the next stage. This is a cocoon like stage much like the caterpillar goes through on its way to the butterfly. The flea larva will find anything around that it can use to create a cocoon around it. Once it does this, it will begin to develop into an adult flea. Once the adult flea has developed inside the pupa, it will wait around for a host animal to come near.  Again the vibration and heat of a host animal will convince it to come out of its cocoon and prepare to jump. If you are having an issue with fleas then it’s time to contact your Tulsa Pest control company.

FLEA JUMPING

Now that the flea has gone through all the stages of its development, it has to find a way to get onto its host animal. The mechanism by which nature has developed for this is the fleas ability to jump. Fleas can jump extreme distances, including about 50 times its own height. It will do backflips in the air as it flies, attempting to land on the host animal. In many cases it will be successful, but sometimes it misses. Then it will set itself back up with its strong, hind legs to jump again.

What do fleas do once they are successful at landing on a host animal? It will use its front legs to latch onto the fur of the host animal. These legs, especially jointed in the opposite direction than most insects in order to have a scissor like effect. This gives the flea the ability to pinch and grasp very tightly onto the fur. So when the host animal does scratch, the adults have a viselike grip, helping them to keep on the host animal. 

Staying on the host animal is of the most important tasks of the adult stage of life. First of all the adults feed upon the blood of their host animal. They will force their mouth parts into the skin and draw the blood out. In the process they do backwash, which gives them the ability to possibly transmit disease. Because of this, it’s important to eliminate fleas by contacting your Tulsa pest-control company for help.

OVERWINTERING FLEAS, AND TULSA PEST CONTROL

In order to survive the cold winter, the adults will stay close to the host animal. In the cases of these host animals being pets of ours, these dogs and cats will enjoy the luxury of being able to be in a heated home near us. This gives fleas the ability to continue going through their life cycle even in the winter months, but fleas in the wild will stay on their host animal because of their body heat. This gives them the ability to survive during the cold harsh winters. If they find themselves in these situations, they will stop the life cycle during this time. Because eggs and pupas in the harsh cold weather will not survive.

So, during the winter months, it’s only the adults that have the ability to survive these cold temperatures. The eggs and pupa are the most resilient when it comes to life stages. In fact, when you treat a home with pesticides in order to kill fleas, the eggs and pupa are the most difficult ones to get rid of. They are protected from pesticides, and must be convinced to come out before they will be in contact with these pesticides. In order to get them to come out, they need the heat and vibration of a host animal nearby. We can mimic this by using our vacuums. If you vacuum often, you will convince these eggs and pupa to hatch and reveal their larva and adult versions. At this point, they will be susceptible to the pesticides.

ELIMINATING FLEAS

If you’re having an issue with fleas or any other pests, then its time to contact your Tulsa pest-control company. Here at TermMax pest control, we are the best in the business when it comes to dealing with fleas or any other parasites. We service a greater Tulsa area, including Tulsa, Owasso, Jenks, Bixby, Turley, Broken Arrow, Sand Springs, Sapulpa, Prattville, Claremore, Coweta, Catoosa, and so much more. Call today for a free estimate. We’re here to help!