Families in America are varied in many different areas. Many families have adopted pets such as cats and dogs into their home. These pets are just as much part of the family as any other member of the family. Because they are family members, it’s important that we keep them safe and protected. One of the many dangers to pets are dangers that are brought on by flea infestation‘s. These tiny insects feed on the blood of our favorite fur babies. In this article let’s take a good look at fleas, their lifecycle and how we can keep them from our homes, our yards and our pets.
FLEAS ARE BLOOD FEEDERS
Fleas are blood feeders. They feed on the blood of us and our pets. They can feed on the blood of just about any mammal. In North America, we have the cat flea. In Europe we find the dog flea. These two different species of fleas may be named according to a particular pet, but they aren’t that picky when it comes to who they will feed upon. The cat fleas in America will feed on both cats and dogs and will feed on other pets as well. Rabbits, gerbils, ferrets, guinea pigs and other small mammals are fair game for this pest. It’s important that we protect these animals from fleas.
Fleas have sucking mouth parts. These mouth parts are designed specifically to be able to pierce the skin and draw blood from their host. Only the adult version of the flea can do this. When the flea inject’s its mouth parts into the skin, much like a syringe, they emit a little bit of saliva that helps to numb the area where they’re biting. As they drain blood from the host, a little bit of blood will go back into the person being bitten. This can be a pet or even a human. Because of this it’s very possible that fleas can transmit diseases.
HEALTH ISSUES CAUSED BY FLEAS
Fleas can cause a number of health issues. Anemia is at the top of the list. Often when small animal such as kittens or puppies or other smaller rodents are attacked by mass numbers of fleas, anemia can happen. When too many fleas attack and draw blood from the animal, the blood of the animal gets low. This can put the animal in a dangerous situation where they can suffer low blood count. In some cases, small animals will die because of this.
Another problem is that they can transmit diseases. The black plague, for instance, is a disease that is transmitted by fleas. We still have problems with the black plague here in the southern parts of the United States in small pockets. Cat scratch fever is another disease that can be spread by the bite of the flea. Murine typhus and tape worms are other diseases that can also be passed by fleas. These diseases specifically attack dogs and cats. Because of this there are many diseases that fleas pass that can harm your pets and other diseases that they can pass that can harm humans. It’s important to keep not only from your pets being bitten by fleas but also to keep yourself from being bitten by fleas.
LIFECYCLE
Fleas develop using an incomplete metamorphosis. This means that they have four life stages. They start as an egg that is laid at the base of the fur of the host animal. As a host animal scratches, the eggs fall off the animal usually somewhere around their bedding or other high traffic area. Once the eggs are on the ground they will hatch and lava will emerge. These larva will feed on flea dust. Flea dust is the droppings of the adult flea. These dust will have leftover dried blood that the larva can find nourishment with. Call your Tulsa pest control company for more details.
After they develop a certain point, they will pupate. The pupa form is much like a butterflies cocoon form. The larva will find dust, hair or any other particles on the ground they can use to create its cocoon. Once in a cocoon it will develop to the point of adulthood. An adult flea will emerge from the pupa. Adult fleas have the unique ability to jump long distances. Their powerful legs are well designed to complete this feat. They will use this to jump up onto a host as it passes by. Once a flea finds a host and land successfully on it, it will use its unique claws to hold onto the fur. Here it will feed upon the host and mate with other fleas. Once fleas have mated, the females lay eggs and the process will start all over again.
FIGHTING FLEAS
When dealing with fleas in your home, there are three Arenas in which you will need to work. First is on the pets themselves. In order to remove the fleas from the pet, it’s important that you contact your veterinarian and find the best solution for your pet. There are many solutions for cats and dogs such as collars, pills, drops, dips and much more. If you have a nontraditional pet such as rabbits or ferrets or any other small mammals, finding a flea solution can be a little more difficult. Because of this it’s important to contact your veterinarian.
The second arena that you need to deal with fleas in is inside of your home. It’s important to get a good Broken Arrow pest control company to come in and treat the inside of your home for fleas. In addition to the inside of your home, sometimes the outside is heavily infested with fleas as well. Animals can bring these fleas in from the outside. Again your Broken Arrow exterminator can help you to get rid of them.
CALLING IN A PROFESSIONAL
If you’re dealing with fleas or any other pests, it’s time to call him an experienced Tulsa exterminator to take care of the problem. Here at TermMax Pest Control, we are the best in the business when it comes to dealing with fleas and other pests. We service the greater Tulsa area including Coweta, Claremore, Broken Arrow, Sand Springs, Prattville, Sapulpa, Bixby, Owasso, Jenks, Turley, Claremore, Catoosa and much more. Call today for a free estimate. We’re here to help!
