FLEAS

FLEASSmall, 1/16" long,

reddish-brown, wingless insect.

Body compressed laterally, legs long and adapted for

jumping.

Fleas are the insects forming the order Siphonaptera. They are wingless, with

mouthparts adapted for piercing skin and sucking blood. Fleas are external parasites, living off the blood of mammals and birds.

FLEAS

A flea can jump vertically up to 7

inches and horizontally up to 13

inches making the flea one of the best

jumpers of all known animals.

FLEAS

FLEASTheir bodies are laterally

compressed, permitting easy movement through the hairs

or feathers on the host's body (or in the case of

humans, under clothing). The flea body is hard, polished,

and covered with many hairs and short spines directed

backward, which also assist its movements on the host.

The tough body is able to withstand great pressure, likely an adaptation to survive attempts to eliminate them by mashing or scratching. Even hard squeezing between the fingers is normally insufficient to kill a flea.

FLEAS

Diagram of a Flea

Flea life cycleFleas go through four life cycle stages of egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Adult fleas must feed on blood before they can become capable of reproduction.

All four stages of life can live in the carpet.

Flea life cycle

Basic Flea Control StrategiesHave pets treated with veterinarian supplied

products that are currently available.

Have client vacuum infested areas prior to treatment to help remove eggs, larvae, adults and organic matter with

new vacuum cleaner bags. Put bags into outside trash immediately (Steam- cleaning carpet may also help to

reduce populations.) Wash pet bedding.

Basic Flea Control Strategies

Indoors: Be sure the client has removed clutter (ie. toys, clothes, etc.) from floor and furniture. Tell them they need to keep pets and people out of treated area (indoors and outdoors) until treatment dries. A minimum of 3 hrs.

Basic Flea Control Strategies

Indoors: treat upholstery furniture and throw pillows (not bed pillows) with an aerosol such as 565 or Alpine. Be sure to keep spray 12 inches (about arms length) from the upholstery to guard against staining. Check label on the cans to ensure you can do a open surface treatment on upholstery.

Basic Flea Control Strategies

Indoors: treat baseboards, carpeted areas, and rugs with an EC plus an IGR(Precor). Be sure to check label on the EC to make sure you can do a open surface treatment on carpets. Treat all carpets/rugs with a fan spray with a 30 percent over lay.

Basic Flea Control Strategies

Outdoors: Treat foundation with a residual material such as Talstar, Zenprox, Demand, or Temprid. Treat about 20 feet out

from the foundation. Focus on shaded areas since fleas cannot develop in sunlit areas. Be sure to treat doghouses and dog runs.

Basic Flea Control Strategies

Basic Flea Control StrategiesOutdoors: Tell client mow grass, keep weeds down and trim shrubs to expose flea eggs and larvae to lethal desiccation. Irrigating areas surrounding buildings, but not against building, may kill fleas by drowning.

Have the homeowners vacuum with fresh bags for the next 5 days and discard bags after each vacuum.

Basic Flea Control Strategies

Educate the client: It is very common for flea activity to increase after treatment - this is not a failure of the treatment but the emergence of immature fleas pupal from their cocoons. Again this is common and expected. The materials (if applied properly) will have the desired effect.

Basic Flea Control Strategies

Schedule a 5 day re-service/inspection and retreat as needed.

Basic Flea Control Strategies

Acknowledgments

• Wikipedia• UT Extension Managing Pests Around the Home

• boradoranimalhospital.com• Mallis - Handbook of pest control• PCT Tech. Handbook