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Flea Facts

Fleas are present all over the world. Over 2000 varieties, in fact. In America there are
over 200 different types of fleas. 200!!! This will be no easy battle. Fleas are capable of jumping
from 14 to 16 inches and will bite humans as well as your pet. Females can begin to lay eggs after
just 48 hours of their first blood meal. The most common in this vast array of minuscule nuisances
are the cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis) and the dog flea (Ctenocephalides canis). The most common
parasite on your dog will actually be a CAT flea.

Dog fleas are commonly found in Europe, while cat fleas are very common to the U.S. Cat
fleas are not picky about who they feed on. Cat fleas can, in rare cases, carry disease. Also,
if ingested can cause tape worm. The cat flea has been found to carry the plague and murine
typhus to humans. They can be brought into your home almost undetected to the untrained eye.
They can attach to your clothing or to your pet. They are found in yards, kennels, forests, parks,
or an other areas common to warm blooded animals. Why? Because this is where they can find
their hosts so they can reproduce. Did you know the female flea can lay up to 50 eggs a day?
That means in approximately 9 months a female can cause up to a trillion decendents!! And due
to the 4 stage life cycle they are extremely impervious to extermination tactics. So what can you
do? How do you stop it?

Fleas: What They Are, What To Do
D. L. Richman and P. G. Koehler
Identification
There are over 2,000 described species of fleas in the world. The most common domestic
flea is the cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis felis). The dog flea (Ctenocephalides canis) appears
similar to the cat flea, but is rare in the United States. The sticktight flea (Echidnophaga gallinacea)
can become a problem if pets frequent areas associated with poultry.

Eggs are oval, and smooth (Figure 1). They are tiny (0.5mm), but visible to the naked eye. Their
white color may prevent them from being seen on lightly colored fabric. Small wormlike larvae
(1.5-5 mm in length) hatch from the eggs. They are also visible to the naked eye. They are eyeless,
legless and sparsely covered with hairs (Figure 2). The larval body is translucent white with a
dark colored gut that can be seen through the skin. These immature fleas will eventually spin
silken cocoons in which they will develop (pupate) into adult fleas. Cocoons are sticky, attracting
dirt and debris. This camouflage may prevent them from being seen. Adults are about 1-3 mm in
length, reddish-brown to black, wingless, and laterally compressed (Figure 3). Their powerful hind
legs are well adapted for jumping and running through hair and feathers.

Life Cycle & Biology

Cat flea adults, unlike many other fleas, remain on their host. Females require a fresh
blood meal in order to produce eggs, and they can lay up to 1 per hour! The smooth
eggs easily fall from the pet onto the carpet, bedding, or lawn. Adult fecal matter consists
of relatively undigested blood. This dried blood also falls from the pet and serves as food
for the newly hatched larvae. The young fleas will hatch within 2 days and feed on dandruff,
grain particles, and skin flakes found on the floor around them, in addition to the fecal matter
provided by adult fleas. They prefer to develop in areas protected from rainfall, irrigation, and
sunlight, where the relative humidity is at least 75% and the temperature is 70-90°F. The larval
stage lasts 5-15 days

Pets act like small minesweepers, collecting hatched and hungry fleas from everywhere.
Treating the pets is essential for their own comfort as well as to kill any errant fleas
entering the area from afar.

Fleas can jump over 6 feet, and they enter the house by any carrier available: pets
and humans. White clothing, socks, and sneakers excite and invite them right into the
living room where they remain unseen and happily reproducing without your ever knowing
until the problem is advanced. Treat your entire square footage indoors including garages,
outbuildings, and doghouses or kennels.

You simply cannot allow a single flea to survive in your or your pet's, environment if you
want to live a life free of allergies, disease, and irritation.

The yard is the most arduous task, but you MUST treat the area outdoors with just
as much determination as you treat the pets and house.

If you neglect ONE place in your yard, car, garage, summerhouse, winter house or chateau
on the Riviera, fleas will ultimately come back to occupy all of these locations and more.

These are nature's repellents. They ward off unwanted hitchhikers. Most common
ingredients are citronella, cedar, eucalyptus, lemongrass, and lavender. Essential Oils
are specially formulated to repel fleas and ticks without using insecticides. They are
great for misting your dog's legs (and your own) any time that you go out where fleas
would be likely to be found.

If you bathe your dog, it is best to wait three days for the oil layer to regenerate
before shampooing him or her again.

Here are some of the problems fleas cause with our animals
Dog loosing his hair very inflamed skin, Fleas on cat, fleas gathering on an animal
You don't have to let your animal go around itching, biting at fleas and feeling trapped.

Use the AnimalScent Shampoo, and to make it stronger add a drop of lemongrass to
a squirt in your hand. Or a couple of drops of lemon or lemongrass or even rosemary
in your hands rub together and pat you cat or put in a spritz bottle and spritz your
dog.

Use the AnimalScent Ointment for skin problems with lavender or Melrose. (Youngliving essential oil

Then with water and 30 drops lemongrass spritz your carpet. Single oils such as
lavender, lemon, peppermint, melaleuca, lemongrass, cypress, Eucalyptus globulus,
cinnamon, thyme, basil, wintergreen, citronella and the blends of Purification, and
Thieves repel may types of insects including mites, lice, and fleas. Placing peppermint
on the entryway prevents and ants from entering.

Below are products you can use so the flea will not have a picnic with our animals.

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Information provided here is in no way intended to replace proper medical help.
Consult with the health authorities of your choice