Fleas – Protection and Treatment

Fleas are small, apterous arthropod insects, brown or reddish in color, with a flat body, that feed on the blood of birds and mammals (dogs, cats, rodents), including humans. A common characteristic of fleas is that they can make long jumps in proportion to their size, up to 20 cm vertically or up to 40 cm horizontally. However, fleas usually do not travel long distances on their own, but prefer to wait and jump on a passing animal, where they remain until they are removed. Without a host, adult fleas live only a few days to 2 weeks.

There are different types of fleas. Each species prefers to feed on specific types of animals, but when hungry—in the absence of natural hosts—fleas may opportunistically feed on other warm-blooded animals nearby, including humans. The "cat flea" ( Ctenocephalides felis ) is probably the most common species and the one usually found in cats, dogs and inside homes.

The life cycle of the flea includes four stages: egg, larva, nymph and adult insect, the duration of which depends greatly on the temperature and humidity of the environment. Only adult fleas feed on blood to survive as well as to produce eggs. adult fleas spend most of their time on animals, where they usually deposit their eggs. Eggs often fall from the fur of animals and therefore the immature stages of fleas, such as eggs and their larvae, are mainly found in the environment of animals, in places where the animal rests or spends most of its time, on the floor, in or near cracks and crevices, in sleeping covers – pet bedding, in carpets, under furniture.

Generally the eggs hatch in a relatively short period of time (1-16 days) and the larvae (tiny worms) that emerge remain hidden in carpets, under furniture and in other protected shady places. the larvae (after a few days to months) turn into nymphs inside cocoons they construct. From this stage (which lasts a few days to months at low temperatures) the adult fleas emerge. the nymphs in the cocoons are resistant to insecticides, therefore even after their application new adult fleas may emerge. Emergence of adult fleas from cocoons is stimulated by movement, pressure or heat and may be delayed until an animal host has passed, sensed mainly by environmental shocks. adult fleas immediately seek out animals to feed on and live for months.

Fleas become a problem when their preferred host is not available, as is often the case after the death of a pet or in homes previously occupied by a dog or cat, as fleas in the early stages of development can remain in carpets and quiet corners on the floor up to one year. When this house is inhabited again, then the fleas can develop into adults.

The bite of the flea in humans causes local irritation and usually itching, while in most cases it is located on the lower limbs. Often the bites are in groups or in lines. In some cases, a local allergic reaction (allergic dermatitis) or secondary infection may occur. The local skin reaction may appear within minutes or may be delayed for hours or even days.

Specific species of fleas can transmit diseases to humans, such as endemic typhus and plague (with rodent hosts) and other rickettsial diseases . Incidents of endemic typhus are also reported in Greece, while plague has not been recorded in Europe in recent decades (more than half a century). Cat and dog fleas are hosts of intestinal parasites ( tapeworms ) in cats, dogs and rodents, which acquire these parasites when they ingest the adult fleas that contain them, while occasionally the same can happen to children, who can they ingest fleas when playing with pets.

The flea uses cats, dogs, mice, pigeons, and sheep and goats as hosts.

Any application we make to combat this pest should take into account the following principle:

The most important principle for flea control is that it should be done at the same time both on the hosts (animals) and on the surrounding area, inside the house or even outdoors (such as animal resting areas).

Control measures should focus on all places where fleas of any stage can be present. Adult fleas are found most of the time on animals, while newly -emerged fleas, larvae and nymphs are found in the environment.

It is important to emphasize that we should not use undigested manure as fertilizer at home because it is very likely that we will bring the parasite home

We must also emphasize that in cases where fleas are present in our area without the presence of pets, pigeons and without the presence of newly arrived manure, myocide must also be carried out for the possible presence of mice and especially rats

In addition, after combating fleas, the area must also be disinfected

The fight against fleas is carried out by residual spraying of a strong insecticide always in combination with a growth regulator because fleas are fully metamorphosed insects (egg-larva-pupa-adult) so our growth regulator is useful for the destruction of eggs and pre-pupal stages

The spraying is done with a low-pressure sprayer all over the floor and on the walls up to a meter high, we always spray forward and it is good to wear wellies which we will have sprayed beforehand with the insecticide and this is because the flea is aggressive and will come to climb upon us.