This document discusses flea biology and treatment. It explains that fleas are small, wingless insects that feed on blood. Their life cycle includes eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults. Fleas prefer warm, humid conditions and concentrate where pets rest. To treat an infestation, technicians should inspect for fleas, especially in pet areas, then vacuum, apply adulticides and insect growth regulators. Repeated treatments are needed due to fleas' life cycle and difficulty in fully eliminating them. Customers must be educated on proper control methods.

2. Fleas and their biology
. It will provide information regarding inspections, treatments, and necessary
information regarding the practical application of IPM techniques for their
eradication. The focus will be on educating technicians about proper control while
explaining the proper identification of these insects, and symptoms of infestation.
This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY.

3. FLEAS
What You Should Know
Diagnosis and Treatment
Photos courtesy of Joseph Barger published on
Bugwood.org ITP Node

4. FLEA BIOLOGY
►Small and wingless with an average size
of 1/12 to 1/16 inch in length but may be
as small as 1/25 to 1/3 of an inch.
►When viewed from the front an adults
body is narrow from side to side.
The odd shape allows it to move readily
between the hairs or feathers on a host’s
body

5. FLEA BIOLOGY
►Spines on the body project
backwards and make removal of the
flea difficult. Even when scratching.
►Long powerful legs allow the flea to
jump as high as 7-8 inches vertically
and 14-16 inches horizontally.
►Flea larvae are apods, they don’t
possess legs or other appendages.

6. FLEA
BIOLOGY
►Fleas are from the order Siphonaptera -
Siphon, like their mouths “A” which means
lacking and Ptera which means wings.
►They are pests of humans and other
animals, but mostly prefer non-human
hosts.
►Most species can and do readily feed on
humans when infestations are heavy or
when no other hosts are present.

7. FLEA BIOLOGY
• ►Fleas have a complete
metamorphosis.
• ►They have piercing-sucking
mouthparts through which they
obtain blood meals from their
hosts.
• ►Fleas require a “blood meal”
before reproduction
• Eggs take 2 days to 2 weeks to
hatch
This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND.

8. FLEA
BIOLOGY
►Completely developed adult fleas can live
for several months without eating, so long as
they stay in their pupal cocoon (puparia)
►Noise and vibrations cause them to leave
their pupal cocoon.
►Adults are ready to feed and mate very
soon after emerging

9. FLEA BIOLOGY
• ►Generally humid warm and humid conditions are required for
severe infestations to develop (70-85 degrees & greater than
50% relative humidity)
• ►Fleas will generally be concentrated in and around pet resting
areas since such areas will receive large amounts of flea fecal
material (containing blood for the larvae to feed on) from adult
fleas feeding on the pet.
• ►Although fleas can flourish yearly in states that are generally
warm. In states with very different seasons, fleas flourish when
weather patterns are warm and humid.

10. FLEA
INSPECTION
• First thing to keep in mind is that you should always use
a bright flashlight
• It is very important that you positively identify the pest
as fleas
• Many customer’s believe they are getting bitten but
actually may not be.
• Many inspectors use the contrast from a pair of white
socks with no shoes, or white shoe covers over your
shoes. Walking through an infested area the fleas will
be more obvious.
This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-NC.

11. FLEA INSPECTION
• ►Interview the customer to find
potential areas and noted problem
areas
• ►Sometimes it helps to draw a
diagram to remember hot spots
and to have a place to make notes
as needed.
• Remember that outside Fleas
prefer moist shaded areas.

12. FLEA INSPECTION
• ►Look in all of the pet resting areas. Pet beds,
couches, and living areas shared between humans
and pets.
• ►Fleas are readily dispersed throughout a house
by constantly moving animals
• ►If no pets are present consider other factors like
an unwanted guest in the subarea
• ►Eggs are laid frequently on the host, but are not
attached and may fall off anywhere the host
travels.
• ►Pet bedding will most often show evidence This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC.

13. FLEA TREATMENT
• ►Carpets should be vacuumed
before every interior flea
service. This will cause the adults in
waiting to leave the pupal cocoon
pesticides can be applied to them
• ►Adulticides will only kill adult fleas
that have hatched from their pupal
stage
• ►Insect growth regulators(IGR’s)
such as precor are very important to
keep fleas in their larval stage. At this
stage they can’t bite, and if prevented
from spinning a cocoon they will die.

14. Conclusion
►Vacuuming will cause
fleas to leave the pupal
stage which exposes them
to the residual products
►This should be done daily
by the customer and by the
pest technician at each
follow-up service
►Pest monitoring boards
should be installed so that
areas of continuing
infestation can be
identified.
►Customer’s should be
given accurate time tables
for control, and need to be
educated on the difficulty
in eliminating this pest
►Fleas are never gone the
same day as the treatment
►Interview the customer
before each service to see
what he or she may have
found happening since your
last visit.

15. FLEA
TREATMENT
►Larvae have chewing mouthparts, unlike
adults, and won’t bite people or pets for food.
►Vacuuming usually won’t remove the larvae,
making IGR’s that much more necessary.
►While carpets need to be broadcast sprayed a
crack and crevice treatment is also required to
get to hiding areas.
►Animals should be taken off the property
during treatment and should only be returned
once taken to a vet and treated.

16. American Pest CEUS does not guarantee or warranty the
products named, and references to them in this publication do
not signify our approval to the exclusion of other products of
suitable composition. All chemicals should be used in
accordance with directions on the manufacturer's label. Use
pesticides safely. Read and follow directions on the
manufacturer's label.

17. Photographers:
Joseph Berger, Bugwood.org