The scientific name for flea is: “Siponaptera” which is translated to the term “Wingless Siphon”. Fleas require a host to live on, as well as a meal consisting of blood. The host they choose may be a mammal or a bird.

Fleas are amazing; they can jump 150 times their body length, or approximately 1 foot. They are also capable of pulling 160,000 times their weight. In the past, there really were “Flea Circuses”. In 1950 there was still a performing flea circus in Times Square.

There are over 2,000 described species of fleas in today’s world. The most common flea we see today in North America is the “Cat Flea”. There is a dog flea, but this type of flea is only seen in Europe.

Fleas are a very costly insect. In the United States we spend an estimated $2.8 Billion a year on flea related veterinary bills. We spend $4 Billion a year for over the counter treatments & $348 million for professional flea control.

Although fleas cost us a great deal of money today, in the past they left a great deal of devastation behind. Fleas are responsible for “The Black Death." The Black Death is also known as Bubonic Plague. This plague was one of the worst natural disasters this world has ever seen. Fleas that used the oriental black rat as their host, spread the bacteria that spread the plague. One third of Europe’s population perished in the year 1347. This one plague alone ran for 319 years. The most recent plague fleas are responsible for occurred in the 1880’s killing an average of 1 million people a year in India alone. This plague unlike other plagues ended as a result of modern medicine. In 1903 the plague was defeated. Scientists began to examine fleas under their microscopes, which were newly invented and learned how to interrupt the life cycle of the flea.

We now know the life cycle of the flea can last anywhere from 2 weeks to 1 ½ years. Normally the flea will only live a few months. An average female flea will lay up to 600 eggs during its lifetime. In the right conditions 10 female fleas can multiply to one quarter of a million fleas in just 30 days!!!!

Now that we know a few fleas can easily become an infestation, here are some reasons to rid our life of these pesky bugs. Both young & old sick animals, or even sick animals can become anemic. If anemia is untreated the poor animal can die. A flea can transfer tapeworms to our animals via ingestion of the egg of the worm on a flea. Tapeworms attach to the intestinal wall & can grow to be 8 inches in length. Tapeworms may cause malnutrition, dehydration & general debilitation in dogs, cats as well as humans! Lastly, there is the costly dermatitis our animals get from the flea bites. In other words the rash the fleas may give the animal.

The first sign that your animal has fleas is scratching. You may find bites on your ankles or you may find small black flecks in your animals bedding. You can test these flecks by simply placing them in a tissue & rubbing. If these specks leave a red streak, these are know as “Flea Dirt”. This dirt is a sure sign there are fleas. There are a few other ways of detecting fleas. One additional way for you to tell is by using a flea comb. If there are fleas, you will see either the flea dirt, or the flea itself when the animal is combed. You can also take the animal to your groomer or even your veterinarian if you are not sure.

First thing to do when you have fleas is to treat your animal - initially with a dip, then followed up with an effective treatment.

Second you should treat your home. Vacuum all areas. Once your home is vacuumed, throw the vacuum bag out. This may act as an incubator for the newly hatched or soon to be hatched fleas. Wash all the pets bedding, and if there is an infestation, use a fogger or bomb that is specifically meant for fleas.

Third you may want to treat your yard. Flea larvae develop in shaded humid areas. Rainfall is usually enough to drown the flea’s. If you aren’t lucky enough to have a rainy day when treating your home, you may want to consider an insecticide spray. These sprays usually last up to 7 months.

Today we have knowledge of the flea life cycle & there are many products that are useful in controlling the flea population. The two most common products are called (IGR) Insect Growth Regulators and (IDI) Insect Development Inhibitors. The best way around fleas is to treat the animal with both an IGR & IGI. An example of an IGI is: "The Program." An example of an IGR is Biospot, Frontline, or Advantage. These are used both to treat as well as prevent fleas.

I will list a few different effective & non-effective methods of treatment as well as prevention.

B1, Brewers Yeast or Garlic: Scientifically these methods are of little value.

Ultrasonic flea collars: Completely ineffective.

Insecticide Flea collars: not very effective.

Light traps: These collect fleas that are first emerging from the cocoons in your home. These will not attract fleas off your pet.

Cedar chips: May have some repellent properties, but have not been scientifically proven.

Lastly remember that preventing fleas is much cheaper & less time consuming than trying to eliminate them after an infestation.

Anne Marie Hirsch
Owner of Lakeside Grooming
She presently owns 8 cats & 2 dogs
e-mail questions to: lakesidegrooming@townedigest.com