flealifecycle

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Thursdays 12-1pm
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8:00AM - 7:00PM

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8:00AM - 11:00AM

For after hours emergency care
contact

Crown Veterinary Specialists
Lebanon, NJ
908-236-4120
www.crownvet.com

Animerge
Raritan, NJ
908-707-9077
www.animerge.net

Cares
Langhorn, PA
215-750-2774
www.vetcares.com

Valley Central
Veterinary
Referral Center
610-435-1553
www.vcvrh.com

Flea life cycle:
When most people see fleas they only see the adults which are hopping around on their pets. These adults represent only 5% of the total population. What you aren't seeing is the other 95% which are: 10% pupae, 35% larvae, and 50% eggs. In other words for every adult you see there are 10 times as many eggs, 7 times as many larvae, and twice the number of pupae.
The average life span of a flea is 6-24 months. The adult flea needs a blood meal to lay eggs and she will use a dog, cat, or person to achieve this goal. After feeding she will lay eggs which drop off and hatch into larvae in 2-12 days. The larvae feed on the blood-containing excrement of the adult flea then undergo 2 molts over 9-200 days. At the third molt, white larvae spin a whitish-gray cooon in which pupae develop over 7 days to a year. Pupa can delay emergence from the cocoon for up to 1 year until conditions are right. Vibration, heat, and CO2, stimulate emergence. The larval cocoon is resistant to insecticides, desiccation, freezing, and IGR's (insect growth regulators). Adult fleas emerge and seek a new host. Newly emerged fleas can survive for 1-2 weeks before requiring a blood meal. The flea jumps when it sees a shadow to acquire a host.
Adult fleas spend their entire time on the host and they can survive for more than 100 days. Adul fleas rarely leave host voluntarily, and will die within 2-4 days if removed.

Treating adult fleas:
Think of treatment as a two step process. First you treat the adults and many products are very effective at this:
" Frontline monthly
" Frontline Plus monthly
" Advantix (dogs only) monthly
" Revolution monthly
" Even OTC shampoos are effective, but they aren't generally used because they only last for one day and have no residual effect.

Okay great, you've treated the adults, then what happens next? The eggs that have been deposited in your pet's environment start to mature into adults over the next year or more!!!

Treating the environment:
" Vacuum the house well paying particular attention to carpets and corners of furniture. Throw the vacuum bag in the garbage (the eggs will hatch in the bag)
" Wash any bedding that your pets sleep on in hot water if possible.
" Spray your house with a good, high quality spray such as Knockout. Knockout lasts up to 7 months, and kills adult fleas, larvae, and contains an insect growth regulator that prevents eggs from hatching. It does not kill pupae; remember that nothing will kill the pupae.
" Add an insect growth regulator such as Program or Frontline Plus. These products are "flea birth control" and prevent eggs from hatching.

Dont' give up and don't stop:
" If your house is infested with fleas you will continue to see fleas as they emerge for the next year or two! See life cycle above. Keep using the products above as they are working, it's just that the fleas keep hatching and you will see a few before the products kill the fleas. Nothing works on the pupae so even if you spray you will see fleas emerge.
" All pets must be treated to be successful.
" Please read labels and follow directions carefully on any product you use. This is especially true with cats as there have been some tragic results when applying the wrong product to cats.