1. Types and basic attributes
The three most common types of fleas are –
- Cat Fleas
- Dog Fleas
- Bird Fleas
2. How they affect our health and well-being
3. Feeding Behavior
Fleas feed on a wide variety of warm-blooded vertebrates including humans, dogs, cats, rabbits, squirrels, ferrets, rats, mice and birds. Fleas normally specialize in one host species or group of species, but can often feed but not reproduce on other species.
4. Breeding pattern, Life-cycle and Lifespan
Fleas breed close to the resting and sleeping places of the host, in dust, dirt, rubbish, cracks in floors or walls, carpets, animal burrows and birds’ nests. High humidity is required for development.
There are four stages in the life cycle of a flea: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Depending on the environmental temperature and humidity levels, the total life cycle will take anywhere from a couple weeks to many months.
A flea might live a year and a half under ideal conditions. These include the right temperature, food supply, and humidity. Generally speaking, though, an adult flea only lives for 2 or 3 months. Without a host for food, a flea’s life might be as short as a few days.