If you thought that fleas are found only on dogs and cats, think again.
If a man had the leg muscle power of a flea, he would jump the height of New York’s Empire State Building!- Mario Borg
Fleas, of course, prefer warm-blooded pets, but when hungry, they will not hesitate to bite humans. And a few fleas left unchecked will rapidly turn into a plague.
Flea infestations mean misery for your pets, embarrassment for you and your house guests, and irritation for your neighbours.
Fleas are tiny reddish-brown parasites that live on the blood of warm-blooded animals and humans. They have piercing mouthparts and a body which is flattened dorsally to facilitate crawling in between animal fur strands.
Their long, powerful legs allow them to leap very far horizontally and vertically, so their tiny size combined with their agility makes them very difficult to catch and control. It is estimated that if man had the leg muscle power of a flea, he would jump the height of New York’s Empire State Building!
To get at a blood source, adult fleas first pierce the skin and inject anti-coagulant into the wound to help the blood flow easily; they then suck on the blood. They absorb some of the blood to feed themselves, while the rest they pass straight to their intestines. They deposit undigested blood from their rectum onto our pets, and within the home and workplace environment. This undigested blood is left as food in preparation for unborn fleas.
Although adult fleas rely on blood to survive, they can fast for several months if they have no access to blood. Even flea eggs can lie dormant for up to two years until disturbed by the vibration of animal or human footsteps that tells them that food (blood) has become available, and they suddenly hatch. But it’s not only this ability to withstand severe abstinence that makes fleas so resilient.
Fleas reproduce at an incredibly fast rate. Female fleas live for around two years and can lay up to 60 eggs per day.
Warm and humid weather helps flea eggs mature more quickly and a flea egg can turn into an adult flea within two weeks. Within 48 hours of her first feed, a newborn female flea will start laying eggs.
In Malta, the weather tends to favour the flourishing of fleas and egg-laying. So a flea infestation can lie undetected during the winter months and suddenly explode to plague proportions when the weather warms up. As in other parts of Europe, in Malta the most common flea is the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis (bergħud in Maltese).
Despite its name, the cat flea also infests dogs, birds, rodents and domesticated animals. They are generally introduced to the home through dogs and cats that unwillingly pick them up while out walking.
In fact, infestations of fleas happen not so much because of the fleas on your pets as much as the flea eggs fleas scatter on our carpets, bed linen, pet bedding, gardens, yards, and even crevices in floor-tiling.
It’s worth pointing out that flea infestations of your home can happen as a result of fleas migrating from neighbouring areas, especially if there are animals nearby that are not treated for fleas; strays are generally a major cause of unexpected flea infestations.
Apart from the evidence of your own eyes, you can tell that you have a flea infestation from some of the symptoms that flea bites cause. Your pets will demonstrate their discomfort by scratching uncontrollably and their skin may well exhibit allergies resulting from flea bites. Your veterinarian is the best person to talk to for guidance and medication in this regard. But fleas bring more than discomfort to your pets.
At the very least, flea bites on humans can cause acute itching and the bites can become infected. But fleas can also transfer parasites, such as tapeworm, to your body, as well as life-threatening diseases such as typhus. If fleas happen to jump off a rat or mouse, you are also at risk of contracting tularemia disease from the blood of rodents which they would have ingested.
You should always seek your doctor’s advice if you have been bitten by fleas, and it’s important to bear in mind that infants are more vulnerable than adults to flea bites. There are some very simple measures you can take which are safe. First and foremost, if you have pets, make sure they are adequately treated against these parasites because by treating only your house, you would leave an untreated source . You can buy remedies off the counter, but if you are unsure, always seek the advice of your veterinarian before applying anything to the skin of your pets.
Once you have sought advice from your veterinarian and doctor, you need to take the necessary steps to get rid of the infestation from your home or workplace. Your pest control expert will advise you how to prepare your premises for treatment.
The products your pest control company administers will contain officially approved ingredients. The formulations used could vary from special approved sprays to insect-growth regulators.
A professional pest control company will know exactly which areas to target to exterminate hidden flea populations and will carry out a risk assessment to make sure that it is safe.
You will be advised professionally of the procedure involved as well as the precautions to take even after treatment is completed.
Mario Borg is general manager of a local pest control company. E-mail: whats.bugging.u@gmail.com
What to do to fight fleas
• During the warm months, check your pet daily by lifting its body fur. Look out for fleas, and flea dirt which looks like specks of dried blood. You can check by placing a sample on a white napkin and adding a drop of water. If the water stains red, then this confirms that it’s flea dirt.
• Regularly wash your pet with shampoos that your veterinarian has approved. Follow the vet’s advice with regard to related medication your pet needs.
• Wash your pet’s bedding every week in high temperatures (over 50°C) to kill off fleas and flea eggs. Take care how you handle the bedding to prevent cross-contamination.
• Ask your veterinarian for spray products that you can apply to household furnishings. These sprays are safe for both human and animal contact.
• Vacuum your carpets every other day. If possible, use disposable vacuum bags that you can throw out, fleas and all, wrapped up in an airtight plastic bag.
• Do not leave piles of dead vegetation in your yard or garden where fleas can thrive and breed – decomposing vegetation provides the warmth and humidity which fleas love.