In this article on our site we will delve into the knowledge of the insects that most frequently parasitize our pets: fleas. These unpleasant jumping and hematophagous parasites in their adult phase, that is, they feed on blood, can transmit diseases, in addition to causing an annoying itching that produces dermatitis in animals more sensitive to their bites. In more severe infestations anemia develops. As if that weren't enough, fleas can also bite humans.
Knowing how long a flea lives and how it develops will help us combat them using proper deworming. So, read on and take note of the recommendations to combat and prevent them.
How long does an adult flea live?
Observing a flea in the fur of our pet is cause for alarm. We must deworm it, change the product if it is already being treated or make sure that we are applying it correctly.
Adult fleas live on our animals, feeding on their blood through bites. On them the females lay eggs, a maximum of 50 a day, which will fall into the environment, where they will be developed. With these figures it is important to know how long a flea lives: they can live up to 160 days but, as the animals that suffer from them usually intercept them, the average is reduced to 1-3 weeks This implies that the flea we discovered on our animal may have laid 350-1050 eggs that will be in our house turning into fleas.
How long does a flea live on the human body?
Fleas can also feed on our blood, so if they can't find an animal host to jump on, it's no wonder they choose us. Now, how long can a flea live on our body? The answer is the same as the information given on the flea life expectancy on a dog or cat. Thus, despite the fact that they can live for more than 100 days, when they are detected their lifespan is reduced to 1 week at most, depending on how long it takes us to identify them and the effectiveness of the treatment, being the most common that they disappear almost immediately when starting the treatment prescribed by the specialist.
How long does a flea live off a dog or cat?
The answer to this question is much more complex than it seems and, in order to understand it better, we must first talk about the life cycle of the fleaFleas need certain conditions of temperature and humidity for their correct development. These are usually reached in the warm months but, inside our homes, we maintain idyllic conditions for them throughout the year, so it is recommended not to let our guard down with deworming.
Eggs on the floor develop in cracks, carpets, rugs, etc., and, within a few days under optimal conditions, become larvae that are going to stay in the ground, avoiding light and feeding on remains of skin, organic matter or excrement of adult fleas, which we can visualize as small black balls. If we wet them we will see that they are made up of digested blood. The larvae, after several stages, become in pupae, capable of surviving more than 6 months in the environmentuntil you find an animal to climb on, even being resistant to insecticides. Of course, once out of the cocoon or puparium, they die in a few days if they can't feed.
As we can see, in addition to taking into account how long a flea lives, we must be aware of what all its vital phases resist in the environment in order to achieve complete eradication. The flea cycle highlights the importance of deworming. Therefore, deworm your pet following the instructions of the veterinarian.
Failure to control fleas on animals and at home
Sometimes, even using antiparasitic it is possible to detect a flea. This usually happens when you don't take into account how long a flea lives or its immature stages in the environment. Some causes are as follows:
- Do not deworm throughout the year, which exposes the animals to fleas that have been able to survive in the environment.
- Do not deworm all the animals in the house simultaneously, which will make the untreated animal or animals become reservoirs.
- Use unsuitable products.
- Do not deworm the environment, which allows fleas to survive in large numbers and, therefore, re-parasitize.
- Use an inadequate dose of product or, in the case of sprays or pipettes, allow the dog to get wet 48 hours before or after application, so that the antiparasitic effect could be lost, it needs time to diffuse throughout the body.
How to fight fleas at home?
Bearing in mind its life cycle and how long a flea lives outside the cat or dog and in them, as well as the circumstances of our home and our animals, we must establish, together with our veterinarian, the deworming schedule most appropriate, as prevention is always better than treatment. We must attend to the following recommendations:
- Deworm all household animals, as fleas can affect mammals and birds.
- Control the environment by vacuuming frequently, including rugs and also from the back. Remove the contents of the vacuum cleaner.
- Regularly wash the animal bedding.
- If they go outside, check them when you return home for the presence of fleas. There are fine combs called "anti-lice" that catch fleas relatively easily.
- Follow our veterinarian's instructions when administering deworming. In the market we can find products for the animal and for the environment, being important to eradicate all phases of the cycle.
