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All we usually know about fleas is that they jump, they sting, and most of the times they are carried by our pets. Actually there is much confusion about this infestant, as a matter of fact usually the majority of people mistakes them with head lice. Therefore it may be interesting and educative to get into the subject throughly taking a look to the bio-ethology of some species. In fact it is mostly important to know who are these pests and how they live in order to define an effective battle plan and lay out the most correct systems of prevention and monitoring.
Fleas are ectoparasites that must feed themselves on warm blood animales.
More than the 94% of known species parasitize mammals, while the rest parasitizes birds. The majority of species usually lives in or near the shelter of their host (host, den, nest, couch etc) and jump on it when in need to suck blood. They are insects of very small dimensions, apterous ( wingless) with a small not-too-mobile head, with a stinging and sucking buccal organ and very shorts antennas composed of three segments. The body is compressed in order to make it easy for them to go through the hair and plumes of their hosts. In order to get onto their hosts fleas are equipped with long hind legs that allow them to make long high jumps: if we had the same kind of posterior legs we could reach our apartments without using the lift!
Systematically fleas are insects or the Aphaniptera class ( also known like Siphonaptera): in the world there are 16 families with 2000 species. We cannot forget to mention the Tungidae ( Chigger fleas) that comprehends the Tunga penetrons whose female penetrates into the skin of the host through fingernails or toenails settling down and laying eggs.
As far as concerning our country we have the following species:
Their vital cycle is divided in different phases that follow this sequence: egg (embryo), three larval phases, pupa, imago (adult insec. Adult fleas jump on the host to feed themselves, and mate. Then the female begins to lay out eggs between the hair or plumes of the host. These eggs are not fixed onto something therefore they can be lost by the animal when moving and, in particular, when laying down. The lenght of this vital cycle changes according to climatic conditions, usually from 2-3 weeks up to a few months for the most common species.
In order to grow and develop faster flea grubs prefer high temperature and high humidity levels. It is not a case that conditions like that usually are found in animales’ shelters. In fact the body metabolism helps creating the ideal conditions for fleas. When eggs hatch, vermicular grubs come out and hide themselves into cracks and ravines between dust and detritus. They feed themselves on the detritus and on the adult fleas’ excrements that usually contains not digested blood residuals.
Grubs reach maturity a little after the second moult has taken place. This is the moment when they begins to weave a light silky cocoon englobing some detritus found in their living environment in order to hide it.
Once the cocoon is completed the third moult takes place turning grubs into pupas. Inside the pupa the adult insect is taking shape. Once the work is completed the adult insect remains a little bit longer in its cocoon waiting for the perfect moment to come out.
Flea bites usually provoke just hitching and a little irritation. However sometimes they can provoke some allergic reaction caused by the substances contained in the flea saliva which is injected through the bite. Moreover fleas are potential carriers of viruses, bacteriums (salmonellosis, typhus, plague etc ) and parasites (dipylidium caninum).
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