11/07/2024
Fleas
Although a year-round problem due to the fact we live in nice warm houses with carpets, central heating etc fleas do make more of an appearance during the summer months as the warm weather provides them with their ideal environment.
To be able to treat a flea infestation it is vital to understand the flea lifecycle, it is not just a case of killing the adult flea, all stages of the lifecycle must be addressed.
The most common flea found in domesticated animals is the cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis).
The Flea Lifecycle:
• Newly emerged fleas will head towards the light and a host, they will start feeding on the hosts blood within minutes and mate after 8 hours. The adult flea rarely moves form host to host and can stay on the animal for up to 4 months feeding and reproducing.
• Within 24 hours of being on the animal and after a blood meal the adult female flea will start to lay eggs (40-50 eggs per day, 1500 in a lifetime).
• The eggs fall into the environment, they do not stay on the animal.
• The larvae hatch from the eggs in 1-6 days.
• The larvae are negative phototaxic, they will move away from any light preferring to hide/burrow in dark cracks, crevices, under furniture and in carpets.
• The larvae must feed on flea dirt (contains dried blood) in order to develop, they also consume other organic debris including tapeworm eggs.
• The tapeworm develops within the flea, they are ingested when animals groom themselves and inadvertently swallow the infected adult flea.
• Depending on the environmental conditions the larvae will spin a cocoon/pupate within 10-20 days.
• Adult fleas can emerge from the pupae in 20 days or up to 2 years depending on environmental conditions.
• Optimal temperatures for fleas are 21-29⁰C.
• At optimal temperatures the flea lifecycle can be completed in as little as 12-22 days.
Percentage of flea infestation in the home:
• Adult flea: 5%
• Egg: 50%
• Larvae: 35%
• Pupae:10%
Flea control is based on:
• Killing the adult flea before it can lay eggs.
• Treating the environment with the correct insecticides, insect growth regulators, hot washing bedding (fleas cant survive above 56⁰C, a 60⁰C wash is recommended) and daily vacuuming.
• Using a combination of methods.
Why might the flea control I am using not seem to be working?
• It is vital to use effective products, speak to your vet for advice on this, there are many products available which do not address all areas of the flea lifecycle and therefore will be limited in their efficacy.
• Although there is no published data some flea products that are available may not be as effective as they used to be due to the flea building up a resistance to the active ingredient.
• Are you following the manufactures instructions to the letter? It is very important to do this in order for the product to work on all stages of the flea lifecycle.
• Are you treating all the pets in the household?
• Are you treating on a regular basis as per product instructions?
• Are you bathing your pet before or after you have applied a spot-on treatment? Check the datasheet to see when you can and can’t do this as you might inadvertently be washing off the product or creating an environment where it can’t stay on the skin.
• Do you have other visiting pets in the home that may be bringing a fresh flea supply with them?
• If you are doing everything correctly and still have a problem there is a very small chance the infestation is not with cat fleas, you will need to speak to your vet regarding this. If it is a rabbit flea it is unlikely to infest a home as it needs a rabbit hormone in order to reproduce.
• Be aware it can take up to 3 months to successfully treat a flea infestation, sometimes even longer.
What else can I do?
• Put a flea collar in the hoover bag to kill any adult fleas that are sucked up, otherwise they will hop back out again.
• You will need to treat all areas in the house, not just the ones the pet has access to, eggs and larvae can be transported by you, not just your pet.
• Frequent hoovering will help eliminate eggs and larvae but not the pupae as it is very tough and has a sticky outer coating which anchors it to fibres etc within the environment.
• Wash pet toys, bedding, soft furnishings in a hot soapy wash.
• Treat the car as well if your pet spends time in there.
Written by K. Stubbs RVN CertVNECC MBVNA
References
https://www.vettimes.co.uk/article/fleas-three-cases-of-control-breakdown-and-how-to-rectify-it-cpdparasitology/
https://mypetandi.elanco.com/en_gb/parasites/fleas/the-flea-life-cycle-and-how-to-break-it
https://www.petmd.com/dog/parasites/evr_multi_understanding_the_flea_life_cycle
https://www.theveterinarynurse.com/review/article/flea-infestations-epidemiology-treatment-and-control
