Fleas
Fleas are a small (2mm) wingless insect, flattened side to side and reddish-brown in colour. The flea has spines that are pointed backwards and legs that enable it to jump high.
All adult fleas are parasitic on warm-blooded animals. Larval stages live in the nest of the host and feed on skin, feathers and, most importantly, the blood-rich faeces of the adult flea. When fully grown the larvae spin well camouflaged silken cocoons. When fully developed, the adult waits within this until it detects the vibrations caused by a potential host. Only then does it emerge.
The complete lifecycle of the flea takes only four weeks in the summer months. Adult fleas feed on blood. Their bites can cause intense irritation around a central bright red spot. Different people react differently to a bite, both in terms of degree of reaction and time taken to react – hence the need for flea pest control and flea treatmentservices.