Scientific Name: Siphonaptera
Description:
There are nearly 2000 species of fleas worldwide. Some common fleas are dog fleas, cat fleas and rat fleas. They are wingless insects that are usually 1.5 mm to 3.3 mm long. They are usually dark coloured and mostly found in reddish brown or black. Fleas are also capable of moving very quickly and they are one of the best jumpers of all animal kinds, due to their ability to jump very long distances. Furthermore, fleas are external parasites that have piercing mouthparts to suck blood off mammals and birds.
Fleas are always found close to their hosts. They will be found in direct contact with the host or among fur, among feathers, among hair or within their nests. Fleas feed on the blood of their host and most fleas usually depend on one particular host. Fleas are very much adaptable and they can move to different hosts when their preferred host is not available. They can also survive for a long period of time without any food.
Infestation by fleas can cause serious inflammation in the skin acute itching. Especially humans are very sensitive to the exposure of flea attacks and they are prone to develop allergies. Fleas are also recognized to be the principal carriers of many severe diseases such as murine typhus and Bartonella spp or Bartonella henselae, the cat-scratch disease (CSD).
Control of fleas can be carried out by cleaning your surroundings and your property daily. Insecticides for fleas can also be used in your environment to make your properties free from the hassle of controlling fleas.
