In short, “super fleas,” are really just well-nourished, everyday fleas. Given the right conditions, ALL fleas have the potential to be super fleas. They're stubborn, and they'll stick around! What's a pet parent to do? Stay on top of flea treatments, year-round, and be vigilant.
Adult fleas are tiny, about 1/8th inch long. They're hard to see without a microscope (though it's easier on light-colored fur), but they do have big back legs. For every flea you do see, there may be at least 100 younger ones that you don't.
Enquiries relating to suspected flea infestations have increased by 47% in a year, according to recent data from Rentokil Pest control, and the experts believe the unusual weather in 2023 could be the reason.
Fleas are small, flat-bodied and dark brown. A fully grown flea is around 3 mm long. It is often easier to spot the flea droppings, or “flea dirt”, that fleas leave behind when feeding.
You're looking for small darkish specks. Fleas are typically brown, black, or reddish. If you spot something that color and see it move, you have found a flea. These pests are less than ⅛-inch in length, with 6 long legs that enable them to jump long distances.
A Flea's Fantastic Jump Takes More Than Muscle | Deep Look
Are there super fleas?
Instead, super-fleas are called that because of their ability to reproduce in numbers much higher than normal fleas as a single female can lay as many as 50 eggs per day. Still, the increased number of their offspring means these fleas will take some more persuasion before you can be satisfied that they're gone.
The color of Oriental rat fleas varies from light brown to dark brown, a color that is meant to camouflage it in the host animal's fur. A distinguishing characteristic of the species can be seen in the female, which has dark colored spermatheca (reproductive organs) that look like small sacs in the abdominal area.
Pulex irritans is known as the human flea. Fleas are 1-4 mm in length and laterally-compressed. They lack both genal and pronotal combs (ctenidia) and the ocular setae are below the eye.
Thoroughly clean areas where fleas frequently breed. This includes washing bedding, rugs, and pet bedding, and thoroughly vacuuming and sweeping floors and carpeted areas and along the edges of walls. Pet treatment. Every pet in the home must be treated.
The cooler, drier winter weather will offer your pets some relief, but it is crucial to treat against fleas throughout all seasons. Summer is one of the most active times for fleas and ticks, with some of the worst season being fall, in September, October, and November.
Fleas are tiny and agile insects, making it challenging to feel them crawling on the body, particularly if there are only a few present. However, a persistent itching or a prickling sensation on the skin, especially in areas such as the ankles, legs, and waist, may indicate the presence of fleas and their bites.
Formication is a symptom where you hallucinate the feeling of insects crawling in, on or underneath your skin. This symptom has many possible causes, including mental health disorders, medical conditions and more. This symptom is often treatable, with available treatments depending on the cause and other factors.
Pets that are heavily infested with fleas may experience secondary bacterial infection of the bite sites due to intense scratching. People and pets that are allergic to flea bites can develop dermatitis or hair loss and intense itching may result.
Fleas feed on blood and they want blood from mammals. This includes pets, sure, and other animals, but they are more than willing to feed on humans, too. Fleas will bite a human to get at the blood vessels below the skin and their bodies are built to do so.
Fleas are attracted to light because they can use the movement of shadows to determine where to jump to find their meal. Studies have shown that up to 93% of fleas will move towards a light source within 40 minutes if they find themselves in the dark.
Fleas have flattened bodies so they can move through the fur of their hosts easily. They also have very strong exoskeletons, making them very hard to crush. They also leap out of danger quickly and are very small, so if they do get away they are hard to find again.
The simplest reason fleas opt for our ankles is that they are relatively easy to reach. Whether you encounter a flea on a carpeted surface of your home or outside in the grass, they can only go so high. Fleas are wingless creatures, so they lack the ability to quickly travel from the ground to further up our bodies.
For example, some people may produce more carbon dioxide than others from their skin reactions, which is a common attractant to various blood-sucking insects and pests, such as fleas. In addition to the chemical makeup, other people believe that fleas are simply attracted to some scents more than others.
Fleas like to burrow into soft, small spaces and hide, such as plush carpeting and bedding. However, if they don't have a food source, they won't live there for long. Fleas are far more likely to live on your pet's body or bedding than on your sheets and blankets.
Fleas like hiding in crevices. Their populations are more numerous in places where they can feed (like pet bedding and living rooms) and reproduce undisturbed (like lower-traffic areas or in carpeting). They also inhabit upholstery, furniture, and other common household furnishings, especially where they can stay warm.
