Flea Control Sydney
Fleas are parasites that feed off the blood of humans and animals, and are known to transmit diseases. They are most notorious for transmitting the bubonic plague from wild rodents to humans within certain parts of the world (not Australia).
The cat and dog flea are common in Australia. A Flea bite is intensely itchy, and secondary infections caused by scratching are common.
There are approximately 70-80 species of fleas in Australia (Order Syphonaptera), the most common being the cat flea and the dog flea. They are 1-6mm in length and black or brown in colour. The cat flea is far the more common species, with this parasite being found upon both dogs & cats.
Fleas are wingless insects with a laterally flattened body, hairy with hooks on their legs to move easily through and to grip onto the fur of their hosts. They have very powerful hind legs that have a rubber-like resilin in their joints. When they compress these legs and release them, they are catapulted into the air, by as much as 20cms up & 35cm horizontally-150 times their own length! That is comparable to a person jumping onto Ayres Rock.
A female flea can lay up to 25 eggs in a day and over 800 in a lifetime. The eggs hatch between 5 & 14 days becoming larvae. These are blind & leg-less and feed upon organic matter such as dried blood from the host. After 2 to 3 weeks the larvae are fully grown, spin a silk cocoon and become pupae. When a stimulus in the form of vibration or heat is sensed, the pupa emerges as an adult. This can take from 2 or 3 weeks normally, or over a year to happen. This explains why people returning from holidays & entering their houses are attacked by large numbers of fleas. An adult flea can survive for over 4 months without a blood feed.
Get rid of fleas from your Sydney home or business
Protect your family and pets from fleas – Blitz Pest Control are experts at eliminating flea problems in a safe and eco-friendly way. As a fully licensed and insured pest management business, we are the right choice in solving your pest issues.