Small (2mm) wingless insects, flattened
side to side, red-brown with backwardly
directed spines and legs designed for jumping.
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 takes about an month
in the summer. Adult fleas feed on blood.
Their bites can cause intense irritation
around the central bright red spot. Different
people react differently to a bite, both
in terms of degree of reaction and time
taken to react. The Car Flea is by far the
commonest species of flea and readily bites
humans. The Human Flea and the Bird Flea
are next in importance. Dog fleas are rare,
although other species may become temporarily
attached to dogs.
