|
BIOLOGY
Fleas as adults are parasites
on warm blooded animals. These are known as hosts.
There are around three thousand
known species of flea but the most predominant is the cat flea
Ctenocephalides felis and is responsible for about 70% of all
complaints.
LIFE CYCLE OF THE CAT FLEA
Adult fleas feed on blood and
after every feed, the female lays 4 to 8 adhesive eggs in the
fur or feathers of the host or more usually in its bedding.
Cats bedding may support a flea
population of 8000 pre-adult fleas and 2000 adult fleas.
A single female is capable of
producing up to 1000 eggs in her two year lifespan. The eggs hatch
after about a week, they are then known as larvae, they feed on
undigested blood and excreta left by the adults.
After 2-3 weeks of growing they
begin to spin a tiny silken cocoon in which they can pupate. Three
days later the cocooned larvae moult to reveal the creamy-white
pupa, these pupa are capable of remaining dormant for 8 months
until the vibrations of a host can be felt, they then hatch and
jump towards the source of vibration, this is then the start of
the life cycle all over again.
|
