Fleas

The most common fleas found in British houses are the cat flea and the dog flea. The human flea is now extremely rare and is largely found in piggerys.

How to spot them

Fleas are brown, around 2mm long, 1mm high and so thin that they look almost flat. The adult feeds from birds or mammal while the larvae feed on small particles of organic matter.

Fleas pass through three stages (egg, larvae and pupa) before becoming an adult. Their eggs are smooth, oval, greyish white and very smooth (1/4mm). They can only just be seen with the naked eye.

The fleas' armour makes them almost impossible to squash and they are capable of jumping a vertical height of 30cm. This represents 200 times its own body length, if a man were to jump this height it would be around 350m straight up in the air!

Their habits

Both adults and larvae live in cracks and crevices, usually on the floor or in the host's bedding. Each species of flea is more or less dependant on their own species of host, but remove the host and some fleas can live for months on human blood. However they cannot breed and so will die eventually. If a house has been empty for months fleas can lie dormant until a host appears for them to feed from.

Control

With cat or dog fleas it is necessary to have the animal treated (your vet will be able to help) and have its bedding thoroughly washed and treated with insecticide.

All floors, cracks, crevices, fabrics and bedding should be treated with insecticide and bed linen should be washed.

We advise that you vacuum all floors and floor coverings and spray all new vacuum cleaner bags with insecticide to kill any fleas that are collected.

Insecticides

There are many products that deal with fleas; the best ones contain "Methoprene" which gives several months of protection by preventing larvae from developing properly. You can buy these products from most chemists, hardware shops and veterinary surgeries. If you have problems getting rid of fleas your local business directory will list professional pest controllers.

Safety

Be safe. Always read the label of an insecticide before buying it and follow the safety precautions before use. Some are flammable, hazardous to pets (especially fish) or harmful if breathed in. Do not spray foods, food preparation surfaces or animals. Never spray around children. Do not breathe in excessive amounts of spray.