Western Exterminators - Pest Control Services California, Arizona, Nevada

Blood Feeders: Bed Bugs | Brown Dog Tick | Cat Flea

	Common name:	Latin name:	Class:	Order:	Family:
	Cat Flea	Ctenocephalides felis (Bouche)	Insecta	Siphonaptera	Pulicidae

	Size:
	Adults are about 1/8 inch (2.5 mm) long.
	Characteristics:
	Wingless insects with bodies flattened from side to side and with long hind legs for jumping.
	Color:
	Brownish black to black, but reddish black when full of blood.
	Where Found:
	Throughout the United States and the world.
	Habitat:
	Mostly on cats. Can also live on other animals that visit the city, such as opossums, foxes, mongoose and rats. Are also found indoors in narrow cracks where these animals frequently visit, or outdoors in humid climates. Larvae live in same locations, especially where there is high moisture.
	Food:
	Fleas are blood feeders. Larvae must consume adult flea fecal material of digested blood in order to complete development.
	Biology:
	After each blood meal a female lays 4-8 eggs among a host animal's hairs or in its bedding area, amounting to 400-500 during her life. Eggs are tiny white ovals, about 1/64 in (.5 mm) long, which take 1-12 days to hatch. May fall or be shaken off into crevices where animal sleeps or spends time. Larvae need high relative humidity (45-75%), going through 3 instars (stages) in 1-2 weeks to several months. Cocoon period (pupae) with camouflaging debris on the surface may last 4-14 days or up to a year. The pre-emerged adult stays in the cocoon for up to 20 weeks, protected from dangers such as pesticides. Adults look for a blood meal soon after emerging, but can survive for several months on stored fat. Once on a host, they feed, mate, and lay eggs. Many adults live only a few days, as cat grooming removes up to half of them, but survivors can live about one year.
	Damage:
	Nuisance to the host animal and household. Intermediate hosts of dog tapeworm, which can infest indoor cats, and rodent tapeworm, which can infest humans. Can transmit plague and marine typhus.
	Invasion:
	Transported by pets and can also jump up about 6 in (15 cm) so come in on peoples' shoes and clothes. Since a continual food source is not required, even if a structure has been empty for 6 months but there have been flea larvae or cocoons present, it is possible for the population to have grown to be a nuisance.
	Control:
	When this pest is noted in living areas, it is generally associated with household pets. However, due to its ability to jump about 6" vertically, it can easily jump onto trousers, shoes, etc. They could be carried in from an area just outside the structure. If household pets are not present, efforts must be made to eliminate the animal that is causing the problem. This could be feral cats, opossums or rodents as described above. Eliminate this problem by using exclusion methods and trapping. If pets are present, they must be treated on the same day that the treatment is rendered for best results. All areas or surfaces that pets spend time in or on should be cleaned. Before treating, a thorough vacuuming must be done to remove pet hair and adult flea fecal material which flea larva feed on to develop. In the areas where pets rest, vacuum floors, wall-floor junctions, upholstered furniture, and base of furnishings. Remove vacuum bag immediately, sealing it in a plastic bag and disposing of it in an outside trash bin. Thorough treatment should be made to the inside and exterior areas. All carpeted floor areas, along edges of floor molding, and under cushions of furniture should be treated. Exterior areas should be treated, concentrating on areas that pets spend time in or on, including lawn areas and shaded areas under landscape bushes. Suggestion: At the start of the ‘flea season’, treat areas inside your home with an I.G.R. (Insect Growth Regulator) which will effect the development of the larvae. It interrupts their pupation cycle and produces a superior result regarding a sustained flea control program. Due to the thoroughness required during the treatment process, you may want to use a professional exterminator. Continued monitoring and possible additional treatments may be necessary. Contacting the insects with the material is essential to control. When using any pesticide, be sure it is registered for the target pest/location. Read the entire label prior to use. Follow all label directions, restrictions, and precautions.