Fleas are pests known to mankind since ancient times. Nothing prevents these wingless insects from conquering vast distances.
They jump perfectly and easily move on potential carriers, such as dogs or birds, at any distance.
Fleas feed on blood, which increases their level of danger to humans, they are able to endure serious diseases. And their varieties are directly related to those on whom they live. More on this later in the article.
Differences
Fleas are not as simple as they appear at first glance. Externally, representatives of different species are practically indistinguishable. The human eye sees only a small dark point, which disappears from view as soon as someone tries to catch it. Tracing her movement is impossible.. Tiny bloodsucker jumps high.
More than 2 thousand species of fleas are known. Among them, the most common:
- human
- duffel or bedding;
- feline;
- doggy;
- rat;
- chicken.
Almost every kind of mammal has its own parasite. Clothing, home or bed fleas are more likely to live in the folds of clothing, fill the space in bed or hide in carpets and walkways.
White fleas are only at the stage of the larvae. Then they are worm-shaped. Flea larvae are not yet able to bite and drink blood. Therefore, while growing up, they live closer to organic residues.
Human
A cat, dog and any other flea can bite a person if the parasite is hungry and the person is nearby. Almost 1,5 thousand species of these parasites can potentially choose a person for the role of the victim. But there are real human fleas. Their main source of nutrition is human blood.
REFERENCE: Insects do not live on their immediate host all the time, as many used to think. They jump only to eat. More often they are in motion.
The size of a human flea is about 3 mm.. This is a lot compared to the size of other relatives. With such dimensions, the bloodsucker conquers a distance of up to 50 cm in length. You can find it on those parts of the body where the hair is most. This feature is similar to the habitat of lice.
Human flea
Bed or duffel
Bed, linen, clothing fleas - one of the subspecies, which is classified not so much by the characteristics of its structure, as by habitat.
These insects have a powerful chitinous cover and a flattened laterally body.. That is why they are not so easy to kill.
They have a dark brown color and do not exceed 3 mm in length. This species has very developed hind limbs, which makes it possible to perform truly gigantic jumps.
In terms of modern apartments, they can live not only in linen and clothes, but also in carpets, pet bedding, furniture, and behind baseboards. Fleas are active at any time of the day, after saturation they wait for some time in the folds of bed linen or clothes.
Dangerous because can cause persistent allergic reactions and are carriers of two hundred diseases, the most different in degree of danger to humans.
Duffel or bed fleas
Feline
Considered the most common species in Russia. They usually feed on the blood of cats. But hungry representatives of their own species do not disdain to have dinner on a dog. Jumping on people, they transmit dangerous diseases. The cat's parasite, unlike the human, being on the body, tries to bite on the open and hairless areas.
It is a mistaken opinion that if a cat has fleas, then they are harmless to humans. As you can see, the opposite is true. AND it is necessary to deduce parasites not only from the coat of the animal, but also from the house.
REFERENCE: It is known that cat fleas do not live in the fur of an animal. They hop up to eat and hide in secluded places near the source of food. These can be baseboards in the vicinity of a cat's lounger or a place right in the bedding.
Cat fleas
Doggy
They are less common than the cat, not so quickly multiply, but successfully infect all four-legged, which fall into their path. Like all other pests, dog parasites have a flattened body and dark color.
Under the microscope, too long insect hind paws attract attention. They provide jumps at a distance that exceed the size of the parasite a hundred times.
Dog fleas successfully hunt for humans. Especially this occurs when a strong infection of the animal. Pets can pick up the pest from an infected dog during a walk, from a cat, or a rat, and even from a person whom the parasite used for "transportation".
Dog fleas
Rat
There are European and southern representatives of this species. The first live on the hair of domestic rodents. Parasitic on rats and mice in European countries. They are known carriers of rat tapeworm and plague carriers.
Southern relatives - one of the most dangerous in the world. First biting the rat and then the person the insect transmits mouse typhus and bubonic plague.
Rat fleas
Chicken
All members of the chicken family suffer from these parasites. With severe infection, pests able to bring the bird to exhaustion. Especially hard for blood suckers to the younger generation. Therefore, it is necessary to remove insects in a timely manner, even before the birth of offspring.
Chicken fleas
Black fleas in the apartment
Black fleas are a generic common name for all types of fleas that can inhabit human housing. These include cat and dog, and rat and bed fleas.
Get into the house can both with pets and independently, for example, from an infected basement. They multiply rapidly, live near the source of food, carry diseases and cause allergies.
Black fleas
How to get rid of black fleas:
- Treat pets with special products.
- Thoroughly clean the house, using a powerful vacuum cleaner to reduce the number of eggs in carpets and furniture.
- Clothes and linens, curtains and blankets to heat treat.Insects die at a temperature of +50 degrees. Low temperatures, from -15 degrees, are destructive for them.
- Treat the apartment with insecticide products, paying special attention to possible flea habitats:
- plinths;
- furniture;
- walls 1-1.5 meters from the floor.
All disinfection work must be done in one day. Upon completion, provide pets with special collars to prevent re-infestation.
Read more about how to deal with fleas, you can read in a series of materials on our site.We have prepared for you articles on topics: what to use to remove fleas from the pet's hair, an overview of the most effective means for home and what popular methods should be used.
Different types of blood-sucking insects are imperceptibly different from each other. They have a slightly different arrangement of body parts. They jump at different distances and differ in color too. But given the tiny size, it’s impossible to look at the details with the naked eye. If a person is bitten by fleas, only an entomologist can tell which species they belong to.
Parasites reproduce in the same way, scattering eggs, anywhere.
Any flea can bite a person. Together with blood particles, it carries dangerous diseases from animals. Especially should beware of rat parasites.
No one is immune from infection. Therefore, it is important to carry out preventive measures - regularly check the pet's hair, timely remove blood-sucking pests.
