Fleas - PestMethods

What do baby fleas look like? Below I've detailed pictures, images and videos of baby fleas. These will include comparisons (size, color etc.) & bed or furniture climbing - these will help you clear the flea problem. So, what do baby fleas look like? In summary, baby fleas are the pre-adult stages (eggs, larval and pupal stages) and they all have distinct looks. Flea eggs are tiny and oval-shaped (0.05 mm), white in color, smooth and dry. Flea larvae measure 3 mm - 5.2 mm - they're semi-transparent or white and worm-like in shape. Finally, flea pupae are irregularly shaped, crusty,and lumpy with silky cocoons. Details: What Do Baby Fleas Look Like? 1. Flea Eggs Fleas eggs, compared to adult fleas, are microscopic (average 0.5 millimeters long) and hence might be challenging to detect - they're about the size of a salt grain. Fleas Eggs Source: Entomology Today They'll have a off-white “chorion” - which is a soft shell and will take a oval shape. Also, you might confuse flea eggs with sand or dry skin. Female fleas will lay about 27 eggs each day - being smooth and dry on their exterior - you can find them on cat's or dog's bedding. But, you can't see the fleas eggs with your naked eyes. Flea Eggs Vs. Flea Dirt Flea feces or flea dirt can easily be mistake for flea eggs but both a generally an indication of a massive flea infestation. However, flea dirt is crumbly and dark. Flea dirt identification - Simply place the specks on some bright or white paper and pour a few water drops. Check for signs of red color - this is an indication of the presence of undigested blood. Flea eggs identification - You may notice the flea eggs or flea infestation by seeing adult fleas or flea dirt. Further, you can use a magnifying glass after placing the speck on some black paper - check for the oval-shaped flea eggs. 2. Flea Larvae Flea eggs will hatch into flea larvae within 2 weeks. Flea larvae measure about 3 mm - 5.2 in body length. Baby fleas are semi-transparent/ white worm-like creatures but tiny bristles - they'll become darker with age. Flea larvae will last anywhere from 4-18 days. At this development stage, the flea larvae will have 3 instars or molts. However, in their 3rd instars, the flea larvae will make cocoons before pupating. Flea larvae seem to contain some blackish or dark stuff in their body. However, they hate light but are actively moving around as they dig their-selves into your bedding. These larvae will eat organic matte or adult flea poo ( flea dirt). Therefore, the reddish cat blood will reflect inside the flea larvae's body. The larvae fall off as their hosts move around your house or yard - or even the pet's sleeping places. The fleas eggs will be dropped in the pet's sleeping areas and that's where they'll hatch. 3. Flea Pupae Flea pupae makes roughly 10% of the whole flea population in your spaces. Notably, this is the last stage for the baby fleas as they progress to become adults. The cocoons will protect the flea pupae for 1-3 weeks. The fleas pupae may last for about 1 week to a year. They'll only emerge from the cocoon when a host is around - it'll sense through the hosts' production of carbon dioxide and vibrations. But its not possible to exterminate the flea pupae using using powders or sprays since their cocoon offer a protective cover. Thus, you'd need to vacuum the fleas in your spaces thoroughly to remove even eggs and adults. Do Baby Fleas Crawl or Jump? Notably, the quiescent period in fleas occurs when the fleas attain their adulthood while in the cocoon. During this phase, the fleas' metabolism and movement is limited. However, fleas are wingless and hence won't fly. However, these bugs will still move very fast mainly though jumping. Adult fleas will jump about 12 inches horizontally and 6 inches vertically. However, fleas will also live in the grass yard - check these best flea spray for yard. Also, fleas can't jump out of water and particularly that with dish soap - check how to control dawn dish soap for fleas. Baby flea may be carried into your yard or house by raccoons, possum, squirrel, or rabbit when they nest on your porch deck or patio. How to Kill Baby Fleas 1. Vacuuming and Steaming With one of the best vacuums for fleas, it'll be fairly easy to help you eliminate about 32 to 90&% of the fleas eggs, flea dirt, and baby fleas in your room or carpet. This will also work great for hard surfaces such as tile and hardwoods. Washing bedding, pet beds, or linens, steaming and mopping may also help you eliminate the baby fleas - you can also kill fleas with heat from a dryer or washing machine. 2. Diatomaceous Earth Ditomaceous earth (DE) for fleas acts like a natural flea control option - it acts through the favorable mechanical structure. They'll remove its bodily fluids through dehydration after breaking its exoskeletons. DE is a finely-ground powered made from fossilized algae diatoms - its walls has very sharp silica edges that'll break the fleas' hard exoskeleton. Besides Diatomaceous Earth will also repel snails and snakes as it'll damage their internal organs when they ingest the silica-based powder. 3. Salt Kills Baby Fleas For cats and dogs that have towels, rug, and pet beds - you'll need to use pepper and salt to kill the baby fleas. For this, simply sprinkle some salt on the pet bedding. Note that salt will kill the baby fleas effectively. The sea salt or finely ground house-hold salt will kill the fleas in your carpet or home. Just sprinkle the salt on furniture or carpeted floors - but allow it o remain there for 1-2 days. Salt is chemically made up of sodium - which has abrasive characteristics to scratch and enter the exoskeleton of the baby fleas. Thus, the salt will dry out fleas' fluids to under 50% and thus kill them. However, a limitation with this technique is that most fleas will live on a favorable host for most of the adult flea lives until they're dislodged or upon the death of the host. Conclusion You can effectively get rid of your flea problem in carpets using this comprehensive guide. So, we've checked and analyzed how fleas look plus their pictures. Sources: Flea Control and Prevention | Entomology Fleas | Public Health and Medical Entomology Understanding the Flea Life Cycle - PetMD