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Tag: fleas eggs

  • Tired of Flea Eggs? Know what to do!

    Tired of Flea Eggs? Know what to do!

    Flea eggs are primary and the main source of the flea infestations.These minute, almost invisible invaders set the base for a bigger pest problem that affects the life of your pets and your own. Understanding the nature of these eggs is of vital importance to the people who are facing a flea infestation.

    The eggs are not only laid by the adult female fleas, but they can enter your home via your pet. They might hide in carpets, furniture, pet bedding, and inside the wall cracks. Flea eggs need to be specifically targeted if you want to break the reproductive cycle and get long-lasting solutions via pest control.

    How to Make Sure What you see are Infact Flea Eggs?

    The eggs are very tiny, and their length is only about 0.5 mm. They have a width of 0.3 mm and because of their size, they are almost invisible. They have an oval shape with round ends. New flea eggs are white to off-white in color and are somewhat translucent if you see closely. Many people compare flea eggs to salt or tiny rice grains due to their size and color.

    It is very important to keep a check. Check the bedding area of your pet, house carpets, rugs, and cracks in the furniture properly. These eggs are very commonly found in cracks between floorboards and along baseboards. To make it easier to spot the potential flea eggs, put a dark cloth or paper under them. Also, if you have a magnifying glass, amazing! Use it to look closer.

    Confused Between Flea Eggs, Flea Dirt, and Dandruff?

    Confused-Between-Flea-Eggs-Flea-Dirt-and-Dandruff

    Fleas eggs are very different from flea dirt and dandruff. They have particular shape ie. oval and are white in color. Flea dirt is nothing but dark brown, crumbly pieces. This flea dirt is mainly the blood that fleas feed on and have digested. This is why it is red or brown in color.

    On the other hand, pet dandruff does not have any particular shape, are flaky, and lacks the smooth oval shape which is the main feature of the flea eggs. Dandruff consists of dead skin cells that are very different in size and shape. These skin flakes get trapped into pet fur and accumulate over time.

    The Fleas eggs are easy to figure out because of their oval shape and smooth texture. They are not sticky and if you touch these spots very gently they will fall off. On the other hand, dandruff is sticky, so it will stay on the fur until removed.

    Ways to Get Rid of Flea Eggs

    Ways-to-Get-Rid-of-Flea-Eggs
    1. Vacuuming- Vacuum kills all of the eggs. They face physical trauma. Your focus should be on your pet’s sleeping areas, and cracked furniture where flea eggs find a place to hide. Vacuum carpets, rugs, and upholstered furniture daily to remove up to 90 percent of flea eggs from your place.
    2. Natural Desiccants- Sprinkle food-grade diatomaceous earth on carpets and allow to settle 48 hours and vacuum. You can use baking soda or salt powder.
    3. Wash and Steam Clean- Steam clean carpets with hot steam and kill flea eggs in all stages of life. Replace your extremely dirty ped beddings with fresh, clean materials.
    4. Environmental Controls- Maintain the humidity at less than 50 percent to ensure that the eggs do not hatch successfully. Apply flea prevention products on pets that are approved by veterinarians.
    5. Treatment Option- Use insect growth regulators which specifically attack flea eggs and inhibit hatching. Use professional-grade insecticides. Follow up treatments should be scheduled after every 5-10 days to intercept newly hatched fleas eggs.

    Conclusion

    It requires proper vacuuming, environment management, and professional treatments. It is important to note that the eggs may remain dormant even after months and therefore continuous effort is the only way to make sure that they are totally eliminated.

    Understanding the identification of these eggs and implementing strategies to protect your pets against continuous infestations. Do it until no more new eggs are found in your living spaces. The key is to keep following the tips and apply the control methods consistently.

  • Flea Life Cycle: From Eggs to Adults

    Flea Life Cycle: From Eggs to Adults

    Introduction to Flea Life Cycle

    When you face the issue of flea invasion in your house or on your pets, it is important to know the Flea Life Cycle. This will help you to control the fleas and you will be able to protect your pets as well. Fleas are dangerous because they reproduce quickly. Also, because they can live in different climate conditions easily. Knowing the Flea Life Cycle and its stages, you will be able to attack these pests more effectively and avoid future epidemics.

    Facts about a Flea Life Cycle

    The Flea Life Cycle includes four different stages:

    1. Flea eggs
    2. Larvae
    3. Pupae
    4. Adult fleas.

    Every stage has its difficulties and needs certain control measures. Each adult flea you observe has dozens of younger ones hiding in carpets, beds, and on floors, inside cracks, and so on. This is why it is important to consider the whole Flea Life Cycle when organizing pest control.

    A Brief on Flea Eggs

    The Flea Life Cycle begins with flea eggs. Adult female fleas deposit flea eggs on their host, which is typically a pet, after feeding. These flea eggs are small, oval and white or cream in color and are hard to see. Since the eggs of fleas are smooth, they can easily drop off the animal and spread all over the house- landing in carpets, beddings, furniture, and even in the soil outside.

    Generally, the flea eggs may hatch in a time period ranging from 1 to 12 days, still, some of them may lie dormant for weeks or even months if the conditions are changed. This feature of the flea eggs is the main reason why they are so hard to get rid of and why the infestation can still be there after the treatment.

    Stages of a Flea Lifecycle

    The four stages of a flea’s life cycle are mentioned below! At each stage, the flea displays unique features.

    1. Flea Eggs

    After a blood meal, adult fleas lay grease fleas on their host. One female can lay approximately 50 eggs in a single day. Most of the grease flea eggs fall off the host and gather in the environment, particularly in areas where the pet population is high. The hatching of the flea eggs takes place in 1 to 12 days period depending on the temperature.

    2. Larvae

    After hatching, the flea eggs turn into larvae, hence small worm-like figures that are frightened of the light and are always in the search of dark and warm places are called the flea larvae. Flea larvae consume decomposed material that consists of flea droppings and skin cells. The duration of this stage is approximately 5 to 11 days.

    3. Pupae

    The grown up, flea larvae now make a protective cocoon and thus they reach the pupal stage. The cocoon is not only sticky but also camouflaged with debris, hence the pupae become hardly visible and also they are resistant to many treatments.

    During the dormant period, which can last for several weeks or even months, pupae are still there and only upon receiving signals such as vibrations, heat, or carbon dioxide, they will decide to come out as adults.

    4. Adult Fleas

    Adult fleas come out of their cocoons when they detect a host in the vicinity. They do not waste time in looking for a blood meal and they can also start laying flea eggs within 1-2 days. Adult fleas have a lifespan of about 2–3 months, but they are capable of living longer if the conditions are suitable.

    It is estimated that only 5% of the total flea population is at the adult stage, hence most of the fleas are going to be in the earlier stages and they will always be hidden to the naked eye.

    Conclusion

    For the owner of a dog or cat who is having a flea problem, its important to understand that if you simply kill the adult fleas you still have a big problem. The problem I am talking about is the flea larva and the flea eggs. Therefore, to make pest control more effective, a plan for the entire life cycle of the insect, especially the places, where the eggs and larvae may be hiding is needed. By being smart and treating all the life stages you will be able to distrupt the process. This will keep your home and your pets safe.