Fleas are
amongst the most advanced of all insects with a life cycle which features a full
metamorphosis. This is one of the things which allows these common household
pests to stand apart from many other pests and allows them to quickly grow and
multiply rather quickly. Although many people would not think that there are
many similarities between a flea and a butterfly, their life cycles are very
similar. The female fleas have the ability to lay eggs which are then hatched
and larvae are then produced. These larvae go through various stages where they
finally spin a cocoon around the larvae and when the transformation is complete
the adult flea then is able to emerge.
When possible fleas prefer to lay their
eggs on a warm blooded animal host which will differ depending on the species
of flea, this is because a female cannot lay eggs until after her first meal.
If an adult flea hatches and a food source cannot be found then it will die
without being able to lay eggs and reproduce. However, after the initial
feeding has been completed, they are then able to lay approximately 20 eggs at
a time ad can go for months without feeding again if necessary without
starving. Although the eggs are typically laid on an animal host, the surface
of the eggs is flat and tends to fall off of the animal and land on the surroundings
where they will remain until ready to hatch.
This is why flea infestations are common
within furniture and animal beddings where the animals tend to spend a lot of
time. One common misconception about flea eggs is that they are black in color
and they are often confused with the flea droppings which are the remains of
excess blood which has been disposed of. Flea eggs are actually white in color
and typically hard to see by the naked eye. Once the larvae are hatched from
the eggs, they then find somewhere to burrow such as small cracks or within the
fibers of carpet where they are able to feed off of skin cells, flea fecal
matter and other debris.
These larvae are only a mere 1 ½
millimeters in length and look similar to small segmented worms such as fly
larvae. They avoid light and look for a cool, moist dark place where they can
spin their cocoons and prepare for adulthood. There are three stages of a
flea’s larvae stage and after each stage a molting of the cocoon occurs. After
approximately two weeks a flea larvae is then ready to spin a silk cocoon
similar to that of a butterfly where it will then attach itself to a small dirt
and debris which help to camouflage the cocoon and successfully hide it from
sit until ready to hatch. The length of time this takes can vary between one
and two weeks depending on the amount of food which is available for the larvae
to feed upon. It is possible for a flea to remain within a cocoon for up to a
year before hatching.
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