Instead, super-fleas are called that because of their ability to reproduce in numbers much higher than normal fleas as a single female can lay as many as 50 eggs per day. Still, the increased number of their offspring means these fleas will take some more persuasion before you can be satisfied that they're gone.
All fleas can be super
In short, “super fleas,” are really just well-nourished, everyday fleas. Given the right conditions, ALL fleas have the potential to be super fleas. They're stubborn, and they'll stick around! What's a pet parent to do?
Other Dangers to Your Pet
Fleas are blood-sucking parasites, and if they continue feasting on cats or dogs for any length of time, the pet may develop anemia. This condition can cause lethargy at the very least and may even cause death in puppies, kittens or older pets.
The adults are roughly 1.5 to 4 mm in length and are laterally flattened. They are dark brown in color, are wingless, and have piercing-sucking mouthparts that aid in feeding on the host's blood. Both genal and pronotal combs are absent and the adult flea has a rounded head.
VERY tiny. If you lined up eight adult fleas end to end, they would fit inside an inch. It's no wonder they're hard to see and hard to detect in your home. Look closely and you'll see that adult fleas are reddish-brown in color with compressed, or flattened bodies.
Sand fleas are the only fleas that burrow into your skin to feed on blood. Other types of fleas land on the surface of your skin to temporarily feed on your blood. You may have multiple flea bites, or small red bumps on your skin.
In rare cases, fleas can spread tapeworms and other parasites to animals and people. Parasites can spread if a person or animal were to swallow an infected flea accidentally. In houses with a flea infestation, young children are more likely to get a parasite than adults.
Firstly, don't panic. Yes it's horrible that you've found fleas, but rest assured, most pet owners have had to deal with a flea problem at some point! Fleas are tiny, smaller than a pin head, but can jump up to a metre, and are so fast, you often don't see them even when they are in your house or on your pet.
At What Temperature and How Quickly Do Fleas Die? Adult fleas die at temperatures colder than 46.4°F (8°C) and hotter than 95°F (35°C). Immature fleas, which refers to both flea eggs and larvae, are slightly more susceptible to the cold, dying at temperatures below 55.4°F (13°C).
It is also an insect repellant and kills fleas," says Jose. "This is the major substance in Vicks, aside from Vicks use in upper respiratory infections, that can be used to repel mosquitoes and even fleas."
Vacuum often. All four stages of fleas are killed after vacuuming, with a 96 percent success rate. Homes that are vacuumed often will usually not have a flea problem that persists for long, because the eggs, larvae, pupa and adult fleas will all be killed or removed through the vacuum.
Most fleas have four life stages: egg, larva, pupa (in a cocoon), and adult.
Can Fleas Live on Humans? The short answer is that fleas may bite people, but they won't live on you. Fleas will seek out your dog or cat as their preferred host.
While adult fleas all suck blood from a cat or dog or other mammal, their larvae live and feed on organic debris in the host animal's environment. Flea larvae are blind. If you happen to see one flea, there may be more than 100 offspring or adults looming nearby in furniture, corners, cracks, carpet or on your pet.
According to extensive studies conducted at Ohio State University, vacuuming is indeed an effective way of getting rid of fleas! Through these studies, scientists discovered that vacuuming killed 96% of adult fleas from carpets and 100% of the flea pupae and larvae.
Not treating often enough
Fleas go through a life cycle of egg, larvae, pupae and adult. Most flea treatments just kill adult fleas, but fleas can continue to emerge for months after you think an infestation has ended. When a newly emerged female flea finds a host, she can lay eggs within one day.
In most cases, it takes three to four months to completely get rid of a flea infestation since it takes fleas this long to go through their life stages, according to the American Kennel Club.
Possible Complications
Scratching can lead to a skin infection. Fleas can carry bacteria that cause diseases in humans, such as typhus and plague.
In the United States, some fleas carry pathogens that can cause human disease, including: Plague — most commonly transmitted to humans in the United States by infected ground squirrel fleas, Oropsylla montana, and globally by infected Oriental rat fleas, Xenopsylla cheopis.
Without a host like a cat or a dog, fleas can live anywhere between a few days and two weeks, but they can lay eggs that make the infestation last longer.
When fleas impact humans, they may flock to the eyelashes, the eyebrows, the head, and the pubic region. Hair loss may occur on the body where the fleas are located.
Cat fleas don't breed on humans. In a natural setting, females can't produce eggs on a diet of human blood. Also, fleas can only jump to the height of a person's ankle. Once on a human, fleas quickly take a blood meal and then immediately leave.