Fleas are great jumpers, often leaping up to 7 inches vertically and more than a foot horizontally. That is the equivalent of a human clearing the high bar at 250 feet and the long jump at 450 feet! Only 1/16 to 1/8 of an inch long, flattened from side to side like a fish, with long hind legs, sawing and sucking mouth parts, fleas, like death and taxes, are forever with us. There are cat fleas, dog fleas, northern rat fleas and rabbit fleas. Fleas also live on mice, chipmunks, raccoons, possums, foxes, chickens and humans. "Sand-fleas" are just ordinary fleas that are breeding outdoors in the soil.
Ectoparasites such as fleas and lice were common human companions during the Middle Ages, a time when personal hygiene was at a low ebb. Fleas were so common that Beethoven wrote a humorous song about them describing a king -
"...who had a monstrous flea."
Outfitted with a little coat and trousers, he was made Minister of State.
All the flea's relatives became important protected pets (and pests) of the king.
"Aah! The flea! Hee! Hee! Hee! Hee! Hee! The flea!"
The fascination with fleas has continued to modern times. As a boy, I personally saw flea circuses, with the tiny beasts attached to minuscule harnesses, pulling carts and leaping through flea-sized acrobatic apparatus.
Fleas, however, have their dark side. Most notorious of all, the Oriental rat flea was responsible for starting a 14th century outbreak of bubonic plague, a disease also called the Black Death. Beginning about 1330 A.D. in China, the Black Death spread quickly to Europe as fleas deserted dying rats and invaded human populations. Over a period of just 5 years, plague killed 25 million people - one third of the population of Europe. Estimates suggest that worldwide, 200 million people died of plague during this time. The relationship of rats, fleas, humans and plague was not then understood. Plague was considered mysterious and terrifying. Many believed God's wrath was to blame.
Today in the United States, plague is found in various rodent populations, particularly ground squirrels and prairie dogs in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. Each year there are outbreaks of the disease in humans. Fleas also carry typhus and tularemia -both transmittable to humans. All three diseases can now be successfully treated with antibiotics if properly diagnosed.
There are four stages in a flea's life cycle - egg, three stages of larvae, pupa (cocoon) and adult. Adult fleas prefer to live on live, warm-blooded animals, drinking blood. They are very sensitive to heat, vibration, carbon dioxide, air movement and light, all of which stimulate adults to emerge from their cocoons, ready to hop, crawl and bite within 14 days after the eggs are laid. Females lay up to 25 eggs a day. In just 30 days, 25 adult females can produce a quarter of a million fleas!
Most of us are familiar with fleas on our pets, where their flattened profile and hard, slick bodies allow them to move easily and quickly through fur. Flea eggs usually drop off the host. They, as well as larval and pupal stages are usually found deep within home carpeting, rugs and furniture or the organic material and loose soil of your yard and garden. In homes where domestic animals have free run, fleas can be real pests. One of my friends, years ago, lived in a house that was literally crawling with fleas. When you sat on their furniture or carpet, fleas hopped everywhere. My friend usually had little red, itchy flea bites on his ankles and legs.
Control of fleas on pets can be attempted using flea collars, although many veterinarians say they are only marginally effective. Washes, rinses, powders, sprays, foams and pour-on anti-flea agents are also available for your pet. Most kill on contact, but some of the pour-ons are absorbed throughout your pet's body. The flea then dies drinking toxic blood or fail to reproduce. There are also effective but expensive oral systemic insecticides for pets which guard against fleas as well as heartworms and intestinal parasites.
Effective flea control means attacking fleas in the home and yard too. A wide variety of insecticides are available to kill fleas, larvae and pupae in carpets, furniture, pet bedding, pet houses and sleeping areas. They often contain diazinon, malathion or pyrethrins, depending on their intended use. Careful vacuuming of the carpet and furniture will also remove eggs, larvae and pupae.
In short, even though fleas are natural neighbors in East Texas fields and forests, you and your pets don't have to welcome them or suffer from their bites. See your veterinarian or pest control operator for more information or look up "fleas" on your favorite Web search engine for itch free pets and people.