Of all known parasites, fleas are the smallest in size. They cause the greatest harm to animals that live in close contact with humans - dogs and cats, but they can also be dangerous for humans. Fleas are carriers of serious diseases such as pseudotuberculosis, listeriosis, and tularemia. We will tell you in more detail about the habits, characteristics of life and methods of fighting fleas.
Appearance of fleas
The flea size is usually from 1 to 5 mm in length, but in some species the female can reach 1 centimeter, especially after a heavy meal.
As a rule, large fleas, about one centimeter in size, choose deer and elk as their prey. The color of fleas is usually red, dark brown and sometimes black. Fleas do not have wings and cannot fly, but they can jump well. The absence of wings is even an advantage for fleas, because they would prevent them from moving in the fur of animals. The flea's body consists of an abdomen and a head; a durable chitinous layer covers the surface of the body. The body structure of fleas is similar to that of a shrimp, only much smaller in size. Thanks to this body shape, fleas easily penetrate the fur of animals, the feathers of birds and the clothing of people. The flea gets onto the animal's body through long jumps.
Also, the flea's body is covered with many bristles, and on the head there are ctenidia - these are jagged combs; behind the eyes there are antennae - antennas that help fleas catch females during the mating season. Such bristles and combs prevent parasites from being combed out of the hair. The flea's mouthparts are piercing-sucking and work as follows: the insect bites the victim's skin, releases a little saliva to stop blood clotting, after which the flea penetrates the wound, it needs to reach the blood vessels.
There is one more feature in the anatomy of fleas - this is the pygidium organ, it is located in the back of the abdomen. On its surface there are hundreds of tiny hairs that can capture air vibrations. The function of the pygidium is to warn the parasite about dangers.
Characteristics of the distribution of flea infraorders
2.1. Infraorder Hystrichopsyllomorpha
Sem. Hystrichopsyllidae is the most extensive in the order. It has 580 species belonging to 9 subfamilies. Each of the subfamilies has its own significant morphological features. In addition, representatives of this family have mastered the widest range of hosts, including, according to our data, species of 16 genera of insectivores, 7 genera of marsupials, 65 genera of rodents (including 9 genera of squirrels, 37 genera of hamsters, 19 genera of mice) and 5 genera of carnivores.
The place of origin of most subfamilies most likely should be attributed to the Holarctic. Representatives of the family Hystrichopsyllidae spread mainly to hamsters, which arose in the Oligocene (Vorontsov, 1968; Carroll, 1993), along the mountain systems of Eurasia and North America through Beringia, from where they penetrated through Europe into Africa. Distribution to North America could have occurred along the North Atlantic and Beringian land bridges. From North America, species of the family penetrated into South America probably twice: at the end of the Cretaceous and in the Miocene. Probably secondary species of the family. Hystrichopsyllidae spread from the foothills to lowland forests, as well as to the semi-deserts and deserts of the Iran-Turanian subregion. Species of the family are poorly represented in the deserts of the Sahara-Arabian and Cape subregions.
Sem. Chimaeropsyllidae, according to our data, is close to the family. Hystrichopsyllidae (Medvedev, 1995a). It is endemic to the Afrotropical region, where its species are almost entirely confined to the Cape subregion. The least specialized genus in the family is Chiastopsylla. The hosts of 16 species of this genus are rats and mice. Genera with more specialized structural features of the head and chest parasitize both mice and jumping insects of the Afrotropical neg. Macroscelidea, known from the Eocene-Miocene. It is possible that fleas are fam. Chimaeropsyllidae were associated with mice and later switched to parasitism in the arid conditions of the Cape subregion and on jumping hoppers.
Another family that we bring closer to this one. Hystrichopsyllidae, is the family. Stephanocircidae. Fleas in this family are traditionally considered "primitive" mainly due to their relationship with marsupials. Primitive characters include the presence of a gap between the pygidial plate and the anal tergite in females, the absence of a well-developed condyle in the digitoid, etc. This family is divided into two subfamilies that have well-defined structural features of the head, chest and aedeagus (Medvedev, 1995a). One of them, Stephanocircinae, is distributed in Australia on various marsupials and rats (Dunnet and Mardon, 1974). In South America the subfamily is represented. Craneopsyllinae, species of which parasitize hamsters living in the highlands of the Andes (Johnson, 1957; Schramm and Lewis, 1988). The structural features of fleas of this family are determined by their lifestyle, i.e., adaptation to fast and maneuverable movement in the host’s fur. It is quite possible that the original fleas of the family. Stephanocircidae were widely related to South American marsupials, most of which became extinct. Parasitism on marsupials that do not have nests led to the development of morphological adaptations inherent in “hair fleas” of the ischnopsylloid type. Probably seven. Stephanocircidae could have arisen during the same period when the ancestors of the subfamily penetrated into South America. Doratopsyllinae.
The last family of the infraorder Hystrichopsyllomorpha is fam. Macropsyllidae. Fleas of two genera were collected from rats and various marsupials. This family is probably a relict part of the South American-Australian flea fauna that parasitized marsupials.
2.2. Infraorder Pygiopsyllomorpha
This infraorder is represented by three families. Sem. Pygiopsyllidae contains 165 species belonging to 37 genera. It is divided into three subfamilies of unequal size (Dunnet and Mardon, 1974; Mardon, 1981). Although special morphological studies have been devoted to this family (Mardon, 1978), a scheme of phylogenetic relationships of its genera has not been developed.
We consider this group at the rank of a superfamily and subdivide it into three independent families, corresponding in size to the old subfamilies (Mardon, 1984). This is due to the fact that the first of them, Lycopsyllinae, stands out sharply in its structural features from the other two. The closed antennal fossae and shortened antenna, which in fleas of the genus Uropsylla are equipped with a club-shaped outgrowth, are similar to similar structures of the family. Pulicidae.
Of the other two families, one - Stivaliidae - is distinguished by a number of specialized structural features of the aedeagus and sexual claw. Representatives of the second, Pygiopsyllidae proper, do not have the specialized structural features of the first family, differing from it in the way the digitoid is attached to the body of the claw.
Feature of distribution over all. Pygiopsylloidea is confined to many of its genera in the Indo-Malayan region, where 26 of 37 genera and 62% of the species of their total are distributed. Most of these genera (22 genera) are representatives of the family. Stivaliidae Moreover, the largest part of endemic genera (13) is concentrated in the Papuan subregion, in particular in New Guinea. A number of genera of the family. Stivaliidae are represented in the fauna of Southeast Asia, as well as in Africa, where they parasitize mouse and tupaya. Sem. Pygiopsyllidae is more widely represented in Australia (7 genera out of 10 known), 4 genera of this family are also common in New Zealand. Sem. Lycopsyllidae has 4 genera, species of which parasitize echidnas, wombats and predatory marsupials.
2.3. Infraorder Ceratophyllomorpha
This infraorder is represented by one superfamily. Ceratophylloidea, consisting of four families: Xiphiopsyllidae, Ceratophyllidae, Leptopsyllidae and Ischnopsyllidae.
Sem. Xiphiopsyllidae is represented by a single genus, Xiphiopsylla, species of which are distributed among mice in East Africa (Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda). A peculiarity of fleas of this family are the peculiar evenly thickened bristles located on the chest and abdomen. However, in general, fleas of this family are similar to fleas of the family. Ceratophyllidae.
Sem. Ceratophyllidae has 397 species belonging to 44 genera. Most of the species are represented in the fauna of the Palaearctic (49% of the total species) and the Nearctic (30% of the species). Fauna species of the Neotropical region account for 11, Indo-Malayan - 7 and Afrotropical - 4%. Representatives of the family are absent from the faunas of New Guinea and Australia, but are known from New Zealand. Its representatives did not gain significant distribution in South Asia, whose mouse fauna includes 64 endemic genera (calculation according to: Corbett, Hill, 1986).
The faunas of the Nearctic and Neotropical regions are most closely related to each other (19.2%). The Palaearctic fauna is also closely related to the fauna of the Nearctic (17.5%) and the Indo-Malayan region (18.5%).
Sem. Ceratophyllidae has a distinctly Asian-American type of distribution, due to the existence of the Beringian land bridge in the past. It is difficult to indicate the place of origin of this family without additional morphological analysis. However, Traub and Rothschild (1983) confidently argue that it arose in North America on sciurids in the early Oligocene (38-40 million years ago) and secondarily adapted to hamsters, other groups of rodents and birds. The youth of the family is supported by the absence of its representatives in more ancient groups of animals - marsupials, insectivores, mole rats, etc.
Sem. Leptopsyllidae contains 235 species belonging to 30 genera. In a special work (Medvedev, Kotti, 1992) the macrosystem of the family was substantiated, which we divided into three subfamilies: monotypic subfamily. Dolichopsyllinae, as well as the large subfamilies Paradoxopsyllinae and Leptopsyllinae. A peculiarity of the distribution of the family is that 205 species from 26 genera (87% of their total number) are concentrated in the Palearctic. In the Nearctic there are 17 species from 7 genera; the Afrotropical and Indo-Malayan regions are known for 10 species belonging to 3-4 genera.
Most of the species of the family. Leptopsyllidae belongs to the tribes Leptopsyllini (68 species), Amphipsyllini (36 species), and Paradoxopsyllini (125 species). The largest genera of these tribes (Leptopsylla, Peromyscopsylla, Pectinoctenus, Ctenophyllus, Frontopsylla, Ophthalmopsylla, Paradoxopsyllus) tend in their distribution to the Palearctic. At the same time, species of the tribes Amphipsyllini and Paradoxopsyllini are confined to the central and eastern parts, and the tribe Leptopsyllini is confined to the western and central parts of the Palaearctic. In the tribe Paradoxopsyllini, the connection of its species with mountain landscapes is clearly evident, and only a small part of the species of the tribe is confined to lowland steppes, semi-deserts and deserts. Among the representatives of the tribe there are almost no inhabitants of forest biotopes. The evolution of the tribe Paradoxopsyllini, as well as the monotypic tribe Amphipsyllini, is associated primarily with parasitism on rodents of the family. Cricetidae, particularly the subfamilies Cricetinae and Microtinae. An interesting fact is that representatives of this family are absent in North America in the hamster subfamily. Hesperomiinae. Nevertheless, a number of species of Madagascar genera of the tribe Leptopsyllini parasitize hamsters of the subfamily. Nesomyinae.
The most interesting information for reconstruction of distribution is provided by small tribes of the subfamily. Leptopsyllinae. Most likely seven. Leptopsyllinae originated in Asia, from where it spread to North America on the Aplodontiaceae. This could have happened in the Eocene. Species of the genus Odontopsyllus, parasitizing hares, could have penetrated from North America to Europe along the North Atlantic route. Much later, the genera Aconothobius, Ctenophyllus, Geusibia, Amphipsylla, Peromyscopsylla on hamsters and mice could have entered North America through the Beringian land bridge. Probably, initially this family was related, in addition to Aplodontiaceae, also to Gundiaceae and Jerboaaceae, known since the early Eocene. Later evolution of the family. Leptopsyllidae was caused by parasitism on Palearctic hamsters, which arose at the beginning of the Oligocene, and later - with mice, which appeared in the Pleistocene. At the same time, in the tribes Leptopsyllini and Amphipsyllini this process followed the path of adaptation to permanent residence in the host’s fur, and Paradoxopsyllini to habitation in a nest and periodic attack on the host.
Sem. Ischnopsyllidae includes 122 species belonging to 20 genera. Fleas of this family are parasites of chiropterans. The family is divided into two subfamilies: Thaumapsyllinae and Ischnopsyllinae. The first of them is monotypic. Its fleas are parasites of fruit bats in the tropics of the Old World. The second subfamily contains 19 genera whose fleas parasitize bats. Its classification and phylogeny were substantiated in detail earlier (Medvedev, 1985). Later, the patterns of parasite-host relationships and geographic distribution of taxa of this family were examined (Medvedev, 1990).
Subfamily Ischnopsyllinae is divided according to our classification into 5 tribes. Geographical groupings of taxa correspond to tribes identified on morphological criteria. Thus, the tribes Chiropteropsyllini and Ischnopsyllini unite representatives of the faunas of the Afrotropical, Indo-Malayan and Palearctic regions, the tribe Sternopsyllini - genera of the Neotropical region, the tribe Porribiini - Australian, the tribe Nycteridopsyllini includes the only genus with a Holarctic distribution. The Palaearctic fauna is the largest in terms of the number of species (50) and genera (out of 8 genera, one is endemic). In the Afrotropical region there are 26 species of 9 genera (3 endemic genera). In the fauna of the Neotropical region there are 13 species of 6 genera (4 endemic genera), the Indo-Malayan - 21 species of 6 genera, the Australian - 7 species of 4 genera (2 endemic genera). The closest connections are found in the faunas of the Afrotropical and Indo-Malayan regions (56%), to which the Palaearctic fauna is close (33%). Close connections are found between the faunas of the Nearctic and Palearctic regions. The fauna of the Australian region is the most isolated (Medvedev, 1985).
2.4. Infraorder Pulicomorpha
The infraorder unites 5 superfamilies and 7 families. The ways of their distribution differ from those of the infraorders Hystrichopsyllomorpha, Pygiopsyllomorpha, Ceratophyllomorpha.
The taxa of the latter have a Eurasian-American and American-Australian distribution. Taxa of the infraorder Pulicomorpha demonstrate connections between the faunas of Africa and Asia, Africa and South America. Representatives of the infraorder are less closely related to rodents. If such a connection exists, then it is inherent in young groups of fleas and hosts or, on the contrary, it arises between the earliest flea taxa and host groups.
Fleas fam. Vermipsyllidae (39 species of 3 genera) parasitize carnivores and ungulates, the family. Ancistropsyllidae (3 species of 1 genus) - on ungulates. The families Pulicidae (156 species in 22 genera) and Tungidae (23 species in 4 genera) have a wide range of hosts. Representatives of the family Rhopalopsyllidae (121 species of 10 genera) are parasites of caviomorph rodents and hamster subfamily. Hesperomiinae, as well as edentates, armadillos and birds. Sem. Malacopsyllidae (2 species 2 genera) are closely related to armadillos.
Representatives of this infraorder are united by similarities in the characteristics of the head, chest and reproductive apparatus. Probably the closest to the original form of the pulicoid complex are fleas of the monotypic family. Coptopsyllidae. Species of this family are common in Western and Central Asia on gerbils. The only North African species of this genus, Coptopsylla wassiliewi, has a tooth directed upward, similar to the teeth of the South American family. Rhopalopsyllidae. However, in fleas of other species of the genus Coptopsylla, deep grooves extend to the sides from this tooth. These grooves are sometimes mistaken for the border between the clypeus and the forehead.
It can be assumed that an ancestral group of the pulicoid complex existed in Africa. From Africa through Europe, the ancestral taxa of the families Vermipsyllidae and Ancistropsyllidae penetrated into Asia. At the same time, fleas of the first family parasitize on carnivores, and the second - on deer. In Africa, the family is most widespread. Pulicidae, which widely inhabits various groups of animals - hyraxes, striders, rodents, lagomorphs, warthogs and carnivores. Subsequently, fleas of the genera Echidnophaga and Xenopsylla penetrated into Asia, and fleas of the genus Echidnophaga spread to Australia. Here, fleas of 10 endemic species of the genus Echidnophaga parasitize echidnas, marsupials and rodents.
Species of the tribe Spilopsyllini family. Pulicidae parasitize hares. Modern genera of this tribe are confined mainly to the Nearctic region, from where they again enter the Western Palearctic. Fleas of the genus Nesolagobius, classified into a monotypic tribe, are also associated with hare. Fleas of the only species of this genus parasitize striped Sumatran hares. Representatives of the genus Nesolagobius are distinguished by a unique feature - a deep interantennal ridge, which has the appearance of a deep invagination (without a seam on the outer surface of the head).
The connections between Africa and South America are evidenced by the spread of the family. Tungidae. The genus Neotunga is represented in Africa, species of which parasitize pangolins. Two other genera, Hectopsylla and Rhynchopsyllus, are found in South America. The distribution of the genus Tunga is interesting, species of which are represented in South and North America, Japan and China.
The South American families Rhopalopsyllidae and Malacopsyllidae have a number of characters similar to those of the families Pulicidae and Tungidae. Fleas are on everyone. Rhopalopsylloidea is represented in the North American fauna by only a few species of the clearly specialized genera Polygenis and Rhopalopsyllus. The latter are widely represented in South America on various hosts. Although fleas are fam. Rhopalopsyllidae parasitize a wide range of South American mammals, their distribution being significantly limited by that of caviomorphic rodents. They do not penetrate deep into North America, such as hamsters. Most likely, the ancestors of these two families entered South America along with caviomorphic rodents from Africa.
What do fleas eat
The flea feeds only on the blood of the creature it parasitizes. The main victims of fleas include mammals that live in people's homes or farms. Wild animals living in burrows or nests are much less likely to be attacked by fleas. Typically, a flea does not live on the body of its victim all the time, but jumps there only to feed on blood; the rest of the time, fleas simply exist next to the owner. As for wild animals, fleas live on their bodies all the time; such insects are called stationary. The process of saturation in fleas can take several hours; fleas often drink blood as a reserve, due to which the size of the abdomen greatly increases. So-called stationary fleas need regular feeding; this is the main reason not to leave the body of their victim, but to live there permanently. Fleas can live on any animal, for example, live on a dog and then jump onto a squirrel. Only bat fleas do not adhere to this lifestyle; they parasitize exclusively on bats.
Pupa and adult
The further stage of flea development is the transformation from larva to pupa. In this form they can be stored for a year, tolerating cold weather quite well. After a certain period, due to warm weather or the presence of a warm-blooded animal, adult fleas emerge from the pupae. Under normal conditions, their full development cycle occurs in three to four weeks.
How long fleas live depends on their living conditions and the combination of various circumstances. In general, the duration of flea existence can be not only months, but also years. These insects attack animals, and in their absence, even humans. If fleas can survive for a long time in the external environment, then their feeding and reproduction is impossible without cats and dogs. And the food of adult individuals is only blood, which they consume in huge quantities.
Types of fleas
Today, science knows about 27 different types of fleas; let’s look at the most famous and interesting ones.
Human flea.
The most famous type of flea. They attack not only humans, but also animals that live near people - horses, dogs, cats. The size of such a flea is approximately 1.5 - 3 mm, and its jump reaches 30 cm in height and half a meter in length. A distinctive feature of human fleas is the absence of teeth on the thoracic part of the body. This type of flea is dangerous to humans and animals because it is the causative agent of plague and causes pulicosis.
cat flea
This flea parasitizes not only on cats, as the name might suggest. In addition to cats, dogs, rodents and, in some cases, even people can be hunted. Fleas of this species have a body measuring 0.7 - 5 mm. The lifespan of cat fleas is up to two years.
Dog flea
These fleas are similar in lifestyle to cats and parasitize not only dogs, but also cats. Outwardly, they are also similar, the only difference between them is their life expectancy - a dog flea does not live longer than one and a half years.
Southern rat flea
The most dangerous type of flea, they carry plague, mouse and rat tapeworm. They can live in any conditions, but are more often found in places with warm climates. The body size of females is 1.8-2.6 mm, males are slightly smaller - 1.4-2 mm. Color ranges from light brown to dark brown. They parasitize rats and other rodents and live in their burrows.
Penetrating flea.
It is also called the Brazilian or sand flea. This flea originates in Brazil and Haiti, and over time spread to Africa, Pakistan and India. It is brown in color with a small white spot. The size of this flea is approximately 1 mm, it can jump to a height of up to 30 cm. As a rule, it lives in grass, from which it jumps on humans, birds, and animals. Penetrates under the skin of the legs of animals, and gets under the nails of humans. Brazilian flea bites are dangerous, leading to tetanus, inflammation and even gangrene, which leads to amputation of the limb.
General characteristics of the distribution of the order of fleas
The world fauna of fleas includes about 2000 species and 550 subspecies, belonging, in accordance with our classification, to 18 families. The flea fauna of the Palaearctic is the richest (Table 1). It has 892 species belonging to 96 genus, which is 38% of all known species and 38% of all known genera. There are approximately the same number of species in the faunas of the Nearctic (299 species), Afrotropical (275 species) and Neotropical (289 species) regions. The fauna of the Indo-Malayan region includes 191 species, and the Australian - 68 species. In each region, from 7 to 10 families of fleas are represented. In terms of the total number of genera, the fauna of the Nearctic region is second after the Palearctic region (68 genera), the third is the Neotropical region (55 genera), the fourth is the Indo-Malayan region (52 genera), the fifth is the Afrotropical region (43 genera), the sixth is the Australian (26 genera). .
The largest number of endemic genera is in the Neotropical (31) and Australian (15) regions, accounting for approximately 56 and 58% of the total number of genera represented in them. A high percentage of endemic genera is characteristic of the Afrotropical (60.5%) and Indo-Malayan (42.3%) regions. In the Palearctic and Nearctic regions they constitute 45 and 36.8% of their total number, respectively.
The highest commonality index (CI) at the genus level (Table 4) is between the faunas of the Palaearctic and Nearctic regions (it is 22.3%). The fauna of the Nearctic is also close to the fauna of the Neotropical region (ir. 21.7%), and the Palaearctic - to the Indo-Malayan region (ir. 17.4%). And about. between the Indo-Malayan and Afrotropical regions is 11.7%, and a.i. between the Indo-Malayan and Australian regions - 13.0%.
Life stages of fleas
The life cycle of a flea consists of four stages, like many other pests:
- The first stage is the egg.
- Next is the larva
- Doll
- Finally, the adult is an imago
The eggs take approximately two weeks to develop. Then translucent larvae without legs emerge from them. At this time, they penetrate the victim’s nest and feed there on rotting products, dead particles of epithelium, and blood residues in parental excrement.
Next, the larva becomes a pupa; this stage lasts from several days and can last several months. At the last stage, the pupa turns into a full-fledged adult.
From eggs to larvae
Over the entire period of its existence, the flea goes through several stages of development: from egg to larva, from larva to pupa, from pupa to adult insect. The eggs are laid by the female on the animal's fur or in its habitat. One flea can lay up to twenty-five of them per day, and throughout its life - up to six hundred. Sometimes eggs, like grains of salt, cover the animal's body, which contributes to their scattering everywhere.
After some time, the larvae are born. At this stage, their appearance is completely different and different from what a flea looks like as an adult. The food of the larvae consists of any organic matter, including the feces of adults. And in the absence of such food, they can eat each other. The larvae live together with the owner, so they are most often found on the animal’s rug, in genital crevices, in basements, etc.
About flea bites
At the moment of the bite, the victim feels a stabbing pain and severe itching. The bite site itself swells a little, and slight swelling appears. The reaction to flea bites can be different, it all depends on the individual and his health. For some, the symptoms go away easily and quickly, while for others, the wound is very itchy for a long time after the bite; this may mean the onset of pulicosis
. In this case, you should immediately consult a doctor.
When the flea eats and falls off, a small hematoma forms at the site of the wound, the blood is baked and the wound heals. The only way to protect yourself from parasite bites is to completely destroy them in your home and follow preventive measures when traveling outdoors.
Nutrition and lifestyle
The human flea is one of the most common types of fleas, found everywhere. The insect parasitizes humans, domestic and wild animals. It is a carrier of a number of dangerous diseases, in particular plague, and can also be an intermediate host of some helminths. Feeds on the blood of its owners. The duration of blood sucking can be from a few seconds to 20 minutes. Insect bites become red and inflamed, causing a rash and itching.
The larvae feed on adult flea feces, dead skin particles and other organic matter. The human flea does not have wings, but is capable of covering a distance of 200 times its own body size in one jump, which is a record for animals. People most often become infected with fleas from pets or livestock. The transition from one owner to another is carried out by jumping or crawling when meeting the host animal. Fleas can spread quickly and move between different hairy areas of the body.
Diseases carried by fleas
As mentioned earlier, fleas are carriers and pathogens of dangerous diseases, some of which can be fatal. And so, a list of diseases carried by fleas:
- Typhoid
- Bubonic plague
- Encephalitis
- Hepatitis B and C
- Toxocariasis
- Tularemia
To avoid such dire consequences for your health, carefully ensure that your home is free of fleas and other parasites. If found, be sure to get rid of them and visit a doctor.
What is the danger of fleas to humans?
Fleas are always a nuisance. The most minimal damage that they can cause to a person is constantly itchy areas of the skin, scratching, sleep disturbances and neuroses. Moreover, parasites are spreaders of such dangerous diseases as:
- Pulicosis;
- Plague,
- Dermatophiliasis;
- Rat typhus;
- Rickettsiosis;
- Pseudotuberculosis;
- Listeriosis;
- Tularemia;
- Dipylidiasis.
Even in the absence of infection from a direct bite, there is a high probability of infection entering through the damaged area of the skin. Subsequently, the person suffers from boils, suppuration, and so on.
Methods for getting rid of fleas in an apartment
If pests do appear in your home, then it is better to use chemical-based products, this will help you get rid of pests as efficiently and quickly as possible. Fleas are physically unable to eat bait, so this method will not be effective. To combat fleas, sprays, aerosols, and powders are used - these products deal a strong blow to the nervous system of pests.
While treating a room with aerosols, it is better for residents of the house to leave the room, and after treatment, the room should be well ventilated and cleaned thoroughly. Today the best means are:
- Aerosol "Raptor". It has a mild mint scent, is non-toxic, and effectively fights parasites. To treat a small one-bedroom apartment, two cylinders will be enough.
- "Sinuzan" is a good professional product, effective, but has a significant drawback - a strong unpleasant odor.
- “Biorin” is also a professional product that helps in the fight not only against fleas, but also against other parasites.
After you complete the treatment of the room, do not forget to do high-quality wet cleaning and ventilation. As a preventive measure, you must always keep your home clean and tidy, because dust, dirt and debris are the main causes of fleas in your home.
Prevention of fleas in animals
No less important than treatment for parasites is their prevention. Knowing where fleas come from, how they reproduce and what kind of lifestyle they lead, you can try to protect your animal from such “neighbors”.
And there are many options for picking up these insects: from contact with other infected animals to walks in the park and trips out of town. After all, dog fleas live on trees, on grass, and just on the ground. Even a person can bring them home on himself. And small puppies can become infected from their own mother, who has these parasites.
Therefore, it is especially important to ensure that all the pet’s habitats are kept clean: clean all surfaces with a vacuum cleaner, use an aerosol to kill fleas, bathe the pet with a special anti-flea shampoo, and also comb the fur with a comb. And if such preventive measures are taken carelessly, diseases caused by fleas can be fatal for the animal.
How to identify parasite bites
Fleas bite primarily on the legs (ankles, instep and ankles), but can also infect other areas of the body. An insect bite turns into an erythematous spot (up to five millimeters in diameter) or a blister, in the middle of which a red dot can be seen with the naked eye. The tumor goes away quickly, but the spot itself bothers you for several days. At the same time, over time, the “army” of pests increases, so the frequency and intensity of bites also increases. For a long time after the wounds have healed, small scars can be seen on the skin. Flea bites, unlike mosquito bites, take longer to heal. If your skin is hypersensitive, you may develop an allergic reaction or symptoms of urticaria.
