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Fleas Happen But Be by household pets or when adult fleas
Certain Before You jump onto ankles and bite your feet and
lower legs as you walk past where they
Treat by Dr. Donald Lewis are hiding.
hrough Flea ID
the Flea IPM starts with identification. Here
1970s are the primary descriptive characteristics.
Tand • Approximately 1/8 inch long (large
1980s, fleas enough to see but distinctive
and flea control features are hard to distinguish)
problems grew • Reddish-brown
increasingly • Wingless
severe almost
every year. This • Very flat from side to side, giving an
was also the upright appearance
time of questions • Piercing-sucking mouthparts
about insecticide odor and the possibility • Long hind legs modified for jumping
of insecticide applications discoloring
residential carpeting. Fortunately, those Cat Fleas
trends did not continue, and flea jobs Almost all of the fleas we identify in
decreased but never completely went Iowa are cat fleas, including those found
away. Flea populations became variable on dogs, squirrels, raccoons, and other
from year to year and place to place until animals. Adult cat fleas remain on the
the past decade, when requests for flea host animal, but eggs, larvae, and pupae
control treatments have increased. When are in the animal “nest” or in bedding and
Iowa PMPs were asked at the 2018 IPMA carpeting in the pet’s home. Flea larvae
3
Conference to rank their residential pest are up / inch long, wormlike and creamy
16
problems, 72.3% of respondents listed white with a brown head but no eyes
fleas in their “Top 10.” or legs. The larvae feed on dried blood
excreted by the adult fleas.
Fleas are six-legged insects and
ectoparasites that feed on the blood of 3-Step Control Program
pets, humans, and wild animals by biting A three-step program is suggested for
and sucking blood through piercing- effective flea control. 1. treatment of
sucking mouthparts. Human reactions infested pets, 2. vacuuming and cleaning
to flea bites vary from person to person. infested premises, and 3. spraying or
There may be no reaction, or flea bites dusting infested premises.
may cause small, hard, red welts on the Household flea problems can come
skin, severe itching, or lesions. Infested from infested squirrels, raccoons, and
cats and dogs may scratch and bite and other animals, but most flea problems
cause red, irritated skin, sores, or soiled originate from an infested cat or dog.
and roughened fur. Flea infestations are Therefore, elimination of fleas from
detected by noticing excessive scratching pets is the first and most important
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IPMA Connection • 4th Quarter, 2020 Page 5
