Adult fleas are about 1/16 to 1/8-inch long, dark reddish-brown, wingless, hard-bodied
(difficult to crush between fingers), have three pairs of legs (hind legs enlarged enabling jumping)
and are flattened vertically or side to side allowing easy movement between the hair, fur or feathers of the host
Fleas are excellent jumpers, leaping vertically up to seven inches and horizontally thirteen inches
They have piercing-sucking mouthparts through which they obtain blood meals from their hosts
Without a host, adult fleas live only a few days to 2 weeks
Fleas do not survive well outdoors in hot, sunny lawns
Fleas can be a source of both irritation and disease
Dogs and cats scratch constantly when heavily infested, resulting in soiled and roughened coats and, sometimes,
in nervous conditions
The most serious effects occur when a pet develops an allergy to flea bites. As few as one or two bites can
cause severe itching and scratching in allergic pets
Although there are many different species of fleas, the most common ones are dog fleas and cat fleas