Fleas are pesky parasites that commonly attach to our dogs and cats, causing concerning symptoms like hair loss and itching. Once fleas are in your home, they are incredibly difficult to get rid of.
When dealing with an active flea infestation, it’s important to understand the flea’s life cycle and how long fleas can survive in order to best protect your pets—and eliminate fleas completely from the home.
Fleas can live one to two weeks without having a host to feed on.
Flea eggs can survive many months on carpets in the right environmental conditions.
Any temperature below 37 degrees F kills fleas.
Fleas are small parasites that feed on animals to survive. They have a complex life cycle that makes them difficult to get rid of after they’ve infested a home or infected a pet.
An adult flea begins laying eggs one to two days after feeding off a host, such as your dog or cat. These eggs are laid into a pet’s fur and fall to the floor or on bedding where a pet lies.
Eggs then hatch into larvae in one to six days. The larvae like to burrow deep into carpets, basements, and even within cracks in the floors inside homes. Larvae continue to develop for about five days to three weeks.
Mature larvae make cocoons, then continue developing over the next one to two weeks and eventually develop into adult fleas. Adult fleas can stay in the cocoon for a few weeks to a year, waiting for a desired host to feed on.
Adult fleas need a host in order to survive long-term. Dogs and cats are ideal hosts because they have dense fur that provides fleas a place to hide. Fleas also gravitate toward the warmth and movement of pets.
Humans are not ideal hosts for fleas because we lack the fur fleas need to hide in and we aren’t as warm as pets.
When not on a host, fleas can live in the grass, under decks, and in shady gardens. Fleas need warm, humid temperatures to thrive.
After emerging from the cocoon, a flea can only live for one to two weeks without a blood meal. Adult fleas cannot survive long without a host to take blood meals from.
Overall, the entire life cycle of the flea could last anywhere from 12 to 350 days, which depends largely on environmental factors like temperature and humidity. However, the majority of fleas have a life cycle completed in just three to eight weeks.
Larvae do not survive long in humidity less than 50%. Fleas in any stage of their life cycle will not survive if temperatures are 37 degrees F or lower.
Adult fleas need a host in order to survive long-term. Dogs and cats are ideal hosts because they have dense fur that provides fleas a place to hide.
It may not be obvious that fleas are in your home unless you see them crawling on your pet. To check your home for fleas, you can:
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Regularly use a flea comb to check your dog or cat for live fleas and flea dirt.
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Thoroughly check carpets, rugs, and pet bedding for fleas and flea dirt.
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Routinely wash pet bedding and blankets.
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Regularly check your furniture (such as under couch cushions) and under beds for signs of fleas.
It is important to keep your dog or cat on flea and tick preventatives to protect them from these pesky parasites and to prevent them from surviving within your home.
If you are dealing with an active flea infestation in your home already, work with your veterinarian to determine the best treatment strategy for your dog or cat, as well as how to deep-clean in and around your home with suitable flea-killing products.
Fleas carry several diseases that can be transmitted between pets and even to pet parents in some cases. Some of these include tapeworms and cat scratch fever.
Your pet should be kept on year-round flea and tick prevention, such as Simparica or Revolution PLUS to protect them from fleas.
It’s also critical to keep your pet on these preventatives in the winter. Even though the temperatures outdoors during the winter are too cold for fleas, they can still live inside the home and feed on your unprotected pets to survive.
It’s much easier to prevent fleas from infesting your home and pets rather than treating them after you have an active infestation.
Because of the flea’s life cycle, it can take months to fully eliminate them from your home. Routinely checking for signs of fleas and keeping your pet on preventatives are both critical steps for pet parents.