What are fleas? Flea species
There are several species of fleas. The two most common ones are cat and dog fleas. The cat flea is frequently the most encountered species on both cats and dogs.
The scientific name for the cat flea is Ctenocephalides felis. Despite the fact that this species mainly occurs on cats, it lives happily on dogs, too. The dog flea, Ctenocephalides canis, cannot survive on cats so easily. Because of this, the cat flea is able to out-compete the dog flea.

The lifecycle
A flea’s lifecycle covers four stages:
· a mature flea lays an egg,
· the egg turns into a larva,
· the larva turns into a pupa,
· the pupa turns into a flea.
Fleas can be a permanent problem for pets. An adult flea normally lives for roughly 2-4 weeks. As soon as they hop onto a pet, they will begin to suck its blood.
After 36 hours, the adult female flea will lay its first eggs. They can produce up to 50 eggs a day ! All eggs fall from the dog or cat and land in the environment: on your carpet, pillows, parquet floor, in your car, on the bed, etc. The eggs will usually hatch after 5-10 days, depending on temperature and humidity.
The larvae crawl out of the eggs and feed on shed skin and the faecal matter of adult fleas that contain undigested blood. The larvae will shed their skin twice, taking aproximately 5-10 days. They prefer a warm, moist environment, and avoid direct light to prevent themselves from drying out.
Eventually, the larvae will pupate. Most pupae hatch after 4 days, but they can survive for over 140 days. The pupa can survive in a state of suspended animation until the most beneficial circumstances arise.
A problem, all year round
Fleas are not just a summer phenomenon anymore. Warm, wet conditions are great for fleas and central heating will ensure perfect conditions in your house, all year round. This means fleas can cause problems for your pets throughout the year.
Flea eggs and larvae will not develop at temperatures of 10°C or below. After a period of cold, with temperatures below freezing, all fleas outdoors will have perished. The survivers will be indoors, in our homes. Which is why winter and spring are very effective times to deal with fleas on our pets and in our homes, once and for all.
The consequences
Fleas are the cause of many skin conditions in dogs and cats and they often carry tapeworm larvae.
A few direct consequences of a flea infestation:
· itchiness;
· blood loss, which may cause anaemia;
· changes in your pet’s behaviour;
· a flea allergy.
Obviously, these are very unpleasant problems for pets. In addition to these direct consequences, a flea infestation will have indirect consequences, too, as fleas can also transmit tapeworm infestations.
Considering the above, fleas are no laughing matter for your dog or cat and if an actual outbreak takes place, fleas will surely be your problem as well.
The (in)visible problem
The number of visible fleas are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Only 5% of fleas live on the animal and are visible. The other 95% are invisible to the naked eye in the shape of eggs, larvae or pupae in the pet’s living environment.
A female flea will lay approximately 1350 eggs in her entire lifetime (an average of 27 a day). The eggs will hatch after 1-10 days. Because the eggs all hatch at a different time, your pet will be constantly bombarded with newly hatched fleas from its on living environment.
About 60% of all fleas crawl around in our living environment as larvae. These larvae will naturally move away from light (negative phototaxis) and move downwards, towards the earth (positive geotaxis). This is why larvae often can be found in very hard-to-reach cracks or in the lower layer of carpeting. This adds to the invisibility factor of the flea problem.
The pupa and the young flea contained within it are very resistant to the various methods of fighting fleas.
The adult flea can emerge from its cocoon immediately, given the right signals, but it can also remain in its cocoon as a flea for days, weeks or even months. This enables the flea to choose the right time to pop out of its cocoon when circumstances are most beneficial and the chances of a pet for it to jump onto being near are the highest. A cocoon’s bursting is stimulated by vibrations (a possible host moving around) and warmth.
Because the length of time a flea remains as a pupa varies greatly, the flea may be able to survive a treatment by hatching after its effects have worn off. The pupal case protects the flea inside from the effects of pesticides.

Combating the flea problem Optimal approach
For a complete solution to a flea problem, you will have to take several steps to be successful.
Step 1 Clear your pet of fleas
Step 2 Keep your pet clear of fleas
Step 3 Clear your living environment of fleas
Step 4 Aftercare (worming your pet)
Step 1 Clearing your pet of fleas
Flea Powder, Flea Spray, or Insecticidal Dog Shampoo can be used to rid dogs of fleas. These products are “knock-down” products: they work quickly, but only last for a short period of time.
Step 2 Keeping your pet clear of fleas
Flea Collars or flea drops. These collars remain effective for 4 or 5 months, are waterproof and contain an active substance to deal with fleas. Flea Drops give between 1 and 3 months protection from fleas. The flea collar is still one of the safest, most effective and cheapest means of fighting fleas and ticks.
Step 3 Clearing your living environment of fleas
As mentioned before: 95% of the flea problem exists in your pet’s living environment. By using specially designed products, you will be able to clear this area.

Step 4 Aftercare
Fleas also act as carriers for worms. If a pet is suffering from fleas, it will also have to be wormed.
Robinsons offer a complete range of worming products, available in tablet, paste and drop forms to combat all kinds of worms.
STILL STUCK WITH FLEAS DESPITE ALL EFFORTS: WHAT TO DO NOW?
It is possible to continue to encounter new fleas for some time after treating your pet and living environment. This can be the result of your pet accessing places where fleas can still be found, like your garden or during contact with befriended dogs or cats. You will have to treat your pet and its environment repeatedly!