No doubt, fleas are annoying pests. Not only are fleas hard to get rid of once you have them, their bites are itchy and they can spread quickly. They typically hitch a ride in on your pets, and then from there they infest your fabrics, bedding, furniture, carpet, and clothing. Successfully ridding your home of fleas can only be done by a professional exterminator in Phoenix, AZ. Learn more about Phoenix pest control services.
Check out these five flea facts you probably did not know:
1. Fleas Can Jump High
Fleas can really leap high. While tiny, their ability to jump is often underestimated due to their scale. In fact, they can jump more than 80 times their own height! To put that into perspective, that is the equivalent of a six-foot-tall person jumping 480 feet into the air.
Put another way, if humans jumped like fleas did, the bar at the Olympic high-jump competition would be placed on top of a 50-story building. In addition to height, fleas can jump a long distance as well – more than 200 times their own body length. An Olympic long jumper would reach more than a quarter-mile in a single leap with no running start if they were like a flea.
2. Fleas Are Pre-Historic
Scientists have uncovered fossils of the ancient ancestor to the flea, which was a parasite that fed off the bodies of dinosaurs. There were two different flea species discovered. The larger one could grow up to an inch long – about the size of a German cockroach. They used their large mouthparts to pierce through the thick skins of dinosaurs. Their ability to jump didn’t come along till much later.
3. Fleas Don’t Like Low Humidity
Fleas need humidity to thrive, which is why they’re more of a problem in southern states than northern. They can live in dry environments, though, but their life cycle is shorter. Flea larvae can’t survive beyond environments of 70 percent humidity, and dry air can also shorten the lifespan of an adult flea.
4. Fleas Are a Main Food Source of Other Animals
Fleas form a big part of the diet of many other insects and larger animals, making them an important member of the animal kingdom. Small snakes, frogs, spiders, and lizards all eat fleas, as well as ants and beetles. A colony of ants may eat hundreds of fleas, and fire ants have been known to keep flea populations down.
5. Fleas Are Skinny
When looking at a flea head-on, they are actually remarkably skinny. This gives them the agility and speed they need to quickly and effortlessly navigate through the fur and hair of their host. With a slender body shape, they are more readily able to weave in and out of the strands of fur so they can find cover.
Phoenix Pest Control Company
If you’re plagued by fleas, time is of the essence. Get a free quote and set up an inspection with our Chandler, Gilbert, Scottsdale, and Queen Creek, AZ flea exterminators. Learn more about our flea and tick control services or contact us at 480-550-9220.
