There are about 1000 species of fleas, which are wingless parasitic insects belonging to the order Siphonaptera. Being without wings is no hindrance to fleas for they have very powerful hind legs which enable them to jump up to 200 times their own length. Fleas feed on the blood of their host which may be Man, animals or birds.
The species which generally attacks Man is Pulex irritans and although it is a nuisance it is not really dangerous. The same cannot be said for the tropical rat flea for it carries the bacillus of bubonic plague which it can transmit to Man in one bite.
Fleas lay their eggs in fur, feathers, hair, dust or dry rubbish where they hatch into tiny hairy larvae with biting jaws to feed on animal refuse. Over a period of four to six weeks they pupate and emerge as adult fleas up to 3 mm in length with hard, shiny, dark skin.
They usually breed in warm weather and may reach plague proportions if unchecked. Control of fleas is achieved by strict attention to hygiene, spraying of known infested areas, application of flea powders to birds, poultry and household pets and the extermination of noxious rodents which may carry them.
