The entire lifespan of a flea, from egg to adulthood, can last a few weeks or even a few months. And depending on where you live, the length of flea season varies. Fleas reproduce in warm, humid climates, so flea season where you are can last a few months or year-round.
Getting rid of fleas is a difficult process due to the long lifecycle of a flea. Moderate to severe infestations will take months to control and require a four-step process for complete elimination: Sanitation.
While some could last 2 – 3 weeks, they could also live for up to 12 months on the host it finds, so it is unlikely they will go away on their own.
Fleas removed from their host will die of starvation within four days. Young fleas that haven't fed can live slightly longer without a blood meal, around one week. Pre-emerged adults, remaining inside their cocoons, can enter into a dormant-like state. They can survive for up to 155 days without feeding.
It doesn't take much fleas before it becomes a serious infestation problem. In just a couple of months, fleas can lay about 500 eggs. Between one and twelve days, many of these hatchlings are hidden. They are tiny larvae that fide in tiny floor cracks, carpets and furniture.
1) Treat your pets with a quality flea treatment. This will stop them being a host for the adult fleas to feed on and grow. It will also stop fleas from being transported around the property. 2) Wash bedding, toys and clothing in warm soapy water.
Flea season can last anywhere from 6-9 months to all year round in some states. Fleas love warm temperatures, so your season can start early in spring and last until September, October, or November.
In average conditions with a host to feed off of, fleas typically live around 2 to 3 months. However, fleas can only live up to one to two weeks without a host on your bedding or mattress. While fleas sometimes bite humans to eat, pets and wild animals are typically the favored hosts for fleas.
Although adult fleas may only last about a week on your couch, they can lay thousands of eggs, turning your comfy TV watching spot into a bug-infested zone. On the upside, you can eliminate the insects by trying natural home remedies or calling a local pest control company.
Examining your surroundings is the first step to gauging the infestation level. Look for small, dark spots on your floors, carpets, and furniture. In fact, these might be flea droppings. The more you find, the more severe the infestation.
Fleas Don't Die Easily in the Winter
Fleas are more likely to die if temperatures hit freezing and stay there for a while. But even then, that's not always enough. You can't depend on fleas dying in the winter, even if they're outdoors. The flea's life cycle helps it survive.
Flea bombs are not an effective method of flea control. The pesticides released do not penetrate the carpets or other fibers where the flea eggs and larvae are likely to be hiding. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln recommends an Integrated Pest Management approach, instead of the use of insect bombs.
95% are in the environment as flea eggs, larvae and pupae.
Seeing fleas after treatment isn't really about how long it takes for flea treatment to work or for fleas to die. It's about the number of life stages in the pet's environment that develop into new fleas and jump on a pet.
For some serious infestations, steam cleaning before vacuuming is necessary. The heat will kill almost all of the adult fleas, but may not kill all of the eggs. Continue to vacuum every other day after the steam cleaning to make sure you are killing fleas as they hatch. Some might still make it to the adult stage.
Although fleas tend to prefer dogs, they can hop around and bite you sometimes too. So yes, if your dog has fleas and sleeps in your bed, this could lead to a flea problem that sneaks up on you in your sleep, leaving you with lots of itchy bites in the morning.
Ortho Bed Bug, Flea, and Tick Killer
This one-gallon of flea-killer spray targets bed bugs, fleas, and ticks where they're hiding around your home. We like that you can apply it around bed frames, along baseboards, and in other affected areas to kill these pests on contact and help prevent re-infestation.
At What Temperature and How Quickly Do Fleas Die? Adult fleas die at temperatures colder than 46.4°F (8°C) and hotter than 95°F (35°C). Immature fleas, which refers to both flea eggs and larvae, are slightly more susceptible to the cold, dying at temperatures below 55.4°F (13°C).
Fleas prefer a temperature of around 75 degrees and are most active at this temperature. As temperatures drop and hover near 50 degrees, fleas can cocoon and stay that way for months. No flea in any stage of development can survive freezing temperatures.
Fleas generally cannot live in human hair. While most species prefer to live on the furs of animals, they can use humans as temporary vectors.
Fleas have flattened bodies so they can move through the fur of their hosts easily. They also have very strong exoskeletons, making them very hard to crush.
As few as 20 fleas might mean your pet is infested, while the most could be between 200 to 300. Ignoring a few fleas can quickly lead to an infestation on your dog and in your home,2 because two adult fleas could lead to hundreds of eggs and pupae. Fleas start feeding on blood within minutes of landing on your pet.
Hot Water. Washing linens and bedding in water that is 140 degrees or hotter will be effective to destroy most flea eggs.