Fleas are small (1/16), dark, reddish-brown, wingless, blood-sucking insects. Flea bodies are laterally compressed, (i.e., flattened side to side) permitting easy movement through the hairs on the host’s body. Flea legs are long and well adapted for jumping. The flea body is hard, polished, and covered with many hairs and short spines directed backward. The mouthparts of an adult flea are adapted for sucking blood from a host. Bites cause skin discomfort and itching. If you happen to see one flea, there may be more than 100 offspring or adults looming nearby in furniture, corners, cracks, carpeting or on your pet.

Several species of fleas have been found on a single animal. The cat flea is the most frequently found flea, although the dog, human, and sticktight fleas are also found in our area. Fleas may attack a wide variety of warm-blooded animals including dogs, humans, chickens, rabbits, squirrels, rats and mice.

Do yourself a big favor, have all of your pets treated with a flea preventative such as: Advantage or Comfortus. If the problem is out of hand and beyond what you want to do to correct the situation let a BugMaster technician handle your flea problem, so you and your pets can be comfortable.