Learning Center

Flea eggs represent about one-half of the entire flea population. They fall off pets as they move, scattering eggs in the environment wherever a pet goes.

Larvae make up about 35% of an infestation. After hatching from the eggs, they hide in dark places, burrow deep into carpets or cracks in flooring where they feed on flea dirt. They grow, spin cocoons where pupae start to fully develop in a protected environment.

Pupae account for about 10% of a flea infestation. Pupae are very well protected in their cocoons and virtually indestructible, waiting for the right signal that it's time to emerge.

Adults represent 5% of the fleas you see on your pet. A pet walking by, or people moving in the house, alert adult fleas to leave their cocoons and jump onto the pet to feed and mate, starting the cycle all over again. Adult fleas typically stay on their host until they die.

Adult females drop off host to lay eggs on the ground.

Eggs hatch into sex-legged larvae that feed on first host (usually a bird or rodent), live off its blood for several days, then detach and fall back onto the ground.

In the ground, the well-fed larvae now molt into the next stage and are called nymphs. Nymphs have eight legs and feed on second host (a rodent pet, or human). Once well fed, the nymph detaches and falls back to the ground.

After leaving second host, nymphs molt and change into adults and attach to the third host (a rodent, deer, pet, or human) for feeding and mating. Once well fed, both males and females fall back to the ground. No time for cuddling, male ticks die right after mating and females will lay eggs, completing the cycle.