Do Fleas Have Wings?

Fleas can be obnoxious creatures. It seems like they appear out of nowhere when they land on you or your pet—causing you both to itch like crazy. But how exactly are they getting around? Do fleas have wings? Are they just super fast? Are fleas amazing jumpers?

What allows them to maneuver through your home so rapidly? Could they be the only bug that is speeding through your home? Let’s find out!

How do Fleas Move?

It is a common misconception that fleas fly onto your body or your pet’s body, and it’s easy to think that way because of how fast they move. These tiny pests will be there one second and then gone the next. They are part of the insect order Siphonaptera, where the suffix aptera literally means wingless. So, by that classification, you have your answer to “Do fleas have wings?”.

So, if fleas don’t have wings, how do they get around so quickly? Well, they are AMAZING JUMPERS. Fleas can jump 200 times their own body length, around 13 inches! Can you imagine if fleas had wings and could jump like that? They’d be almost unstoppable!

They reproduce rapidly, with a female producing around 600 eggs in a month’s time. Flea larvae look nothing like the fleas you think of—they are tiny and white with no eyes or legs and move around by crawling like a worm (like most insects’ larvae) until they are able to jump. Even though fleas travel without wings, they can quickly cause an infestation in your home.

Pests that Pass for Flying Fleas

Fleas are tiny pests. So sometimes it is easy to confuse them with other bugs that may look very similar. If you see something that looks a lot like a flea with wings around your home, what could it be?

A common pest that might make you wonder if fleas have wings could be a fruit fly. Fruit flies are small flying pests that have a rounded silhouette like a smaller version of the common housefly. They like to hang around ripe or rotting produce and will also hang around garbage disposals or trash cans. These pests can be a nuisance but they can also pass on bacteria to the food that they touch.

Another pest that could look like a flea with wings would be the gnat. The gnat and fruit fly are very commonly confused as well. A gnat’s body shape is a little different than the fruit fly however. They have dangling legs and long bodies that make them appear similar to a small mosquito. They do like to hang around those sweet and fruity scents just like fruit flies. But some species are drawn to water and body heat as well.

And if having pests that look similar to fleas with wings wasn’t enough, there are plenty of tiny insects who don’t have wings but still look like these jumping marvels lurking around your home. Some of their look-a-likes could be, carpet beetles, mites, or any of the other tiny black bugs we have touched on in other articles.

The important part is getting rid of them, no matter what type of pest you have. No one wants to play detective for too long. Having one of our Kapture Pest Control experts come in and take care of the problem is the best and quickest solution to your problem.

What To Do If You Find Fleas?

People often think that fleas are only an issue for folks with pets, but that is not the case. No matter how fleas travel around, they can just as easily become a problem for you even if you are pet-free. You can bring them into your home from the outdoors, or other creatures like mice can be carriers (this is how the Bubonic Plague started!). Think you might have a flea infestation? You will want to take care of it immediately.

If you have pets, having them treated by your vet is going to be the first step. The fleas are going to need an animal food source, and if your pets are protected against fleas, that is going to help your house treatment tremendously.

Washing and drying linens, pet bedding, and clothing is going to be very important. Those fleas can get into the tiniest crevices. And we mean tiny! You can also vacuum your couches and any hard to reach or clean areas. This will help to pick up fleas and those flying flea look-a-likes!

Even though fleas don’t fly, you will need to treat both the inside and outside of your home to ensure that you have completely gotten rid of your flea problem. Because of their jumping ability, fleas can roam large areas pretty quickly. This is why reaching out to our Kapture team sooner-rather-than-later is a great idea. There are methods you can purchase at big box stores, but their effectiveness is not up to par with what you get from our professional pest control. And it is always important to make sure that they are safe for children and pets.

Call Us for Help with Those Traveling Fleas

Now that we’ve answered the question, “Do fleas have wings?”, it’s pretty obvious no one wants to deal with fleas in their home. Whether or not fleas have wings, they can make both you and your pets very uncomfortable. The constant itching is something that you shouldn’t have to deal with, and it will only get worse if left untreated..

If you do find yourself with a flea problem, Kapture is here to help. We utilize a residual treatment for fleas that will kill any local fleas quickly and continue to repel fleas for up to about 6 months.

And if you aren’t sure if you have a flea issue or a problem with another pest who may look like a winged flea, we always offer free phone consultations. Give us a call, we are always here to help.

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