Those pesky fleas torment both animals and humans alike. They invade your home and crawl into bed with you, biting you as you sleep. Your pet can’t find relief without your intervention as they crawl and bite every inch of their body during prime season. There are many theories about these pests, and some people have no idea how dangerous having fleas is to you and your animals. Some people even think fleas fly. While it seems that summer is the season they hop around the most, you can have an infestation any time of the year.

Can Fleas Fly?

Many people compare fleas with the fruit fly or gnat, as they believe fleas fly. Sure, they’re about the same size, but they have no wings. They must jump from place to place. Amazingly, fleas can jump to about eight inches, which is 150 times their height.

Fleas move very fast and in ways that can make it seem like fleas fly. No, that’s not wings they’re using to move; it’s the sheer power of their legs. There are about 2,000 flea species, and none of them have wings or flying ability. Fleas have also been grouped with other species like ants, silverfish, and grasshoppers.

In New Jersey, you will predominantly see the cat flea. Don’t let the name fool you because this pest doesn’t care if it chooses a dog or a cat as their host. They’re just looking for a warm body to snuggle against and get nourishment. You might also experience issues with the sand flea if you live near the coastline, and there’s always the human flea.

Understanding the Life Cycle of Fleas

Since the female flea has such a short lifespan, she must lay as many eggs as possible. Did you know that she can lay around 2,000 eggs in adulthood? She prefers to lay right after a meal, and she can push out an astounding 40-50 at once. Females tend to lay each day to reach massive numbers in such a short period.

The flea only lives about 100 days; however, it can live for up to two years in the pupa stage. If there is a host for food and the temperatures are just right, the flea can get the maximum out of their lifespan. If a flea cannot find a host within a specific period, it will die.

The average flea can go four days without food, but they can live anywhere from 2 to 14 days without nourishment. The young fleas will munch on the excrement of others, but it’s just dried blood. The lifecycle is very typical of other pests of this nature. The female lays her eggs, and it takes anywhere from 12 days to three weeks for them to hatch. Once the egg has hatched, it goes through the larval part of the mutation.

This stage is a bit confusing because it’s three stages in one. It’s during this phase that the larva weaves a cocoon. The key is that they must have enough nourishment for the fuel to do such a tasking job. The next stage, or the pupal stage, is where the young flea is about to reach adulthood.

Many people think that the young fleas die off during the winter, but the pupal can easily survive cold winters and scorching summers, as the cocoon protects them. Due to this fascinating fact, many fleas can live and haunt you all year long. Another interesting piece of evidence is that during the pupal stage, the flea hibernates, and they can live up to six months without nourishment in this situation.

Once the pupal emerges as a full-grown flea, they must find food quickly. If they want to be capable of reproducing, then they only have seven days to find nourishment. An adult flea can go without food for a bit, but if they want to bring forth new life, then they must eat.

What Do They Look Like, if fleas can’t fly?

Fleas are very small insects. Full-grown, they are around one-fourth of an inch in length. While we’ve already established the answer to “Do fleas fly?”, their extra-long hind legs ensure they can jump. They have a variety of colors that you might observe, but most are between a reddish-brown and a brownish-black hue.

Spotting an Infestation

Spotting an infestation is not a challenge, especially if you’ve dealt with fleas before. The first sign that you have flea trouble is when you see your animal scratching. Fleas feel like head lice to a human, so the need to scratch is unbearable. Your animal may begin to tear their hair out, gnaw at its skin, roll around in the grass, and do all sorts of things to find relief.

You may see fleas on your pet or yourself. They appear as little specs moving about. Flea dirt, which looks like tiny coffee grains. If you bust one of these fecal pieces open, it will be pure blood. Fleas can infest your anim