How Long Can A Flea Live Without A Host? Interesting Facts For Kids

Having fleas around the house or on pets is really irritating.

When you try to get rid of them, how many days does it take for them to die? Do they die immediately if removed from the host?

Those who own pets know that the flea situation is rather a frustrating one. Your pet dog or cat may have them. Getting rid of a flea is a hectic activity. It takes great effort to find each and every flea and get rid of it. You will need the help of pest controllers. A flea sucks blood from your cats and dogs. It is painful and scratchy for your pets.

Once removed from the skin of your pet, do they die immediately? No, a flea does not die there and then. They can stay alive for a few days. Fleas live by sucking the blood of an animal. When you remove them from one source, they will try to find a new one. If an adult flea is not able to find a host in a few days, it will die. The larva and the eggs stay alive longer as they do not feed on the blood until they grow fully into a flea.

So just removing a host is not enough. You have to make sure that they do not find new prey, another animal to survive. Fleas are the main reason for infestation and they also spread diseases.

If you enjoyed this article, why not also read about how long can a bearded dragon go without eating or how long can a fish live out of water here at Kidadl.

Do fleas die without a host?

A flea does not live for many days without a host. If it can find a replacement host, it can have a complete life cycle.

Adult fleas die without a host but the larva and the eggs can survive. We need to understand the whole life cycle of flees for this. The flea can survive in humid and cold conditions. If the humidity is lowered by 50% and the temperatures are made hot, the flea will start to get weak. If kept in the same condition for a while, they will die soon. Along with this, they must also be removed from the host. This will discontinue their life cycle as they will not get food. Their food is the blood of the animal they live on. It can be a dog or a cat usually.

A female flea does not lay eggs if it has not consumed a blood meal. So if you want to get Ctenocephalides felis out of your house, contact professionals to deal with these flea problems. You can do a little by yourself by using a vacuum cleaner on daily basis. This will ensure that female fleas stay away from your adult cat and dog.

Fleas prefer to live in dark and cold places, so always keep your clothes and home clean. Fleas feed on organic debris or flea feces attached to them. Fleas live without blood for a few days until they find a new host pet cats, dogs, or another such animal.

Keep your home and your pets safe with a round of regular pest control in your place. It is good for your health and your pet. Get professionals to deal with the whole situation because they have proper tools and equipment. Also, they make the place air-tight so that the flea does not escape, making sure adults eggs, and larvae all die. The termination of all fleas is necessary to stop them from growing in numbers again. If left dormant, they can come to life again in a few days and the problem will arise again. You will have to go through all the pain again.

How long can fleas survive without a host?

The life of a flea without a host is only for a few days. It gets weak and then ultimately dies.

The survival time of a flea is only a few days if it does not find a new host. But in the state of a larva or eggs, they can stay alive for longer. This is because they do not feed on blood at this stage. It is in the adult stage that they suck blood from the host to live.

An interesting fact is that adult fleas can live in carpets for a long time. They can live for months at a stretch as they can feed on the blood or feces from the adults or host. Flea eggs and flea larvae too can stay there and grow until they become adults. They will not need blood to grow. You can vacuum clean your carpet daily to get rid of them and eliminate fleas completely. If you clean them up before they become adult fleas, you will prevent them from multiplying.

In case a flee has laid eggs, that can be close to 450 every time, they fall on the carpet. They can survive and these eggs will hatch in 12 days. Even if you have taken away adult fleas and there are these flea eggs around, you are not safe. A flea from one species can live easily on other species as well. If an infected cat or dog comes close to a healthy one, there are chances of cat flea getting transferred.

Carpets are humid and cold. These are perfect insect growth regulators that will help them live a long life. You must clean as well as dry your carpet. If possible, get regular pest control done in the house. For those who have pets, get them inspected regularly. You will need to use flea control shampoo for dogs and cats.

The flea that lives on both dogs and cats are called cat fleas. They can jump onto humans and hide in your hair. They will give fleabites to humans and you can develop an allergy. A flea cannot live on human hair. Even if it is the human flea variety, they can live there until you find it or it falls. These too can not breed on human hair.

Lifecycle Of A Flea

A flea can live for few days without a host and ot understand this fact we have to know the whole flea life cycle.

When a female flea shifts to a new host and takes her first blood meal, she lays eggs. This process of laying eggs happens every time she shifts hosts. After the flea has consumed enough blood equal to her body weight in blood, she will lay eggs. This laying of eggs is instinctive to fleas. They get the energy to reproduce and move on.

An adult flea will be able to lay eggs multiple times in a day. The more she feeds on blood, the more energy she will get, and the more eggs she will lay. In each set, there are around 20 eggs in a cluster. Once the eggs have been laid, they do not stay fixed on the animal or the host. These eggs fall when the infested pet moves around. The egg, or larva, can stay there for a week or two without feeding on blood. Once the eggs hatch and larvae are formed, they find a new host.

Eggs fall on the carpet or pet bedding. These are dark and humid places that work as insect growth regulators. When larvae are formed, they are blind. The larvae and pupae shift into a deeper and darker place. If it is a home, they hide deeper in the carpet. In the case of a wild forest, they will hide in the roots of trees.

The eggs, larvae, have sacks of pre-digested food that they get from their mother. The larvae feed on these sacks because they do not need to suck blood to live.

After this life stage, flea larvae spin a tight web to make a cocoon. This is also called flea pupae. In this pupae stage, it can live for up to five months without food and light. Fleas need to feed only when they are adults. Their metabolism is very low during this life stage.

Flea pupae reach adulthood but stay inside until they feel the heat from a host around. From here, they will come out of the cocoon and jump on the host and start feeding. Fleas emerge as full adults. As soon as they have had a first blood meal, it is ready to reproduce and lay eggs.

An adult flea can live up to around a week or two. The pupae stage is the longest time in the life of a flea. When there are no favorable conditions, it automatically kills adult fleas. Keep your pet bedding clean because this is the most common place where a flea may lay eggs within minutes of coming into contact with your pet. When a flea, or larvae, hatches it attaches to pets. Use flea control methods to keep them safe.

How to get rid of fleas?

Fleas can live without a host for a few days. So if you think you have a flea issue, it is better to resolve it quickly.

To get rid of a flea infestation, you must hire a professional exterminator. They will give your infested pet dog or cat flea treatment. You must get your own clothes and carpets checked. Fleas live on clothes for a few days and they can stay there until they find a new host in a few days. If there are eggs in your clothes, they can stay there for 12 days or more before hatching. You must wash your clothes regularly. If they are expensive and delicate, get them dry cleaned before storing.

It is a myth that adult fleas live on humans or fleas survive on human blood. Even if the human flea variety lives on a human, they die soon and do not breed. Fleas do jump onto humans, but they only reach around the ankles. That is where you are most likely to find flea bites.

Fleas are likely to live in a relative humidity-filled carpet. They can live off dead skin and flea feces. In fact, the eggs and larvae do not need blood to survive. They remain dormant for months until they sense a heat source from the suitable host. Regularly check your pet bedding for cat fleas or dog fleas. Fleas will happily feed on their blood if left unattended. This will make your pet host fleas and be in pain.

You must use flea control methods all the time to keep your pets safe. A flea infestation in pet bedding can be taken care of by washing it with disinfectant. Cat fleas live without feeding for a few days and then cat fleas feed on blood whenever they find a pet. Their eggs and larvae can stay dormant and alive for many days. They emerge as adult fleas.

Get pest control done even if you have an insect growth problem. Insects can bring in flea larvae and pupae, which will give birth to many more if left unattended. Flea larvae die when exterminators use pest control methods. Adult fleas live a full life cycle in a very short period of time. They lay eggs multiple times a day. So even if you get rid of adult fleas, you will have to break the flea life cycle and eliminate all the flea eggs before they hatch.

It is interesting to know that fleas ca not swim, but they do not drown either. So if you think throwing them in water will do the trick, you are mistaken. Fleas have a wax-coated body so the water does not harm them. They can only be trapped in water until they find a new host. Fleas have to be terminated with the help of medicines. Keep your pets clean and the problem shall remain under control.

Fleas feed on your pets and they are parasites. Fleas may jump onto your body from your pets, but they will not survive on your blood. Fleas jump from one pet to another. The main problem with them is that they may invite tapeworms to your pets and harm them, so make sure to remove a flea infestation as soon as you can.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for how long can a flea live without a host, then why not take a look at how long can a mouse live without food or flea facts.