Are you thinking about how fleas got to be such great travelers? How Far Can Fleas Travel?
Sometimes I’m jealous of their ability to jump aboard and travel the world better than most humans can only dream of.
What makes a flea so great at moving, jumping and traveling? Can I flea survive without a host carrying it around?
In this article, we’ll find out How Far Fleas Travel.
How Far Can Fleas Travel?
Fleas jump 13 inches, 200 times the length of their body and countless miles when they latch onto a host. Without a host, an adult flea can travel a few days or up to two weeks before dying bloodthirsty.
How Far Can Fleas Travel Without a Host?
A flea is famous for its jumping ability. This flea must have the energy to do so. Without a host to feed on, the flea will lose power and slowly die.
With a host, the flea can travel around the world. When a fresh host passes by, a flea can jump off and land on a new provider of nutrition.
A dislodged flea that is desperate for a host cannot travel far enough on its own and will die within several days.
How Far Can Fleas Travel on Their Own?
A flea without a host is only going to be able to travel for a few days on its own by crawling and jumping. The jump of a flea is spectacular.
This little critter can jump lengths that are 200 times the overall size of its body. This makes a flea the farthest jumping creature on Earth relative to its size.
Do Fleas Travel Around the House?
Yes. Fleas travel under baseboards, carpets, through furniture and just about any covering they can find. This is why it’s hard to spray a flea directly without soaking your items in the house.
A flea will move on your skin and preferably on an animal all over your home while trying to breed and spreading eggs all over the place.
Fleas can latch onto your shoelaces and clothing items. They can notice another host passing by and jump over to him or her in an instant.
Can Fleas Survive a Move From House to House?
Yes. Fleas don’t travel well from one human to another, but they will latch onto your personal items such as bedding or clothes. A flea looks for an animal host with plenty of fur to burrow in and enjoy the ride.
Farms with goats or sheep can contain traveling fleas that may jump on you or your dog for a trip from their current residence over to yours.
If your dog’s bed is infested with fleas, your new home will welcome them. Make sure to wash, spray and sun dry a dog bed before moving it to a new home.
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Do Flea Eggs Travel?
The eggs of a flea are smooth and do not latch onto hosts. They remain burrowed or hidden under surfaces and bedding.
Laval fleas are like worms that crawl slowly. They can feed of flea feces and other debris.
Larval fleas are slow movers and will not survive longer than a few yards without nourishment.
How Do Fleas Move?
Fully grown fleas are active and able to crawl or jump across many different surfaces. They have flat bodies that makes it easy to crawl through hair, fur and feathers while going unnoticed.
Fleas jump when they find a new host or when they need to escape a predator. The best way a flea moves is with you or your pet. They hitch a ride and go where go exactly at your pace.
How Far Will A Flea Travel?
A flea without a host can travel 10-50 meters in length or more. The energy of this flea will deplete without a host.
When it successfully latches onto a human or animal, the rides across lands, seas and through the air are limitless. Aircrafts have unknowingly carried fleas on the backs of crated animals or in containers for decades.
What Is A Flea’s Method Of Travel?
A flea travels in 3 main ways:
- crawl
- jump
- with a host
A flea jumps anywhere from 1-13 inches. The record for a flea jump has exceeded 20 inches. Dog fleas seem to be able to jump further than fleas that live on cats.
The shins and feet push off the ground to create a perfect jump across huge distances relative to its size. This is most likely how fleas entered your home. They jumped on you, your pet or your items.
How Small Are Fleas?
Fleas can be as tiny as 1 millimeter to 3 millimeters in length. They are notoriously easy to overlook when you are searching for them on surfaces or through the fur of your pet.
The infestation of fleas happens faster than you can spot them all.
They breed rapidly and the eggs do not latch on, leaving them to roll off into crevasses, plants, lawns or anywhere else until they become larval fleas that look like tiny worms.
How Long Can A Flea Live Without Feeding?
A flea can live for 2-3 months with a host to feed on. Without a host, the food supply runs out.
At this point, the flea is desperate to find a new host and will quickly run out of energy.
A fully grown and healthy adult flea can make it up to 2 weeks without feeding, but the average time remains less than 1 week for a hungry flea to die on its own.
What Locations Do Fleas Prefer?
Fleas prefer to travel through areas that are:
- shady
- moist
- humid
- full of potential hosts (animals preferred)
Your pet has brought the flea home from outside. This location is probably not a dry and frigid winter wonderland.
Fleas prefer the damp, humid conditions where their eggs thrive and they can multiply rapidly. Fleas can travel across a lawn that is moist and shaded.
Do Fleas Travel On Rodents?
Yes. Fleas enjoy hitching a ride and feeding off all kinds of hosts in the animal kingdom. The following rodents and animals have been unfortunate enough to carry many fleas around the world:
- raccoons
- opossums
- deer
- coyotes
- skunks
Rodents that carry fleas will scratch them off at your front door or lawn. A flea will wait for the right opportunity to jump in or on household members to find a new home for breeding and feeding.
Conclusion
We have plenty of articles at ThePestManagement.com to help you get rid of fleas. These little critters have taken the prize for being the longest jumpers in the world surpassing 200 times their own length.
You can put a stop to their travels by checking out more of our articles on fleas and saying goodbye to them before they try to enter your home ever again.
Thanks for visiting ThePestManagement.com for the best information to help you to make the pest control process easy, safe & affordable.
