Human Flea

Pulex irritans

Appearance

Image of Human Fleas (Pulex irritans) | Rentokil Pest Control Canada
  • Adult fleas are 1 to 4 mm long.
  • Fleas are black to brownish–black wingless insects.
  • They have a characteristic jumping movement.
  • Their mouthparts possess a long, fine proboscis which is used to pierce the skin of their host to feed on their blood.

Lifecycle

  • Female fleas lay 4 to 8 eggs after each blood meal, and can usually lay several hundred eggs during her adult life.
  • Flea eggs are smooth, oval, light–coloured measuring around 0.5 mm long, are deposited on, but not firmly attached to, the body, bedding, or nest of the host.
  • Adult fleas generally emerge in a week or two after completing a larval and pupal stage, but under unfavourable conditions, the pupal period may be as long as a year.

Habits

  • Since fleas move from one host species to another, they present a risk of transmitting disease.
  • Pulex irritans - Human fleas are also a vector of Yersinia pestis (plague).
  • Human fleas can also be found on dogs, rats, pigs, deer and foxes.
  • Fleas often bite people around the legs and ankles, usually with 2 or 3 bites in a row. The bites are felt immediately and can be sore for as long as a week.