If you are a Texas homeowner, seeing fleas inside the house can be haunting. They bite, cause painful bites, and are itchy. Once they get in, they make it impossible to get rid of. If you have a flea problem, it is crucial to protect your Round Rock property with the help of pest control.
Fleas have been a nightmare for humans for centuries, but most people do not know a good deal about them. Although they are quite disgusting and troublesome, they can be interesting at the same time. Here are some facts about these pests that might surprise you.
Six fascinating facts about fleas.
- Fleas lay eggs on other animals.
It is a popular misconception that fleas lay their eggs in your furniture and carpets. Since fleas lay eggs on animal hosts, if your dog has adult fleas on its fur, the fleas are trying their hardest to keep the dog infected with their offspring. The flea eggs are not very sticky. Therefore, they usually roll off your pet and end up on the carpet or in your dog’s bed.
- Fleas have incredible energy.
Most people require a break after even a brief period of physical activity. However, with fleas, this is not the case. These bugs do not get tired of jumping around for extended periods of time. In fact, fleas have the ability to jump thirty thousand times in a row.
- Fleas do not thrive in low-humidity climates.
Air humidity plays a significant role in the survival of the fleas. For this reason, southern states tend to have far more flea problems than northern ones. They have a significantly shorter life cycle, yet they can survive in dry environments.
Dry air also actively reduces the lifetime of adult fleas, and flea larvae cannot live outside of habitats with relative humidity levels of 60 to 70 percent. This explains why fleas are not a huge problem for desert rodents.
- Fleas eat a lot.
Flies consume around ten times their body weight in blood. This is only done in a single sitting and multiple times a day.
- Fleas are a crucial food source for many other animals.
One of the most important members of the animal kingdom, fleas are an essential component of the diets of many other insects and even larger animals. Small snakes, spiders, frogs, and lizards consume fleas. Small insects like ants and beetles also depend on them as their main food supply. Hundreds of fleas can be eaten by an ant colony and species that hunt in large quantities.
- Fleas can lift extremely heavy objects.
The fact that fleas are capable of lifting massive weights is among the least-known facts about them. These pests are able to lift heavy objects many times their own body weight, just like ants. Research shows this can be up to 150 times their body weight.
Contact flea expert pest control today!