Facts about Ticks and Fleas
Ticks and fleas are among the many pests that are out and about this summer. Here are some facts about our famous hitch-hiking friends!
- Fleas can live on any warm-blooded animal but prefer humans, cats, dogs, opossums, rats and other rodents.
- Fleas can live for about 100 days.
- Fleas can jump up to 8 inches high and 13 inches horizontally. This is 150 times its own height. In relation to a human, that would be would be 250 feet vertically and 450 feet horizontally.
- Adult fleas cannot survive or lay eggs without a blood meal.
- A pupa can live for 2-12 months without a blood meal.
- The female flea takes in 15 times her body weight in blood daily.
- Flea larvae live and feed on organic debris.
- Americans spend about $9 billion a year in their quest to control fleas
- There are more than 850 tick species. 200 of which live in the US.
- Females in some tick species will increase her weight by 100 times after she mates.
- Adult ticks can survive several years without eating.
- Adult ticks have 8 legs and two body segments which makes them an arachnid.
- Most often, ticks are found outdoors because of their fondness to humidity.
- There are 2 types of ticks: hard and soft.
- Ticks have barbs which is what they use to attach themselves to their host.