The adults are upto 2.5mm in length with a flattened body. There are many varieties of fleas found although laterally the most common fleas are the dog and cat flea which are a deep brown colour and the bird flea which is almost black. They have a very hard outer skeleton which makes them difficult to crush.

BIOLOGY:

Fleas are typically found where the animals sleep or visit and can easily be transported on shoes and trousers into other areas. Fleas can jump around 15cm and if their original source of food is not available they will feed off another host. Although they will not be able to reproduce they will live for about a year. They are activated by vibrations and breathing and can survive without a feed for upto 6 months if the property is vacant, vacuuming will help although a thorough professional insecticidal treatment will inevitably be necessary .