Fleas Flashcards
Which is the most common flea in dogs?
Ctenocephalides felis
What feature of fleas makes them suited to moving swiftly between hairs?
They are laterally flattened
What are the terms applied to the location of cones used for flea identification?
Genal and pronotal.
As well as looking at the combs, what else can you look at when identifying fleas?
The head shape and angle of the combs
What is the life cycle of the flea and what makes it able to persist in the environment?
Adult>egg>larvae (feed on flea dirt)>cocoon>pupa(inside cocoon)>adult
The “pupal window”. This is the period in which the pupa is fully developed but remains within the cocoon in a period of arrested development. It will emerge when environmental conditions become more favourable.
How does the adult cat flea locate a host?
By using changes in light-intensity, warmth and CO2 concentrations.
Why are the majority of fleas caught from?
Unfed fleas in the environment, not from tranfer between animals!
When are eggs lain?
After 1-2 days
What are flea larvae sensitive too?
Light (they are negatively phototropic, therefore crawl under sofas, carpets etc.)
Dessication and temperature (freezing)
Why are cocoons hard to spot?
The collect debris from he environment as they are very sticky.
What proportion of fleas are on the animal and in the environment.
5% and 95% respectively
Where are ‘flea hotspots’ likely to be?
Areas where cats land after jumping, as the eggs are not sticky and fall off the animal.
What are the steps to be considered in producing a flea control program?
- Treat the animal for its fleas
- Protect the animal from re-infection in the home and environment.
- Eliminate the environmental reservior - a)direct application of chemicals to the environment
b) treat the animal to deplete the resevoir i.e. stop production of eggs or development of larvae.
What is the importance of hygeine?
Reliance on chemicals may be a problem due to increasing resistance overseas that may develop in the UK as well.
