10 Facts About Fleas

The one fact we all know about fleas is that we hate them. They are the most common parasite that pet owners face. Everybody knows that fleas jump vast distances, up to 34 cm high off the ground, but you may not know these 10 interesting flea facts.

1. A female flea can consume 15 times her own body weight in blood every day.
2. Fleas are very adaptable in changing conditions, and can survive as adults in the environment for up to 60 days without a meal.
3. It was the flea, not the rat, which spread the bubonic plague in the 14^th The rat was only the taxi driver.
4. There are at least 2000 species of flea and they have existed for at least 60 million years.
5. If a flea were as big as a cow it would be able to jump 255 meters high. That is high enough to jump over the tallest skyscraper in Sydney, the 244 meter Chifley Tower.
6. Fleas have hairs called spines that act like Velcro on your pet’s fur when you try to pull them off.
7. For every one flea on your dog or cat there are 19 fleas living in its immediate environment.
8. A female flea lays about 500 eggs in her lifetime.
9. A flea can live on, and bite a cat or dog for 130 days.
10. Fleas can be carriers of tapeworm.

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