What is the Life Cycle of the Cat Flea In Indiana?
The life cycle presented here is based on the cat flea, which has been studied extensively. Like all fleas, the cat flea develops from egg to adult via a process of “complete metamorphosis.” This process involves the transformation of the last larval stage into a non-feeding pupal stage. Adult males and females live nearly all their lives on a host, and blood sucked from the host is their only food. Females require blood for the development of eggs, and continue to lay eggs as long as they take blood meals. They are capable of laying 25-40 eggs per day and have the potential to produce about 2,000 eggs in their lifetime. Eggs are laid on a pet, but are not glued to pet hairs. They resemble tiny oval pearls, are relatively heavy, and quickly fall off or are shaken off by the pet. Eggs hatch within 2-5 days under suitable conditions of warm temperature and relatively high humidity. Cat fleas have three larval stages, none of which live or feed on a host. The three larval stages can be co
The life cycle presented here is based on the cat flea, which has been studied extensively. Like all fleas, the cat flea develops from egg to adult via a process of “complete metamorphosis.” This process involves the transformation of the last larval stage into a non-feeding pupal stage. Adult males and females live nearly all their lives on a host, and blood sucked from the host is their only food. Females require blood for the development of eggs, and continue to lay eggs as long as they take blood meals. They are capable of laying 25-40 eggs per day and have the potential to produce about 2,000 eggs in their lifetime. Eggs are laid on a pet, but are not glued to pet hairs. They resemble tiny oval pearls, are relatively heavy, and quickly fall off or are shaken off by the pet. Eggs hatch within 2-5 days under suitable conditions of warm temperature and relatively high humidity. Cat fleas have three larval stages, none of which live or feed on a host. The three larval stages can be co
