What is a flea's food source?

1. 59

   Chaotic Chicaposted 13 years ago

   What is a flea's food source?
   
   I was under the impression that fleas fed off of blood but I have been known to be wrong.

   report
2. 61

   Lifeallstar1posted 13 years ago

   Not positive but I believe blood. That's why they latch on to an animal (usually) and stay but they can jump around to other things, so you have to buy a special comb of some sort and comb them out. I only know one person who had this problem with their kitten. They had to keep doing it over and over again. It kind of creeps me out but was told because the kitten had flea's when she got him. She brought him to the vet to get checked out the next day and found out about the flea's so she was warning me. I washed everything I own because flea's can get on your stuff plus I have a kitten myself and she was afraid that my kitten might have gotten flea's from hers. Luckily, nothing ever happened from the kitten coming over here. Just not sure if they go for humans too or just other animals. Not sure how they could tell the difference. Either way, I made sure we didn't have any flea's but I think you are correct in saying it's blood. I never actually knew what they looked like. When I looked it up I wanted to faint!

   report
3. 81

   Springboardposted 13 years ago

   Blood of course. Blood from dogs, cats, or any other living creature.

   report
4. 60

   Sterling Carterposted 13 years ago

   Fleas need blood to survive, kinda like a tick.
   
   The important thing that you should know is that not all fleas bit humans. Yea, that's right. Dog fleas for instance do not enjoy humans as a food source. But that is not to say that if your dog has fleas they will not bite you.
   
   Cat fleas will bite anything. Cats, dogs, horses and humans. It makes no difference to them who they get their meal from.
   
   Fleas are also very prolific. They lay eggs that hatch take nearly a year to hatch or they can hatch in just a couple of days depending on the temperature. The warmer the ambient air the faster they will hatch. You can go from a couple of fleas to thousands and thousands in just 3 weeks.
   
   The flea larva feeds on flea dropping until that become adult fleas where become a nuisance to everything they touch.

   report
5. 62

   pueblomanposted 13 years ago

   Yes, blood is correct. Fleas can stay alive from the blood of any animal but they can only lay eggs if they are on their specific host - that is cats can only breed on cats, but they can snack on us. The eggs of a flea can lie dormant for years, between floorboards for example. The rhythm of the host's footfall induces them to hatch. They then have a host to breed on.
   
   Fleas have to drink too. they drink the saliva from the edges of your lips. That's why cat collars work. Fleas can't get past it to drink. . . .

   report
6. 59

   MickSposted 13 years ago

   Blood from what is their food animal, some live on cats, others on dogs, and some on humans...  They tend not to cross species.  When, say, a dog has fleas sometimes you will get a nip, but the bug doesn't like your taste and gets back on a dog.

   report