Fleas and Ticks

Cat Flea

Description: Cat flea eggs are pearly white, smooth ovals about 1/32” long. The eggs readily fall from the pet and land on surfaces like bedding and carpeting in the animal’s environment. Adult fleas are very small, less than ¼”, and are black. They typically do not jump but remain on their host. Cat fleas are the most common flea found in the home.

Seasonality: Year-round in Florida but most active in spring and summer.

Attractions: While cats are their preferred host, any warm blooded animal or human is susceptible. In other words, cat fleas can penetrate your home even if you don’t own a cat. Female cat fleas remain on the host and lay about 20 to 30 eggs per day on the animal. Warm temperatures and mechanical pressure, caused by walking on the carpet, vacuuming, etc. stimulates the egg to hatch. At room temperature, the entire life cycle may be completed in about 18 days. An adult cat flea generally lives about 30 to 40 days on the host; it is the only stage that feeds on blood.

Damage: These blood-sucking pests carry infectious diseases to humans and animals. They are extremely irritating to their host animals and the human hosts they bite. Human bites tend to be concentrated on the lower legs but can also occur on other parts of the body. The bite consists of a small, central red spot surrounded by a red halo. Prevention is the best course of action to protect you and your pet from fleas. Multiple treatments are required due to varying hatch times for flea eggs.

Brown Dog Tick

Description: Brown Dog Ticks are flat, about 1/8” in length and are brown in color. Females can swell to ½” after gorging themselves on blood. This is the only species of tick which infests both dog kennels and residential dwellings.

Seasonality: Year-round in Florida, but most active spring through summer. In colder months, this tick cannot survive outdoors and will move into your home for warmth.

Attractions: The Brown Dog Tick feeds almost exclusively on dogs. Human hosts are very rare. Additionally, unlike other ticks, they invade your dog and your home and do not stay on their host for their entire lifecycle. The Brown Dog Tick requires a warm environment & high humidity to reproduce. It is believed that its intolerance to cold is what makes them seek out the inside of buildings and homes. The most common sign of ticks is finding them on your dog. As this tick spends its entire life cycle in your home, they can be seen in cracks and crevices, crawling up walls and inside false ceilings.

Damage: Ticks carry a number of infectious diseases which affect humans and pets. Prevention is the best form of treatment. If ticks are present, your home and yard should be treated to control the population. The National Center for Infectious Disease has a list of tick-borne diseases.

Download a Tick Fact Sheet (PDF)

Download Fleas: Who They Are and What They Do (PDF)

Flea and Tick Indicators

What a tick might look like on you. This pest will continue to expand spherically as it fills up with blood. Ticks carry Lyme Disease and a number of other infectious diseases. Seek medical attention right away if you have found a tick on your body.

What a tick might look like on a pet.