Cat and dog fleas are the most common species of flea in Australia, causing the most problems.
The most common issue is flea bites can cause you or your pet great grief and agony when it comes to fleas.
- Fleas on a cat
- An infestation of fleas on a dog
- Flea on a bird
- Insect bites
- Ticks that look like brown dog faeces
- Pigeon twitches are often known.
- The mite that causes scabies
Do you suspect you’re infested with fleas?
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Cat fleas
It is not uncommon for cat fleas to wait until they have been bitten before determining whether or not the host is a viable food source. The flea is quickly exterminated if it is deemed unfit.
Appearance
- Cat fleas are wingless ticks that are 3 millimetres in length and have long, flexible legs that allow them to jump.
- They vary from other domestic animal fleas in that they have genal and pronotal combs (ctenidia).
Lifecycle
- There are four phases in a flea’s life: eggs, larvae, pupa, and adult. There are a lot of little white eggs. The length of each of these phases might range from two weeks to more than eight months.
- When an adult flea senses movement, pressure, heat, noise or carbon dioxide, it tries to find a blood source.
- The life cycle of a cat flea cannot be completed by feeding only on human blood.
Habits
- Cat fleas lay their eggs in the host’s normal resting location, like the cat basket. This is a common spot for young animals to die as they mature.
Dog fleas
While they prefer the blood of dogs and cats, adult fleas can also bite humans. Dipylidium caninum, a tapeworm that can infect dogs and people, is transmitted by this insect.
Appearance
- When fed blood, the adult appears reddish–black.
- Fleas on dogs can range in length from 1 to 4 millimetres. The legless larva is an off-white colour and lacks legs up to 5 mm in length.
Lifecycle
- A different life stage name represents each step of the flea’s life cycle.
- Particles from dry blood, faeces, and organic substances are consumed by the larvae, which are longer than their adult counterparts.
Habits
- To glide through an animal’s fur, the body has been lateral flattened. Fleas have spines that protrude backwards from their bodies during grooming, allowing them to hang on to their hosts.
- As their maximum leap height is 6 inches, they can jump from one host to the next. Garden lawns can also be infested.
Bird flea
In hen houses, breeders, batteries, and other places where birds are kept, bird fleas can multiply rapidly.
Appearance
- Fleas can range in size from 1/32″ to 5/16″ in length and are brown.
- The antennae and eyeballs are visible. Its mouthparts are adapted for piercing skin and sucking blood, extending downward from the head.
- The hen flea is the most prevalent species of bird flea.
Lifecycle
- Only in nests can bird fleas survive for an extended period indoors.
- As long as their hosts and offspring are accessible for regular blood meals, these insects will breed during the nesting phase.
Habits
- Adult bird fleas are found only in bird nests. The adult fleas must find a new host after the birds leave the nest.
- If the nest is reused, the pupae will hatch, mate, and carry on the breeding cycle.
- Bird fleas can multiply rapidly in hen houses, breeders, and other places where birds live.
Bird mite
Appearance
- 1/64th “Quite a while.
- Legs are soft yellow/green.
- When the body is well-fed, it turns a vibrant crimson.
- The Bird mite’s life cycle and habits
Lifecycle
- An egg transforms into an adult (under favourable conditions).
- About 90 days is the average adult lifespan.
Habits
- Birds’ blood can be used as a source of food.
- Prefers circumstances that are warm and damp.
- Birds’ nests and chicken coops are a common sight.
- Possesses the potential to reduce the productivity of laying birds’ eggs. Young, sick, or elderly birds can be killed in severe circumstances.
- Bird mites are known to feed on humans in their own homes.
Brown dog tick
Appearance
- The colour is dark reddish-brown.
- Slender and elongated in shape.
- Brown dog tick life cycle and behaviour
Lifecycle
- Changing hosts between the three phases of growth of the dog tick is necessary because it is a 3-host tick (larva, nymph and adult).
- Each growth stage requires only three blood meals, one at each stage.
Habits
- Usually seen on dogs, kennels and buildings, and wildlife, it’s quite rare to find it on humans.
- Ticks can have numerous generations per year in warm climates.
- Dogs are more likely to develop attachments in difficult areas for the animal to clean.
Pigeon tick
Appearance
- Tick soft, about 3/16 “Quite a bit of time.
- The mouthparts are placed on the underside of the body and are completely obscured by the front edge of the body.
- The skin is wrinkled and leather-like because the bodies lack a scutum (a rigid, thickened plate).
- The pigeon tick’s life cycle and habits
Lifecycle
- The females frequently feed, gaining up to three times their body weight before laying 20–50 rounded, dark brown glossy eggs.
- The larvae feed on their hosts for six to eleven days, although the nymphs and adults only eat for up to twelve hours a day.
- Pigeons are the primary prey, although other bird species may also be targeted for predation by these parasites. Humans are likewise vulnerable to being bitten.
Habits
- At night, the ticks eat and hide.
- Pigeon roosting places are typical locations for these creatures.
- The host pigeon can die from a heavy infestation of these ticks.
Scabies Mites
Appearance
- Despite their diminutive size, these critters have four pairs of legs when they’re adults.
- Sucking and piercing the mouthparts is possible.
- Scabies mite life cycle and behaviour
Lifecycle
- Only a few scabies mites can survive for up to six weeks.
- Egg, larva, nymph, and adult are all mite development stages.
- Embryos burrow into their mother’s skin once she deposits her eggs near her.
Habits
- Mites mine the upper epidermis of the skin.
- An infected person can spread the mite to others by directly touching or wearing infected items.
