Life Cycle & Biology

Cat flea adults, unlike many other fleas, remain on their host. Females require a fresh blood meal in order to produce eggs. They can lay up to 1 per hour! The smooth eggs easily fall from the pet onto the carpet, bedding, or lawn. Eggs hatch within 2 days, and the developing larvae feed on dandruff, food particles, and skin flakes found on the floor around them. Adult flea fecal matter consists of relatively undigested blood. This dried blood also falls from the pet and serves as food for the newly hatched larvae.

Fleas prefer to develop in areas protected from rainfall, irrigation, and sunlight, where the relative humidity is at least 75% and the temperature is 70-90ºC. This stage lasts 5-15 days.

Larvae spin silken cocoons within carpet fibers, floor crevices, or protected outdoor areas in which they will develop (pupate) into adult fleas. The cocoons are sticky and easily camouflaged by local debris. Under optimal conditions, new adults are ready to emerge within 2 weeks. They develop faster at higher temperatures, but can remain in their cocoons up to 12 months. Vibrations and/or increase in carbon dioxide stimulate adults to emerge.  The watertight cocoon is the state of the fleas life cycle that allows flea infestations to survive applications of traditional insecticides.  It also the reason traditional pest control services only offer 30-90 day guarantees for flea control.  Pest control companies know the remaining fleas might not hatch from their cocoons for several months.

Adult fleas are the only growth stage that actually lives on the pet and feeds on fresh blood. They live 4-25 days.

In ideal environments, a flea egg can mature into an adult flea within 12 days, though the typical time period is longer.