Talk:Flea/Archive 1

EYES???
There is a sentence in this article claiming that fleas have no eyes-- right under a diagram of a flea that points out where the eye is! Then later there's a somewhat cryptic reference to eyes being "covered over". Will someone with the right knowledge please clarify? What IS the deal with flea eyes? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.35.167.239 (talk) 15:22, 5 March 2016 (UTC)


 * The sentence about lacking eyes seems to refer to the larvae, not adults. HCA (talk) 20:30, 5 March 2016 (UTC)

External Link
I've gots me a page about www.howtogetridoffleasfast.org How To Get rid of Fleas that might be of some interest to readers. I would even be willing to do a little pest management section focusing on organic and biological remedies, for instance nematodes. Should I include the site in external links or go ahead and drop it in a flea control section? Some other topics concerning common pests look to have sections entitled "(topic) and humans." Might I start a section like that?

I'll drop the link in external for now and get to work on flea control. --&#91;&#91;User:Samoya&#124;Samoya]] 18:36, 7 August 2006 (UTC)

I moved my comment to the expansion sectionSamb008 03:46, 13 August 2007 (UTC)samb008

arachnids?
aren't fleas arachnids?

NO, fleas are not arachnids, but insects. Arachnids are a class of chelicerata. The marine types are the sea spiders and horseshoe crabs, lack antennae, but have chelicerae, (grasping claws) or pedipalps, (appendages, that may be sensory organs, pincers or feet), and typically four pair of legs. Arthropods which have adapted to terrestrial life have book lungs and tracheae, and many have silk or poisonous glands. Included among these are scorpions, mites, and spiders. In the 80's the Reader's Digest had an article about spiders, which stated that every three days the spiders on earth eat insects equal to the total weight of all humans. Without spiders our planet would soon be overrun with insects.--W8IMP 23:51, 30 June 2007 (UTC)

Why does sand flea redirect to this page? Aren't sand fleas the superball sized crab-like critters that dig in the sand on the beach?
 * You are right; that was a bone-headed redirect. Fixed. -- tooki 03:14, 21 July 2005 (UTC)
 * The genus of these ovoid crustaceans is Emerita--W8IMP 23:51, 30 June 2007 (UTC)

High jump - How high do fleas jump?
About hundred times of their lenght if that helps.

Considering a flea's jumping acceleration is 10X that of that space shuttle it might be worth having a section discussing flea's jumping powers in this article.

In the 70s I recall a Scientific American which discussed how the flea does it. They have a ratchet/trigger on each of their hind legs. They cock the hind legs into the triggers. When they are ready to jump, they pull both triggers, launching them several feet.--W8IMP 23:58, 30 June 2007 (UTC)

...: a flea can jump vertically up to 70 inches (18 m) and horizontally up to 130 inches (33 m). This is simply impossible. In the first place, 70 inches equal 177.8cm, that is about 1.8m, not 18m, and 130 inches equal 3.3m. Second, the original article quoted in reference # 3 says: Fleas are excellent jumpers, leaping vertically up to seven inches and horizontally thirteen inches, not 70 and 130.--Mirrordor 00:24, 21 February 2011 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Mirrordor (talk • contribs)

Bites from the  Berkeley
"Bites from  the  Berkeley  can  be ..."?

rocks in the rhcp

How large and heavy are fleas?
The article does not give any indication about the size of fleas, except that you can guess from the text they are probably significantly smaller than mice. But how large are mice? That article does not tell either. Basically the reader can read the article and walk away with the idea that a flea might be as large as a Hercules beetle. (Aargh — Attack of the Killer Fleas.) Shouldn't the article give the reader some kind of idea (verifiable — no OR; don't start measuring your fleas now)?

The article Planck mass suggests (without source) that fleas could weigh (roughly) as little as 22 µg. Is that plausible?

Lambiam Talk 21:12, 18 March 2006 (UTC)

Like buffalo, they are remarkably narrow (side to side) for their length & height, but I have never been toppled by a flee. Although easy to see up close, they are only about 1/2 to 2 mm long, 2/3 as tall, ~1/8th as wide, and dark brown to jet black. Wikidity (talk) 22:28, 25 March 2011 (UTC)

Flea infestations sans animal
The article doesn't say what to do about a flea infestation once there is no more animal (e.g., new tenants in an apartment that previously had a flea-infested cat). The Cat Flea link says that fleas cannot be sustained on human blood, but does that mean that without a cat to feed on, the fleas will die? How soon? When will the infestation have killed itself out if the cat fleas only have humans to feed on?

Brigittefires 17:36, 15 August 2006 (UTC)brigittefires


 * anecdotal information:

Summer of 2009, I returned from a weekend trip to find the house seething with the shin-biters. Not having an opportunity to bomb the house, I used the interim expedience of vacuuming the house twice per day, and wearing bloused pants & tight knit socks. Initially, I would see the tiny jet beasts on my pants within a few hours. By day 11 of this regimen, I found only a few when I was vacuuming, and disliking the idea of the poisons in every nook & cranny of my home (only slightly more than the fleas), I put it off another fortnight, and found them rarely. Expecting the eggs to be hatching with a new generation, I continued for about 35 days without finding any more. I put out fresh sticky tapes, returned to my bi-weekly vacuuming, and have not seen them since. This seems inconsistent with the official life cycle & dormancy, but were still organic & flee free after 20 mos. Wikidity (talk) 21:26, 25 March 2011 (UTC)

This article says to use the vet prescribe products over over the counter products, but my experience differs. I used can after can of the vet product and those things were jumping around everywhere. I got a can of black flag, and they were gone. We once purchased a large rug from a friend whose German Shepherd went outside in the evenings to pick up fleas, but spent all day scratching on the rug. We had no pets, so when those eggs hatched out they sustained themselves on us humans and jumped back into the rug to lay another generation of babies. They rarely stayed on a human longer than it took to suck a meal, unless they became trapped inside our clothing. We finally got rid of them by loosely rolling the up-ended rug in a closet, empty except for an open a bug bomb, closing the closet door, and leaving town to stay with friends for the weekend. The best flea killers are those that contain pyrethrins--W8IMP 00:34, 1 July 2007 (UTC)

'''There are products that you can find in hardware stores like LOWE'S or HOME DEPOT that will treat fleas inside and outside your home. You should buy products in a spray bottle because it is easier to get the product in cracks and crevices where flea larva may be hiding. A good website is http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/IG087, it has an article on fleas, and at the end it lists common flea killing products and repellents in tables. I hope this helps you. Samb008 04:14, 13 August 2007 (UTC)samb08 12:09am 8/13/07'''

flea origin?
What part of the world did fleas originate historically? How about lice? Were they introduced by the old world into the new world? What does science tell us about fleas archeologically? Might you think it worth adding to the description about FLEAS?

Duplicate page
The text in the section now labelled Fleas dates back (mostly) to the original version of this page in 2002, so I think this is not a case of copyvio, but just for general reference, the info at http://www.fleasmart.com/life.htm is nearly identical; clearly one copied from the other. (Of course, if they copied it from WP, as I currently suspect, there's nothing wrong with it any way you look at it.) Just thought I'd make a note of it here. /blahedo (t) 07:38, 27 September 2006 (UTC)


 * Ok, the Wayback Machine is back up today, and in fact page at fleasmart.com predates this page completely (and by several years at that). I'm removing the offending material. /blahedo (t) 05:51, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Request for expansion
It seems to me like this page could use way more information than is currently presented. Areas such as treatment to get rid of fleas. Descriptions of the differnt kinds of medicines/treatments, and their effectivness. More information about habitats and common areas fleas can be found, etc, etc. Cavell 17:43, 4 November 2006 (UTC) Re-added Stub tag. Much is missing. I will try to add to this section when I find some timeCavell 04:54, 9 November 2006 (UTC)

'''I would like an expansion on flea control also. I found a website,http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/IG087,that lists various products for in, out and around your home to kill and repel fleas. It starts out with research on fleas from the University of Florida that's very in-depth and probably would be good to compare with the information in this article. The products are arranged by chemical composition into tables,and name brands for homeowners. These products are easily found in hardware stores, like LOWE'S or HOME DEPOT. However, they include pesticides and other chemicals, which some people may not want, but I still hope that if this article is expanded you would use them as options. Samb008 04:02, 13 August 2007 (UTC)samb008 11:40pm 8/12/07'''


 * I think in this case, expand is more appropriate. Not every article with some information missing is a stub. Indeed, almost all articles are missing something. --Stemonitis 09:24, 9 November 2006 (UTC)
 * I removed the expand tag, it was gnarling the layout. According to WP:RFE, expand tags should only be used for a specific request, not just "this needs to be bigger." Oasisbob 04:47, 13 December 2006 (UTC)


 * I don't believe you interpreted that correctly. WP:RFE says "Articles to list here:

Stubs - Articles that are very short. These should be tagged with stub, or a topic-specific stub tag. Sounds to me like an expansion tag is perfect. I feel this page is lacking. More info is always better. Cavell 18:35, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Longer articles that still need expansion. Be sure to tag these expand when you nominate them."
 * More info is always better, but just about every article in wikipedia could qualify for expand. For this reason, use of the tag is controversial. Last time the expand tag was added, the WP:RFE process wasn't followed, to quote: "Almost every article in Wikipedia could do with some expansion. This page is for listing those for which there is a specific request." I don't think this means, "use the expand tag for everything, only list those with specific requests here"; rather, "Everything on wikipedia could be expanded, use the expand tag for those things for which there is a specific request." WP:RFE is the instructions page for the expand tag. I may be misinterpreting something, but I believe the intention of the expand tag is that pages marked expand should be listed on the RFE page with a specific request, or at the very least on the talk page.

Template_talk:Expand says: Instructions to add template: 1. Add the template expand to the article or its discussion page. (Consensus is not yet reached on which is preferred. See discussion here and Wikipedia:Template locations.) 2. Add description of what is lacking in the article on the article's discussion page.
 * I think the exact purpose and future of the expand tag is unclear in the community, but to me the expand tag is useless unless its specific. This is a wiki, expansion is expected. Oasisbob 21:07, 13 December 2006 (UTC)


 * The ideas that Cavell mention at the beginning of this section is a specific request. If this talk page is not tagged, many people who might be interested in this topic would miss this request.  WP:PNA, for example, creates automated lists of articles that have expansion requests pending. -- Beland 10:09, 26 December 2006 (UTC)
 * I've rearranged the pictures, reorganized the categories, added some material on evolution and morphology and added some citations to the article. Hopefully that takes care of some of the major concerns raised, however we still need more material (behavior, habitat, and most especially a life cycle section). I've also added a to-do list at the top of this page so we can monitor progress and anyone can added requests to the list. Any further requests for expansion of specific areas are appreciated. I hope to at least contribute to a decent life cycle section and get the article up to a B-class rating. Richard001 06:49, 27 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Finished the life cycle section this evening, I'll now take down the expansion notice. Richard001 09:20, 29 December 2006 (UTC)

'''I still think this article needs work-more expansion on flea control. For example, if your pet is infested treating it alone may not be enough, you need to treat any area in your home and around your home that is infested as well. The website I mentioned before,http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/IG087, has great information on products to treat your home. If this article is going to have all the information it needs to help people I think this should be included or at least linked, or referenced.Samb008 03:58, 13 August 2007 (UTC)samb008 11:55pm 8/12/07'''

Start rating
I've rated the article as start class becuase it has little information, but not so little for a stub rating. Also, the pictures look out of place & there are little or no refs. Expand the article as it is a needed one... Spawn Man 07:53, 13 November 2006 (UTC)

Hard body
The tough nature of the flea's body is quite notable - an evolutionary adaptation presumably developed over the millenia to avoid being killed by the host organisms response to attack the offending flea. I have no books available for a citation, though I'm sure if anyone can lay their hands on a detailed description of fleas it will mention this at some point. This information would also make an interesting addition to the itch article - scratching (or flicking the tail, pecking etc) being a behavioral adaptation to an itch, then the fleas body in turn becoming adapted to survive this defensive mechanism. Richard001 05:23, 24 December 2006 (UTC)

Lack of fleas
Since I moved to the high desert (Boulevard, CA, and Sparks, NV) I haven't had any flea problem on my cats, I haven't seen a flea on my pets for almost 20 years. What's up with that? In El Cajon, CA my pets and me had a constant fight against them. Might be worth a mention in the article somewhere about where fleas can't survive and what conditions they need to live. Thanks Kidshare 21:32, 13 January 2007 (UTC)

All living things need water
We lived in San Diego for ten years and never had any pet, but were ocassionally bothered by fleas evidently left by other pet owners. The first flea bite I ever got was while I napped on the living room floor in my apartment. The little stinker got inside my sock, and bit a little circle around the top of my ankle. They seem to get angry when trapped inside clothing, that's why my cats and dogs never wear it. But seriously though, what I think you are saying is that fleas, like all insects, proliferate in warm climates, but require a minimum of moisture. We were ocassionally bothered by flea bites from lawns in San Diego. In El Cajon there were plenty of pets, humans, and irrigated lawns and gardens for fleas to hang out between true hosts--dogs and cats. We now live in Detroit and have had so little rainfall this year that my wife and I have each had maybe ONE mosquito bite this year. Usually by May, we cannot sit outside after dark for more than 10 minutes. --W8IMP 16:25, 14 July 2007 (UTC)

Methoprene and cats
I am editing the statement about methoprene and phenothrin containing products being pulled by the EPA for the following reason: The statement, while true, is misleading. It can lead readers to believe that methoprene is dangerous to cats. It is not, the phenothrin was the cause of the adverse reactions. The fact that the product contained methoprene is purely incidental. Please read http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/flea-tick-drops.htm carefully. Observer31 09:20, 14 January 2007 (UTC)

How does an infestation feel
This seems like a critical part of the page to me that is missing. How to tell if you or your house is infested with flees. What is the sensation like? I'm having this sensation of hairs being touched or 'jumped off of' which is definitely different than just an itch developing, if anyone knows what I mean. It's much more exodermal than an itch and develops much more quickly than most do. Or maybe another page should be written about elimination strategies. -Dave
 * I don't think it warrants its own article, not for now anyway. Regarding how it 'feels'... if you have fleas crawling around, biting you on the ankles etc - that should be taken as a good hint you have an infestation :)

The bites are frequently the only sign that they are around. Like mosquitoes, they seem to like some people more than others. One of my pets brought some pregnant mom who started a colony around the edges of my waterbed mattress. Perfect place--warm, with lint and casts (hair, dead skin), from several mammals, (dogs, cats and me).

Mosquitoes like my wife better than me. Fleas seem to prefer me to her, since she never gets a flea bite, but I wake up with several.

How does one tell a flea bite from a mosquito bite? Mosquito bites are generally larger and, if not scratched, not as itchy. Flea bites are smaller and itch intensely. The best treatment for either bite is a hot compress, or water spray, a vigorous soap scrub with a nail or tooth brush and application of "after-bite", available over-the-counter in pharmacies in US and Canada. It contains aromatic spirits of ammonia and/or witch hazel, (the active ingredients), and mink oil, (to delay evaporation). Since a 500cc bottle of witch hazel costs about half as much as 15cc of "after bite", I like to tape a Band Aid plaster which I saturate with W.H. after application directly over the bite. Usually the inflammation is reduced in 24 hours, and sometimes completely gone in 48.--W8IMP 01:23, 1 July 2007 (UTC)

Red bites occur in increasing numbers. They itch. Soon you'll spot a flea here and another there. They're hard to catch and resistant to squashing, they have to be cut in half or very strongly squashed. And you'll notice your pet reacting to bites or itches repeatedly. Tabby 21:18, 3 December 2007 (UTC)

You'll notice yourself avoiding/running through the carpeted areas of your house. lol. As far as killing the ones you find, I find it surprisingly easy. 9 times out of 10 I'm able to just pick them right off me when I spot them crawling along on my legs. You can't squish 'em between your fingers, but you can hold them there awhile. Then just run a faucet over your hand and slowly release your grip. One flea, washed away.Zelbinian (talk) 00:10, 6 July 2008 (UTC)

Fleas (1/2 to 2 mm) are easy to see up close. A heavy infestation, viewed horizontally from floor level, looks like a faint black cloud near the floor (yuk!). An inside-out loop of duct tape or commercial tanglefoot will also trap them occasionally, but only as an indicator, not a control method. A flee is easily seen on light skin or clothing, and easily trapped by a quick finger. To remove its legs, you can rub the tiny body around firmly for a moment or two, against most tightly woven cloth, or firm skin, or between your pinched fingers. Its body is also easily crushed between fingernails.Wikidity (talk) 21:59, 25 March 2011 (UTC)

fleas have souls??
No idea how to edit this, but I was just reading and there's a note that says fleas have souls. I clicked to see if "soul" had some really obscure meaning, but the page it linked to was about...well, a soul.

I'm not going to debate whether or not a flea has a soul, but either way, I don't really think it should be in here. UPDATE: Just edited it out, hope that's okay. 68.93.89.196 09:17, 17 July 2007 (UTC)
 * You won't get an argument from me - insect possessing souls is definitely a topic that should be kept to its own page - if it belongs on wikipedia at all!Observer31 03:22, 21 July 2007 (UTC)

Are fleas host specific?
I've heard anecdotal testimony that all fleas are host specific (cat fleas to cats, dog fleas to dogs, etc). Though fleas can bite any animal they wish, they may not receive the nutrient(?) needed to develop into sexually mature fleas. Can someone with more knowledge on the subject confirm or deny this story, and maybe add to article if relevant? --Mrs Scarborough 04:41, 23 July 2007 (UTC)

Fleas, as is the case with parasites in general, tend to be host specific. The degree of specificity is variable. Some species are monoxenous, or specific to a single host (cat fleas, I believe, fall into this category). However, most flea species are polyxenous, and will feed on multiple, and in some cases many, different hosts. The famous plague flea is a polyxenous species which allowed it to transfer the plague bacteria from infected rodent hosts to humans with great efficiency. AndersRoyce (talk) 15:39, 3 December 2009 (UTC)


 * Thanks, Anders. I was wondering about this and have added monoxenous and polyxenous (and-xenous) to my vocabulary. It's "flea season" in my locale, and I can pick off a thousand cat fleas from light clothing or light skin for every bite I get. My indoor/outdoor cat does nothing but scratch at and lick at these parasites. Some of these fleas are (scratch-scratch) willing and able to bite humans, but most seem to be waiting for a more suitable host. Outdoor dogs are bothered by them, but not so much that it would be a health problem--I've seen dog fleas overtake an outdoor dogs scrotum (sorry for the visual) for easy feeding. 75.111.77.219 (talk) 23:31, 31 August 2014 (UTC)

Yes
According to Desmond Morris in his 1969 book, The Naked Ape, the flea evolved with human beings, as we gave up our fur coat. Read other Wiki references to them, and you will find that there are three distinct species of louse that infest humans, and various species of flea that infest different animals.--W8IMP 04:01, 21 August 2007 (UTC)

They're Back!
I picked off another 5-6 rat fleas from my dog last evening. They do not jump like dog/cat fleas, but burrow and run under his short fur. I pick them up with my guitarist's fingernails (a tweezer may work as well) and flush them down the toilet. They appear unable to swim. We hope to get rid of them for good as soon as we have 10 days of hard freeze (and a decrease in the rodent population) and will be moving during the Winter. In the meantime, it has been so mild here (they are predicting 16C today), we need to examine him by back-brushing fur with finger, or just watch fur as he lies under a good light. The bites are sprayed with 3% H2O2 (peroxide), or some witch hazel on a cotton swab. We managed to keep them out from under the mattress by vacuuming and dusting with a commercial flea powder. I have not had a bite in months.--W8IMP 12:28, 12 November 2007 (UTC)

alternative treatment solutions?
i haven't really looked into it too deeply yet, but i have heard that plain old table salt is very effective in combating flea infestations. it seems to me that the section on dealing with the little blood-suckers refers exclusively to (expensive-sounding) commercial pesticides. perhaps we could be, you know, NOT advertising for Bayer? .. just a thought ~ Johndoh75 22:23, 15 November 2007 (UTC)

I've tested a number of old fashioned flea remedies, though not salt. Only 2 were effective, and both reduces the numbers quite a lot, but failed to clear the fleas.

1. Sticky tape traps. These are just strips of parcel tape, sticky side up, taped to bits of card and laid on the floor anywhere people wont walk on them. You need many traps per room, and they need to be replaced after a matter of days when dust settlement reduces their stickiness.

2. Water bowls. These are jar lids with water in placed on the floor, again many of them per room. Better results than the tape traps, but again all it did was change the number of fleas from a lot to a medium amount.

Treatments with no significant effect: Tabby 21:13, 3 December 2007 (UTC)
 * sulphur sprinkled on floor
 * tobacco "
 * Using a 15w light bulb to attract fleas to sticky traps did not increase yield.
 * I forget the others I tried for now.

Questions:

What is TCP??? Transfer Control Protocol??

"Frequent vacuuming is also helpful, but the vacuum bag must be disposed of immediately afterwards."

WHY? What if we introduce a killing powder in the vacuum bag?

—Preceding unsigned comment added by 87.221.191.38 (talk) 01:29, 21 August 2009 (UTC)

Organophosphates
"Even though organophosphate-based insecticides are still sold as flea collars, flea powders and flea shampoos, those are not recommended. Many strains of insects have become resistant against that class of compounds, and they display an unacceptably high level of toxicity against mammals."

Is the above true? Any ref to info on it? OPs are routinely used in flea control collars, and are used in the west for fly control in domestic houses, hence I'm really doubtful about this claim.

A slow release organophosphate (vapona style) flykiller makes an excellent flea control. Only the ones with a suitable OP in them, such as dichlorvos - many contain a chemical that doesnt kill fleas.

This is an effective and low cost way to control animal fleas, human fleas and house fleas, yet its missing at the moment from the article.

Tabby 21:28, 3 December 2007 (UTC)

Study page
My school, K12 Online School, said that we should go to this particular page to study (it's actually printed in our textbook). I wish my Wikipedia article was that famous! --Princess Janay (talk) 18:01, 14 January 2008 (UTC)

Do fleas give dogs worms?
I've heard several people state this to be true although it is never mentioned in their life cycle. My understanding is when a dog eats a flea it somehow contracts worms. Maybe the flea carries worm eggs on its body or is this just the flea adapting to its enviroment. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Toneaddict (talk • contribs) 21:21, 14 June 2008 (UTC)


 * Yes, Dipylidium caninum is transmitted by fleas; the dogs are infected when they kill the flea and ingest it. -- Küchenkraut (talk) 09:08, 30 July 2009 (UTC)

Red links
Should they be delinked? DragonZero (talk) 23:09, 13 October 2008 (UTC)

Flea Circus
I was really surprised to see no reference here to training fleas. I'm adding a section in. Hendo1769 (talk) 18:03, 25 December 2008 (UTC)

predators?
I hear a lot about what fleas prey on, but what preys on fleas? This is a curiousity that just keeps building for me. Are they kind of exempt from the food chains? It'd beinteresting to get a brief section on this. Iunderstand the existance of mosqiutos but never the flea.99.205.153.61 (talk) 01:26, 17 August 2009 (UTC)

Natural predators include spiders, ants, and beetles. Fleas do not actually prey on anything themselves. They are parasites, not predators. AndersRoyce (talk) 23:31, 2 December 2009 (UTC)

does garlic help get rid of dogs fleas?
If i gave my dog garlic capsules would this assist in getting rid of any flea's? I have heard from several people that this does work, but am also aware that some root plants can cause dogs illnesses. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 80.4.22.225 (talk) 18:22, 29 November 2009 (UTC)

Why "Flea" and not "Siphonaptera"?
Almost every insect order page on Wikipedia can be found under the scientific name of the taxon. The exceptions I see so far are earwigs, mayflies, beetles, and flea. I think the page should be retitled. Is there any sort of guideline for page titles? What do other people think? Maybe the best solution (for all orders) would be a combination like "Siphonaptera (Fleas)" —Preceding unsigned comment added by AndersRoyce (talk • contribs) 01:19, 2 December 2009 (UTC)

hydrocortisone
hydrocortisone link links to cortisol not cortisone. Is it right? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 87.226.26.236 (talk) 09:48, 15 May 2010 (UTC)

"Green Paws" site
Article Author/s -

I agree withe the poster under the alternative treatment solutions? topic that the article has a bias towards chemical warfare: "...perhaps we could be, you know, NOT advertising for Bayer?".

The Green Paws site is part of the respected Natural Resources Defense Council group of sites. There's lots of easy to find and understand info on combating fleas, the toxicity levels of compounds (both natural and man-made), and safe/safer alternatives. The site takes as a matter of course the pet owner's responsibility in actively working to control infestation instead of merely lobbing lots of chemicals at the fleas.

Main page: http://www.greenpaws.org/

health hazards of flea products discussed: http://www.greenpaws.org/report.php

interactive flea products directory, the meat of the site: http://www.simplesteps.org/greenpaws-products

I hope you find this info useful. 68.197.49.1 (talk) 10:48, 20 July 2010 (UTC)

Advantage/Advantix info under Flea Treatments - For Pets
This section reads like an advertisement for Advantage/Advantix. I can't but wonder if it was written by someone with affiliation with the Bayer Corporation.

An example: ("Advantix is officially named K9 Advantix and contains imidacloprid and permethrin, substances effective in repelling and killing fleas, ticks and mosquitoes. Mosquitoes carry diseases, and must not be allowed to approac the dog's skin.")

Obvious spelling errors, mention of mosquitoes (an alarming non-sequiter that reads as a "buy"-line), and specific mention to dogs (not cats or any other animal) are, for example, things that make me suspicious. The Frontline/Frontline PLUS paragraph is marginally smaller and placed at the end. I don't have time at the moment to write on this (dealing with a flea infestation myself, hence the interest in the topic) but may I suggest a listing of simply the active ingredients needed to kill them and possibly a listing of medications with links to their own pages rather than blurbs which make it sound like if you're not using Advantage/Advantix you're doing it wrong? Or am I off-base here...?\ SidWreck (talk) 05:31, 9 August 2010 (UTC) I Agree. That section reads like a well written advertisement. The changes have been made. I wonder how long it will take the marketing departments of the commercial products to detect the changes and revert them... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.6.136.249 (talk) 10:42, 9 August 2010 (UTC)

External Link to new site
Hi would like to add my site to the external link section. I am aware that wiki uses no follow links. I do feel that my site of offering some useful information on dealing with and getting rid of fleas either on your pets or within your home. This is a new site and is going to be expanding over the coming weeks and months

My main home page is www.fleacontrolforpets.com

Thanks

Is PRWEB a reliable source?
The source named in note 17 ("Lights Out For Bed Bugs as "BEST YET" Cedar Oil Solution Solves International Bed Bug Dilemma". http://www.prweb.com/.+2008-11-25. Retrieved 2010-04-08.") appears to be an advertisement. I didn't remove the paragraph, since it would certainly be interesting if cedar oil repelled fleas, but I hope someone can find a more reliable source.  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.21.28.224 (talk) 04:29, 18 September 2011 (UTC)

I am going to create a "Dubious" section in the talk page concerning this citation. The manufacturer of "BEST YET" appears to be under investigation by the FTC. Please see the "Dubious" section for the FTC citation. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.194.38.42 (talk) 00:30, 7 December 2012 (UTC)

How long do fleas live?
Currently, the life cycle section claims that fleas "can survive two months to a year between meals," and also that "Their total life cycle can be as short as two weeks, but may be several months in ideal conditions." These statements seem inconsistent, especially if we take "several months" to be shorter than "a year." Is the claim that fleas reach adulthood in as short as two weeks and as long as several months? If so, why would the longer maturity period be associated with "ideal conditions?" - Donnywithana (talk) 20:04, 2 April 2012 (UTC)

Dubious
Reference 18 to prweb.com is not authoritative. "CedarCide Industries" as referenced in the citation is under investigation by the FTC Here is a reference to a "BEST YET" product website  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.194.38.42 (talk) 00:37, 7 December 2012 (UTC)

I would like to also add that just because this particular source and/or manufacturer might have problems it does not mean that cedar oil is not effective against fleas. However, until an expert can dig up a good citation I would argue the statement is 'dubious', and have thus marked it as such.

I have aggressively and per label used the product mentioned and found it to be ineffective Deramanap (talk) 22:53, 14 July 2013 (UTC)

This sentence no verb
What is the sentence "Average 30–90 days" trying to communicate? Look under "Adult flea" section. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 107.3.2.240 (talk) 03:21, 14 November 2013 (UTC)

Drowning
I have tagged all the mentions of drowning with fact lots of claims of it being a solution are found, but reliable references are more difficult to find. Jeepday (talk) 10:43, 17 May 2014 (UTC)
 * On searching no reliable references are found supporting the drowning of fleas in anything less than 24 hours. See a summary of research at http://biology.stackexchange.com/questions/17370/can-dish-soap-really-be-used-to-kill-ticks-and-fleas I am removing all the mentions of drowning fleas from the article. Jeepday (talk) 10:25, 1 June 2014 (UTC)

Life cycle inconsistencies
There are several conflicting figures given for a flea's life cycle. The section is very confusing. 208.102.73.131 (talk) 15:00, 18 July 2014 (UTC)

No Mention of Lemon Juice
There seems to be no mention of lemon juice, or even apple cider vinegar, as an effective method of control. --roger (talk) 02:17, 6 October 2014 (UTC)

External links modified
Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just added archive links to 1 one external link on Flea. Please take a moment to review my edit. If necessary, add after the link to keep me from modifying it. Alternatively, you can add to keep me off the page altogether. I made the following changes:
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/20090618134113/http://bitsandbrew.com:80/warning1.htm to http://bitsandbrew.com/warning1.htm

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Cheers. —cyberbot II  Talk to my owner :Online 01:24, 29 August 2015 (UTC)

Proposed updates
I would like to propose updates to this page as follows: 1) I would like to add they fleas can feed on their own eggs. 2) I would like to add a picture showing more detail of their sclerites. Cfitch5 (talk) 23:41, 5 April 2016 (UTC)

Taxobox broken
and I don't know enough to fix it. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Igodard (talk • contribs) 17:04, 28 May 2016 (UTC)
 * Done. Debouch (talk) 18:10, 28 May 2016 (UTC)