Danger! Fleas Spread Tapeworm!

Often customers comment that there pets only have a few fleas so they are not going to worry about treating for fleas. Danger fleas spread tapeworm and other diseases. Beware! If you know how dangerous fleas are you will not tolerate any fleas.

Danger Fleas Spread Tapeworm & Diseases 

Diseases spread by fleas have claimed the lives of millions of people throughout the history of the world. Following are the major diseases fleas spread:

1. Murine Typhus of Endemic Typhus
2. Mysomatosis-devastating to rabbit populations
3. Tapeworm
4. Plague

From the above list the most commonly spread disease by fleas today in the US is the tapeworm. Although disgusting the tapeworm life cycle and method of spreading is a fascinating display of the intricacies and miracles of nature.

 Fleas Eat Poop!

Adult fleas living on the body of pets, people or other hosts suck blood. Lots of it in fact! The female flea can daily ingest 15 times her body weight in blood. Some of this blood gets used by the adult flea to produce eggs but most of the ingested blood gets pooped out. Flea fecal matter and flea eggs fall to the floor, couch, bed or wherever the host spends the most time. As the eggs hatch and become wiggly worm like things they live in the carpet or wherever they landed. Now for the gross part! Flea larvae eat organic matter including the adult flea poop containing blood.

Tapeworms Are Spread By Fleas-

(Better Put Your Lunch Down For This Part)

Tapeworms can be over a foot long and live inside the small intestine of pets or people. A tapeworm is a long series of segments–each segment equipped with self sustaining systems. The last one (big end in the picture above) is essentially an egg sac filled with tapeworm eggs. When the last section full of eggs breaks off it gets pooped out by the host. Flea larvae living on the ground jump for joy to see the pet poop coming and quickly gobble up the pet poop tapeworm eggs and all.

Eventually the flea larvae that ate the tapeworm egg matures and as an adult begins feeding on the pet’s blood. In a flash the irritated pet licks off the biting flea and swallows him whole. As the flea body is digested the remaining tapeworm egg begins to grow inside the pet. Within only three weeks the new tapeworm will begin releasing segments containing tapeworm eggs to start the cycle all over again. Just make sure you don’t accidentally swallow a flea or you might end up with tapeworm too! That is why if you have fleas, then you might be in danger. Fleas spread tapeworm to people too.

Moral of the story

Don’t mess around with fleas in your home. There is real danger fleas spread tapeworm, so you could be putting your pets and family at risk. We kill fleas–100% guaranteed. We offer a FREE Flea Inspection. Let our trained technicians accurately identify fleas and  help you find the best flea solution to protect your family.

Locally owned for fast, exceptional service.

5 Star Pest Control Service available in Albany, Ashland, Corvallis, Eugene, Grants Pass, McMinnville, Medford, Newberg, Roseburg, Salem, Sherwood, Wilsonville, Woodburn, Tigard, Tualatin and surrounding areas.