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Budget Termite & Pest Control
Biology and Behavior
Adult Fleas are about 1/16 to 1/8-inch long, dark reddish brown to
black, wingless, hard-bodied (difficult to crush between fingers), have
three pairs of legs (hind legs enlarged enabling jumping) and are
flattened vertically or side to side allowing easy movement between the
hair, fur or feathers of the host. Fleas are excellent jumpers, leaping
vertically up to seven inches and horizontally thirteen inches. They
have piercing-sucking mouthparts and spines on the body projecting
backward. Larvae are 1/4-inch long, slender, straw-colored, brown
headed, wormlike, bristly-haired creatures that are legless, have
chewing mouthparts, are active, and avoid light. Pupae are enclosed in
silken cocoons covered with particles of debris.
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