How do fleas die from treatment?

How do fleas die from treatment? - briefly

Flea insecticides typically contain neurotoxic compounds that block nerve transmission, leading to rapid paralysis and cessation of feeding. Subsequent loss of water balance and metabolic collapse cause the insects to die within minutes to hours.

How do fleas die from treatment? - in detail

Fleas succumb after exposure to therapeutic agents through several physiological pathways.

Neurotoxic insecticides act on the insect nervous system. Compounds such as «pyrethroids» keep voltage‑gated sodium channels open, causing uncontrolled nerve firing, loss of coordination, and rapid paralysis. Organophosphates inhibit acetylcholinesterase, leading to accumulation of acetylcholine, continuous muscle contraction, respiratory failure, and death. Neonicotinoids bind to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, producing overstimulation, convulsions, and fatal exhaustion.

Insect growth regulators interfere with development. Substances classified as «juvenile hormone analogues» prevent normal molting, causing larvae to remain in an immature stage that cannot progress to adulthood, ultimately resulting in death due to starvation or desiccation. Chitin synthesis inhibitors block the formation of the exoskeleton, producing malformed cuticles that rupture during ecdysis.

Physical and chemical desiccants remove the protective wax layer on the flea cuticle. Insecticidal soaps and oils dissolve lipids, increasing water loss. Dehydration progresses until vital organ function ceases.

Biochemical poisons disrupt metabolic processes. «Spinosad» activates nicotinic receptors, leading to hyperexcitation and eventual neuronal fatigue. Other agents inhibit mitochondrial respiration, depriving cells of ATP and causing systemic collapse.

Environmental measures complement chemical action. Heat treatment raises ambient temperature above the flea’s thermal tolerance, denaturing proteins and causing rapid mortality. Freezing below –10 °C induces ice crystal formation within tissues, leading to cellular rupture. Vacuuming physically removes adult fleas and eggs, reducing the population that can survive chemical exposure.

Effective eradication depends on achieving a lethal concentration (LC50) for a sufficient exposure period. Sublethal doses may only impair activity, allowing recovery if treatment is incomplete. Combining neurotoxic agents with growth regulators often accelerates mortality across life stages, ensuring comprehensive control.