How do fleas live in an apartment? - briefly
Fleles survive in a dwelling by inhabiting pets, bedding, carpets, and floor seams where they feed on blood and lay eggs, which hatch into larvae that develop in the surrounding debris. Their life cycle completes in weeks, enabling rapid population growth if untreated.
How do fleas live in an apartment? - in detail
Fleas survive in a residential unit by exploiting three essential resources: a blood source, a protected micro‑environment, and suitable temperature and humidity.
Adult females ingest a blood meal from a host—typically a pet or human—and lay 20–50 eggs within minutes. Eggs fall onto carpets, bedding, or cracks in flooring. Within 2–5 days, eggs hatch into larvae that avoid light and seek organic debris such as shed skin, hair, or feces. Larvae feed on these particles, which contain dried blood, and remain in the dark crevices of rugs, under furniture, or inside wall voids.
Larvae spin silk cocoons and develop into pupae, a stage that can endure for weeks or months until environmental cues—rising temperature, increased carbon dioxide, or host movement—signal a host’s presence. The pupal case protects the emerging adult from desiccation and chemical treatments.
Adult fleas are highly mobile. They jump up to 150 mm, enabling rapid movement from floor coverings to host fur or clothing. Once on a host, they feed repeatedly, producing blood meals that sustain reproduction. After feeding, adults retreat to protected zones to rest and reproduce, completing the cycle.
Key factors that sustain the infestation include:
- Warmth: temperatures between 21 °C and 30 °C accelerate development.
- Humidity: relative humidity of 70 %–80 % prevents desiccation of eggs and larvae.
- Host availability: continuous access to blood supports rapid population growth.
Interrupting any of these elements—by reducing humidity, lowering indoor temperature, removing organic debris, or eliminating host access—disrupts the life cycle and diminishes flea numbers. Regular vacuuming, laundering bedding at high temperatures, and treating pets with veterinary‑approved products are effective measures to eradicate the insects from the dwelling.