How much blood do fleas eat? - briefly
An adult flea ingests roughly 0.5–1 µL of blood each day, equivalent to the volume of a tiny grain of sand. Over a typical lifespan, total consumption reaches about 0.2 mL.
How much blood do fleas eat? - in detail
Fleas obtain nutrition exclusively from the blood of warm‑blooded hosts. An adult cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis) typically ingests between 0.5 and 1.0 µL of blood per feeding bout. A single feeding may last 5–10 minutes, during which the insect expands its abdomen to accommodate the meal. After a meal, the flea can increase its body weight by up to 50 percent.
- Average volume per meal: 0.5–1.0 µL
- Daily intake for an adult feeding 4–5 times: 2–5 µL
- Total consumption over a 2‑month adult lifespan: 120–300 µL
Larval stages do not feed on blood; they rely on organic debris and adult feces. Pupae remain dormant and consume no blood until emergence. The amount ingested by adults varies with temperature, host species, and flea size. Higher ambient temperatures accelerate metabolism, increasing feeding frequency and volume. Larger flea species, such as the dog flea (Ctenocephalides canis), may take up to 1.5 µL per meal.
Blood meals provide the proteins and lipids necessary for egg production. A single female can lay 20–30 eggs after a single engorgement. Consequently, even modest blood intake supports rapid population growth. Repeated blood loss from heavy infestations can lead to anemia in small animals, especially kittens and puppies, when cumulative consumption exceeds the host’s physiological tolerance.