What do fleas bite? - briefly
Fleas feed on the blood of warm‑blooded animals, chiefly dogs, cats, rodents, and sometimes humans. Their bites appear as tiny, itchy red punctures where they have pierced the skin.
What do fleas bite? - in detail
Fleas are obligate hematophages, meaning they obtain nourishment exclusively from blood. Their primary targets are warm‑blooded vertebrates, with the most common hosts being domestic dogs and cats. Human skin is also frequently bitten, especially when a pet infestation is present, because fleas will opportunistically feed on any accessible mammalian host.
Other mammals regularly parasitized include rodents, rabbits, ferrets, and livestock such as cattle, sheep, and goats. In wildlife, fleas infest squirrels, raccoons, foxes, and various ungulates. Some species, notably the rabbit flea (Spilopsyllus cuniculi), specialize on lagomorphs, while the cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis) has a broader host range that encompasses birds and occasionally reptiles.
The feeding process involves the insertion of a needle‑like mouthpart called a stylet, through which the insect injects saliva containing anticoagulants and anesthetic compounds. This saliva can provoke allergic reactions, resulting in itching, redness, and inflammation at the bite site. In addition to local irritation, fleas serve as vectors for pathogens such as Yersinia pestis (plague), Rickettsia spp. (typhus), and Bartonella spp. (cat‑scratch disease). Transmission occurs when the flea regurgitates infected material during subsequent blood meals.
Key points about flea host selection:
- Preference for mammals with dense fur or feathers that provide shelter.
- Opportunistic feeding on humans when pet hosts are absent or heavily infested.
- Ability of certain flea species to adapt to avian and reptilian hosts, though this is less common.
- Role in disease transmission amplified by repeated feeding on multiple hosts.
Understanding the range of organisms that fleas bite is essential for effective control measures, which must address both the primary animal hosts and incidental human exposure.