Where do fleas go after flea drops are applied? - briefly
Fleas that encounter topical flea medication are either killed on contact or driven off the host, falling to the floor or bedding where they soon die from the insecticide. Any surviving insects are unable to re‑infest because the treated animal remains protected.
Where do fleas go after flea drops are applied? - in detail
Fleas that encounter a spot‑on insecticide are subjected to a rapid pharmacological action. The active ingredients spread across the animal’s skin, are absorbed into the sebaceous glands, and enter the flea’s nervous system upon contact. The immediate outcomes are:
- Immobilization – neurotoxic compounds block synaptic transmission, causing loss of motor control within seconds to minutes.
- Mortality – sustained exposure leads to fatal paralysis; most fleas die within 30 minutes.
- Dislodgement – immobilized insects lose grip on the host’s fur and drop to the surrounding environment.
- Residual activity – surviving fleas that have not yet absorbed a lethal dose may wander off the host in search of a refuge, where they eventually succumb to the residual insecticide present on the skin or in the immediate surroundings.
After death, flea bodies remain on the host’s coat, fall to bedding, or accumulate in carpet fibers. Decomposition is rapid in warm, humid conditions; enzymes in the animal’s skin and environmental microbes break down the carcasses. In cases where the product contains an insect growth regulator, any eggs or larvae that hatch from surviving adults are prevented from developing, halting the life cycle.
Overall, the application of flea drops results in immediate paralysis, rapid death, and subsequent removal of the insects from the host’s surface, with the environment serving as the final repository for dead or dying fleas.