These parasites are distinguished by the fact that they can adapt to any conditions. It is believed that this species is perhaps the most dangerous. This is explained by the fact that most people in history have died precisely because of the bites of these insects. Thus, if you have southern rat fleas in your house, then you need to fight them and try to get rid of them as quickly as possible.
Although in practice they look the same as other subspecies of mammals. And they still appear in the house less often than those parasites that settle in the skin of an animal.
Appearance
There are 2 types of rat fleas: European and southern . The latter parasitizes ordinary gray rats that live in sewers and cellars. This species is the most common and dangerous , as it spreads terrible infections.
Initially, these fleas lived in tropical and subtropical regions , from where they spread throughout the world. Outwardly, they are practically no different from other types of fleas. The length of the body does not exceed 3.5–4 mm . It is strongly flattened on the sides, so it is difficult to crush a flea with your fingers. The integument is chitinous, shiny, dark chestnut in color .
Both varieties have 3 pairs of legs located on the thoracic segments. The front and middle legs are short, designed to move around the owner’s body, the hind legs are much longer. They are distinguished by thick femoral segments and elongated tibiae. This structure of the limbs helps to jump long distances (up to half a meter) .
On the head there are simple round eyes and a small mustache. The piercing-sucking oral apparatus consists of the upper and lower jaws, as well as a lip equipped with small palps.
The egg has very small dimensions, the length does not exceed 0.6 mm . It is oval, white or yellowish in color .
The larva looks like a small worm . The integument is transparent, whitish. Legs, antennae and eyes are absent, which does not prevent the larva from actively moving in search of food.
REFERENCE ! The rat flea has no external differences from related species.
Next you will see a photo of rat fleas:
Stages of development
During their lifetime, female rat fleas lay about 400-500 white eggs (5-8 pieces at a time), the length of which is about 0.5 mm, and before oviposition they must be saturated with blood. Nests are built in various substrates (for example, dust on the floor or dry garbage), but most often, in apartment conditions, rat fleas lay eggs in the host’s bedding.
Each egg develops into a larva; after 5-10 days, a mobile worm-like creature emerges, having no eyes or legs, but equipped with a gnawing type mouthparts.
Growing rat fleas feed on the excrement of adult animals, containing undigested blood, putrefactive remains of grass and wool. In the apartment, the larvae feel at ease in old dirty rugs and floor coverings. After going through the obligatory stage of pupation, they turn into full-fledged adult insects. At home, excellent sources of food for such parasites are decorative rats and mice.
In the absence of such insects, without a twinge of conscience, they will move onto the body of domestic dogs and cats and will definitely attach themselves to a person.
Lifestyle of rat fleas
Bloodsuckers cannot remain on the host’s body all the time. The rat plays the role of a dining room , where the parasites come to eat. Having had enough, the flea jumps off the rodent and returns to its permanent habitat. Most often, bloodsuckers settle in rat nests in order to have constant access to the victim’s body.
This is where the females lay their eggs. Fertile individuals can produce more than 350–370 of their own kind . They lay eggs gradually, 6–7 eggs per day . It takes 4 to 9 days for the egg to develop, then the larva emerges from it. She begins to actively feed, using plant debris, excrement of adult fleas and dried blood debris.
The larva goes through 3 molts. Its development takes from 9 to 16 days under favorable conditions and over 150 if living conditions are unsuitable. It is optimal to live at a temperature of 21–23° and a humidity of no more than 75% .
After this, the pupal stage begins. The larva, which already looks like an adult insect, is wrapped in a cocoon and “sleeps.” This stage ends under normal conditions in 2-4 days , but can last for several months.
An adult emerges from the pupa and begins to search for prey. A flea can go without food for a long time . But, having found a suitable owner, it clings to him for a long time in order to get enough.
REFERENCE ! The female flea begins to reproduce only when she has enough food.
Pet treatment
To get rid of fleas faster, you first need to rid your pets of them. This will deprive the insects of food. Shampoo or spray to kill fleas living in the animal’s fur, as well as drops, will help with this. Then you should put a special collar on your pet, which will repel fleas and prevent re-infestation.
Drops
Drops containing an insecticide are applied to the animal’s withers. Drugs produced in this dosage form are safer and more effective.
Before treating your pet, you should not bathe it for 3-4 days so that the fatty film on the skin is not disturbed. If you apply the drops immediately after washing, there is a high probability that the drug will not work. The product protects your pet for 3-4 weeks.
The most effective drugs include:
- Rolf 3D;
- Advantan;
- Hartz;
- Stronghold;
- Frontline;
- "Inspector";
- "Bars".
“Bars” is one of the most effective flea medications.
The harmfulness of rat fleas
These parasites can feed on more than just the blood of rats . People and pets also become victims of rat fleas. Moreover, their bites are very painful (what do flea bites look like?). Unlike their relatives, rat parasites do not release an anesthetic enzyme.
In addition, the bite site often becomes inflamed, severe itching , swelling , redness , and suppuration . Allergic reactions often occur, the bite becomes dense and does not go away for a long time. Multiple bites can cause general body reactions such as inflammation of the lymph nodes , headaches , mouth ulcers and nervous breakdown.
And this is not the worst harm from a bite! Rat fleas actively spread such dangerous diseases as salmonellosis , rat typhus , brucellosis , tularemia , encephalitis , anthrax and plague . It was rat fleas that became the main culprits of the plague epidemic, which reduced the population of Europe by a full third in the Middle Ages. A rat flea bite is reminiscent of a game like Russian roulette. The main question here is the same: will it carry through or not?
And that’s not all the dangers again! Any rat flea necessarily carries a whole bunch of helminth eggs . When she bites, she is guaranteed to pass them on to her victim.
IMPORTANT ! After being bitten by a rat flea, it is imperative to undergo examination at a clinic and anthelmintic therapy.
We wrote about what diseases rat and other fleas can carry here, and here you can learn about the harm fleas from various animals can cause to humans.
Features of existence
The main hosts on which rat fleas parasitize are various species of rodents.
Moreover, bloodsuckers are not permanent residents on the animal’s body: they are just temporary guests, attacking the four-legged animal in order to obtain food - blood. Having had enough, the parasites move to the habitats of their hosts (burrows, rat nests, heaps of garbage), trying not to move long distances from them.
Treatment of a bite
- Wash the wound with warm water and soap.
- Treat with iodine or brilliant green.
- Apply something cold to the wound.
- Take any antihistamine medication.
- The bite itself should not be scratched . Itching can be relieved with an ointment designed to treat insect bites.
We talked in detail about how to treat the symptoms of a flea bite in a separate article.
Below are photos of rat flea bites:
Emulsions
Of the emulsions against rat fleas, Deltsid has proven itself to be effective. During disinsection there should be no people or animals in the room. The treatment is carried out wearing a respirator and gloves.
To prepare a solution, 3.75 ml of the drug (less than two ampoules) are diluted in a liter of water. The solution is poured into a spray bottle and sprayed around the perimeter of the room at a level of up to one and a half meters. Particular attention is paid to cracks on the walls and gaps between baseboards.
After the procedure, windows and doors are closed. The apartment is left for one hour. After this time, the room is ventilated. Repeated treatment is carried out after ten days.
Ways of rat fleas entering homes.
The main carriers of fleas are their direct hosts - rats . Having made its way into a residential building, the rodent will leave behind a “gift”.
Fleas can also arrive on residents' clothes or in a bag . Cats or dogs can bring them from a walk. From basements, parasites can enter apartments through cracks in the floors or ventilation holes .
We wrote about how fleas can get into homes here.
Where do parasites come from in decorative rats?
Inexperienced rat breeders often ask a similar question when they discover parasitic animals on the body of their beloved pet. A domestic rodent can pick up parasites even with very careful care and maintenance; they can be their sources.
Filler
Often, lice eaters and ticks live in hay and sawdust, which animal owners buy in dubious places and use as filler.
Contact with infected animals
They can be domestic or wild mice and rats.
External environment
Even a loving owner who brings the infection from the street on his hands and clothes can give his pet parasites.
Fighting rat fleas
You should start eliminating fleas in the house immediately after they are discovered! The longer you delay the operation, the more parasites will have to be removed. Don't forget that rat fleas multiply at a tremendous speed!
First of all, pets need to be treated . There are many means for this.
- Collars . They expel parasites from the animal in a couple of days and protect against attack for 1 or 2 months.
- Drops . An effective and low-toxic insecticide for the animal should be placed on the skin where the pet cannot lick it off. You can use any anti-flea drops, for example, Celandine , Stronghold , Bars .
- Shampoos . Suitable only for those animals that are used to bathing. Products such as Frontline , Celandine , and Mister Kiss .
containing DEET are used to protect people . They help repel rat fleas , preventing them from jumping on a person and biting him.
Removing fleas from the house is a more troublesome and time-consuming task. To ensure that you get rid of these parasites, it is recommended to call a special professional service . She will be able to eliminate all rat fleas the first time.
If you decide to kill insects yourself, choose a good, effective insecticide. Medicines against any household pests may be suitable: cockroaches , ants , bedbugs .
- Sprays and aerosols . Combat , Raid , Raptor work effectively .
- Liquid concentrates . They not only perfectly destroy insects, but also protect the house from repeated invasion for several weeks. You can use Sinuzan , Get , Chlorpirimak , Executioner , Biorin , Cifox .
- Dusts . Used to bait larvae. They last a long time. The most popular are Clean House , Fas , pyrethrum powder .
Folk remedies for insects
Often, parents of young children are afraid to use chemicals to treat their apartments against parasites. There is also a way out of this situation - you can use folk recipes against fleas.
- The use of herbal infusions gives good results. You need to take dried herbs: wormwood, tansy and eucalyptus in proportions 2:1:1. Pour boiling water over them and leave to steep for at least 12 hours. Strain the resulting infusion and treat the apartment with it using a spray bottle. Be especially careful when spraying carpets, pet bedding, and furniture.
- Fleas do not like strong odors, including the scent of pine needles. Therefore, you can place pillows filled with pine sawdust around the house. In combination with bouquets of dried tansy they will give an excellent result.
- There is another interesting and effective remedy - a mixture of crushed garlic and brewer's yeast. You need to treat the floors with it and leave it for about 10 hours, then vacuum the surface. This method will help drive out fleas once and for all.
Considering how difficult it can sometimes be to get rid of parasites, it is better to take preventive measures. It is enough just to regularly clean the apartment and promptly treat pets with insecticides.
