The Cat Flea, also known as the human flea. A standard inhabitant of our home, living in carpet, on bed clothes inside sofas and of course on our family pets.

The cat flea will bite humans, pets and livestock. Commonly the cat flea is found all over the United States, with the exception of Alaska where the frigid winter for 9 months of the year successfully stops full invasions.

The cat flea is reddish brown in color and has three legs that allow it to jump large distances.

When the cat flea becomes mature, it will stay on the host animal. Burrowing down into the hair and daily biting the animal in the quest for fresh blood. That is how the cat flea stays alive for up to 25 days.

The cat flea is capable of laying one egg every hour. After the egg is laid, it will fall off onto the carpet or the floor and there it will stay buried in carpet fibers until it becomes larvae. In two days time the larvae hatch subsisting on flea dirt and debris found in the rug. At this stage they have no hair, no legs.

Soon they spin cocoons and the adhesive type surface of the silk allows dirt and debris to cover the cocoon hiding it effectively from sight. Then they will emerge as adult fleas. Suddenly you have an infestation.

Pest Control Tips for Dealing with the Cat Flea-

Fleas are pests and the best way to get rid of them is to first of all flea treat your pets safely with a spot on flea application from your vet.

Then remove the pets from your home, and treat your home with a bug bomb or defogger that you can also get from your vet. Read all the instructions carefully before using the bug bomb.

You will need to cover all exposed dishes, glasses etc.. prior to bug bombing the house. Several defoggers will be needed, depending on the size of your home. You and your family and pets will need to leave the home during the spraying and stay away for a few hours.

Your pet's bedding needs to be washed, your home completely vaccumed, and mopped and swept. If you have a flea collar, don't bother putting it on your animal. It will do the most good cut up in small pieces inside your vacuum bag.

For outside your home you can sprinkle Diatomaceous earth crystals around the outside of your home, or hire a professional pest control company to come out and spray.

Biological pest control is also effective with the use of nematodes that feast off of fleas. Fire Ants eat fleas as well, but it is doubtful you want those pests around any more than you want the fleas there.