OF THE APPROXIMATELY 500 species of fleas known 

 to exist, less than one dozen are of special interest as 

 pests to man and domestic animals, but any individual of 

 one of these few species, when bent upon satisfying its 

 appetite, fully occupies the attention of its chosen host. 



The human flea, dog flea, cat flea, sticktight flea or chicken 

 flea, and the rat fleas (which carry the bubonic plague), are 

 the principal species that annoy man and domestic animals 

 in the United States. 



The main steps in control, as described in this bulletin, 

 are the elimination of breeding places and the destruction 

 of fleas on the infested animals. If breeding places receive 

 proper attention the premises often will be cleared of fleas, 

 even though little or no attention is given to the animals 

 themselves. 



Fleas breed in greatest numbers in accumulations of vege- 

 table and animal matter protected from wind and rain, but 

 at the same time furnished with shade and a certain amount 

 of moisture. All live stock should be prevented from going 

 beneath buildings, the vegetable and animal matter carefully 

 cleaned up, and the ground where the immature fleas are 

 developing covered with salt and thoroughly wet down. 

 House infestations may be prevented by eliminating pet 

 animals and applying gasoline to the floors after all rugs 

 have been removed and the floors thoroughly scrubbed with 

 soap and water. Washing pet animals in a comparatively 

 weak solution of saponified creosote or kerosene emulsion 

 will destroy the fleas upon them. 



Contribution from the Bureau of Entomology 



L. O. HOWARD, Chief 



Issued Novcmlier 8, IPIS, as No. 683 

 C. Second revision, June, 1921 



