UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



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BULLETIN No. 248 



Contribution from the Bureau of Entomology 

 L. O. HOWARD, Chief. 



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Washington, D. C. 



August 14, 1915 



FLEAS. 



By F. C. Bishopp, 

 Entomological Assistant, Southern Field Crop Insect Investigations. 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 



Introduction 1 



Hosts of fleas 2 



Biting habits 3 



Life history 4 



Length of life of the adult 7 



Breeding places 8 



Factors influencing flea abundance 9 



Page. 

 The jumping of fleas and other 



means of spread 10 



Fleas as carriers of disease 11 



Fleas as parasites of man and ani- 

 mals 16 



Natural control 22 



Artificial control , 23 



Remedies for bites 31 



INTRODUCTION. 



Fleas have forced themselves on man's attention for many cen- 

 turies. All are familiar with these elusive little pests, knowing well 

 their brownish color, peculiar flattened shape, apparent ability to 

 sense the approach of danger, and the proverbial ease with which 

 they escape. Their propensities for annoying man by inflicting bites 

 in rapidly changing situations and for persistently worrying dogs and 

 cats are well known. 



However, it is not only in the role of annoyers of man or beast 

 that fleas assume importance, for within the last decade the world has 

 come to know fleas in their most important relationship to the welfare 

 of mankind — that of transmitters of disease, and particularly of the 

 dread disease known as plague. Aside from plague, which levies a 

 death toll well into the hundreds of thousands yearly, attention is 

 directed to fleas as important insects on account of their probable 



Note. — The activities of fleas as carriers of bubonic plague and other diseases, as 

 parasites upon poultry, and as pests to man and other animals are presented in this 

 bulletin. Descriptions, life history, breeding places, hosts, and methods of eradication and 

 control are given. 



92999° — Bull. 248 — 15 1 



