If you are a pet owner, you will constantly dread the risk of a flea infestation. Not only can they harm your pets, but they can also infest your home and take over your peace of mind. But let’s jump right into it, Do fleas have wings? How do they move around your home if they are so small? Let’s start with our main question, do fleas fly?
Fleas do not have wings, they have long front arms and even longer back legs which can often be confused for wings. Along with this, it often appears that they can fly because they are big jumpers. The average flea can jump up to 15 inches in the air which is more than 250 times their height!
Do Fleas Have Wings?
No fleas do not have wings. Fleas jump extremely high and can move quite quickly for their size so many people assume that they must have wings, but they don’t.
If fleas are infesting your pets, they can easily jump from your pet to a piece of furniture, to another pet, or even onto you.
Fleas will infest humans if given the chance. They prefer pets because they have easier access to their skin, but if a flea can access your skin they will bite you. That’s why if you have a flea infestation you’ll often find red and itchy bite marks around your ankles and legs.
If you’re interested in the anatomy of fleas, take a look at our guide on what do fleas look like to the human eye!
How High Can Fleas Jump?
Fleas can jump up to 15 inches into the air according to Michigan State University!
This height is over 250 times their height which is extremely impressive for such a small insect. This means fleas can easily live inside your carpet and jump onto pets or humans that are walking by! Along with this, it means they can easily jump onto your furniture and live within your furniture.
How Do Fleas Move Around Your Home?
How fleas move around your home depends on what life cycle that particular flea is in. All fleas have 4 unique life cycle stages which includes Egg, Larva, Pupa, and Adult. Fleas don’t move during the egg and pupa stages.
- During the larva stage fleas aren’t quite as nimble as they are when they’re adults. They generally will crawl around, but don’t have the ability to jump. This means they will generally crawl around until they find a safe space to continue their life cycle.
- The adult stage is when fleas get more agile and can move around your home much easier. This is when they are prime jumpers, and this allows them to cover pretty much every inch of your home to find a food source and shelter.
How Do Fleas Get Into Homes?
Since fleas are so small you might be wondering how they might even enter your home to begin with. Where there are a few main ways that fleas might enter your home:
- The most common way fleas get into your home is by hijacking a ride on your pets as they are outside. Because fleas are constantly looking for a new host, it’s common for them to attach themselves to indoor/outdoor pets. Check out our guide on the best flea killers for yards!
- Fleas can also hitch a ride onto your clothes!
- Entering your home via gaps in the doors or windows. Because fleas are so small and they are pretty agile, they can easily find their way into your home in the smallest gaps or cracks.
- Fleas can also be living in potted plants that you’ve brought inside. Fleas prefer dark and moist environments in their early life stages, so it’s not uncommon for the larva to be living in potted plants, and when you bring them inside they have free access to your home.
Fleas are one of the worst nuisance pests to have, but thankfully they don’t have to be permanent! Now that we’ve figured out do fleas have wings, you should read some of our other Flea Guides and find out how to get rid of your flea infestation once and for all!