Fleas

How to identify fleas

Very small (about ⅛ inch), dark, and flattened side-to-side, with powerful legs for jumping. You'll usually notice itchy bites around the ankles and 'flea dirt' (dark specks) in pet fur and bedding before you spot the fleas themselves.

Why it matters

Fleas come in on pets, and on the wildlife — mice, opossums, strays — that pass through the yard. Once indoors, a few fleas become an infestation quickly: eggs drop into carpet, bedding, and floor cracks, and the life cycle keeps regenerating for weeks.

Because most of a flea population is eggs, larvae, and pupae hidden in the environment rather than adults on the pet, treating the animal alone rarely solves it. Effective control treats the indoor harborage and the outdoor shaded areas where the cycle continues, alongside your vet's pet treatment.