Do Fleas Fly? What You Need to Know About These Pests

Fleas have been around for 50 million years, and they’re probably not going anywhere soon. A female flea can lay 40 eggs in a day, they’re really hard to get rid of, and despite their poor eyesight, they’re pros at finding their prey.

But do fleas fly? Believe it or not, these highly successful pests can’t fly because they don’t have wings. Instead, fleas get around by jumping—really high—onto their prey.

What Are Fleas?

Fleas are a blood-sucking parasite that prey on mammals like cats, dogs, pigs, rodents, and even humans. Although they don’t live long (fleas have a two- to three-month lifespan), they’re highly prolific pests.

Fleas spread germs and diseases to your pets and, in a pinch, to humans, too. It’s important to call an insect control company near you at the first sign of fleas on your pet or in your home. Left untreated, flea infestations can grow rapidly.

Can Fleas Fly?

Fleas cannot fly. In fact, fleas don’t even have wings, but their ancestors likely did. Scientists believe modern fleas evolved from winged scorpionflies, which look as terrifying as they sound.

Although fleas lost their wings somewhere on their evolutionary journey, they do just fine without them. Instead of wings, fleas rely on powerful back legs and energy stored in blocks of resilin in their thoraxes. This allows some flea species to jump up to 200 times their own body length.

For comparison, that’s the equivalent of a six-foot-tall human jumping higher than the Eiffel tower.

How Do Fleas Get Around?

Photo: Irina Orlova / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images

So if fleas don’t fly, what’s their primary way of getting around? These parasites actually have a few tricks up their sleeve.

Fleas commonly get around by jumping, crawling, and, of course, riding on their hosts.

Jumping

Adult fleas jump to great heights (from the flea’s perspective, at least) to reach their prey: dogs, cats, rodents, pigs, and humans, depending on the type of flea. These insects watch for moving shadows and detect body heat to figure out where their prey might be—and then quickly jump to latch on.

Crawling

Though fleas jump tremendous distances to reach their prey, they don’t need to jump once on their host. Instead, they move by crawling around on their newly secured surface. Fleas can scurry fast, which makes it hard for humans to successfully pick them off their pets.

Flea larvae also crawl after hatching, as they cannot jump at this point. Fleas typically lay the eggs on the host so that the larva can feed on blood and flea feces. Eggs may fall off the animal, however, leaving flea larvae to hatch in your carpet and bedding, if inside.

Riding Hosts

Once on their animal host, fleas usually do not leave—and why would they when food and shelter are so readily available?

But fleas might also travel by riding “temporary hosts.” For instance, fleas might hitch a ride on your pant legs or shoes from outside until they can find a newer, better host, like your pet.

Are Fleas Dangerous?

Fleas can spread disease through their bites. They also pose a secondary threat: Flea bites are itchy, so when the host scratches itself, the skin might break open, allowing flea feces (called “flea dirt”) to enter and further contaminate the host.

Fleas can transmit a wide range of diseases to animals and humans. Dogs and cats can get tapeworm infestations, anemia, and Bartonellosis. Humans are also at risk of tapeworms, typhus, and the plague.

In fact, fleas along with rats were responsible for spreading the bubonic plague, also known as the Black Death, in the 1300s. An estimated 25 million European people died from this disease.

How to Get Rid of Fleas

Act quickly if you notice a flea on your pet. And don’t just assume that pulling the flea off your dog or cat and flushing it down the toilet will do the trick.

If you find one flea on your pet, there are likely plenty more—either in their fur or throughout your home, infesting your carpet, bedding, clothes, and rugs.

Here’s what to do:

1. Bathe your pets: Always keep your bathroom stocked with a special flea shampoo, just in case. Using this shampoo, wash any animals in your home, whether you saw fleas on them or not—If one pet has fleas, the rest likely do, too. Once you're sure your pets are flea-free, transport them to a friend’s house. They’ll need to stay out of the house until you’re sure you’ve killed every last flea.

2. Clean like there’s no tomorrow: Seriously, don’t underestimate how much cleaning you need to do to get rid of fleas. Start by washing all your linens, including sheets, blankets, and pillowcases. This goes for blankets and pillows on couches and chairs, too. Then vacuum the entire house, even your mattress and furniture, several times to be safe. You’ll also need to steam clean your carpets and take the carpet cleaner to all of your cloth furniture, for good measure.

3. Set up traps: To be extra certain the fleas are gone, set up commercial traps to bait and kill any remaining fleas. If you’d prefer, you can try natural ways to kill fleas, including diatomaceous earth. Don’t just focus on the interior of your home. If your dog or cat picked up fleas from your yard, you should also treat all outside areas.

4. Hire an exterminator: For particularly bad infestations, hire a professional. Flea exterminators cost between $75 and $400, and they can do a much more thorough job of catching and killing every last bug.

How to Prevent Fleas

Getting rid of fleas at the first sign of an infestation is crucial, but your work in the fight against these parasites should start even sooner.

If you have pets, make sure they’re on a year-round flea preventative. Discuss options with your vet; they may be able to recommend natural flea repellents if you’d prefer. Regularly brush and bathe your pets, and keep up with chores like vacuuming and carpet cleaning.

As a preventative measure in the spring and summer months, you can also spray down your yard to kill any fleas that might be lurking outside. Staying on top of yard maintenance—clearing up brush in the fall, keeping your lawn short, and keeping a lid on your compost—can also discourage fleas from taking up residence outside your home.