Once fleas are established, eliminating them requires persistence. The problem will continue until the fleas are eliminated. Different types of fleas prefer specific animals as hosts, but will infest humans if their specific hosts are unavailable. They are also thought to be vectors in several other diseases. This illustration notes the basic characteristics of adult insects in general.
Fleas are blood-feeding insects.
Pain and itching results from an allergic reaction to the materials that the fleas inject into the skin at the time of the bite.