Fleas are small insects that appear flattened from side to side.
They have piercing mouthparts and infest the hair coats of mammals and plumage of birds. A female flea can lay about 25 eggs per day for at least three weeks directly on the host or in the host's bed or nest. Eggs laid directly on the host usually fall off and can accumulate in rugs, carpet, dust, floor cracks, or damp soil. Eggs usually hatch within 2 to 12 days. F usually kill larvae.