An adult flea emerges from its pupal case in response to warmth, vibrations, and carbon dioxide from host animals or humans. When an adult flea emerges, it searches for a blood meal. Adult fleas can live one to two months without a blood meal and seven to eight months with a blood meal. A flea infestation can be much more than a simple nuisance. Flea bites can cause skin irritations as well as serious allergies in pets and humans.
Fleas can be a problem in urban residential areas.
Occasionally, a problem exists in nonresidential buildings where feral dogs, cats, skunks, rodents, or urban wildlife reside. Flea management or control lends itself well to urban integrated pest management practices. Monitoring infestations is necessary in any flea management program. Monitoring indicates whether fleas are present. A person walks through the suspected infested area with knee high white socks for a certain length of time and counts the fleas that jump on the socks.