One of the most important things for you to understand is that fleas are tremendous egg layers. Females lay 4-8 eggs after each blood meal, laying some 400-500 eggs during their lifetime. Flea larvae mobe about using the setal rings and abdominal struts/hooks. They have chewing mouthparts and feed on organic debris but almost all require dried fecal blood in order to complete development, they do not bite, but feed on adult flea fecal blood. The larva stage can last 1-2 weeks or several months depending on conditions. The larva then spin a cocoon. Under favorable conditions, the pupal stage may last 4-14 days or up to a year under harsh conditions. The pre-emerged adult can remain in the cocoon for 20 weeks. Adults are stimulated to emerge from the cocoon by mechanical depression of the cocoon, increase in temperature, and possibly vibrations. Adults usually begin seeking a blood meal on the second day after emergence, but can live for several months on their stored body fat.

 It will take up to 4 to 4 ½ weeks to completely rid your space of fleas. Do not attempt to spray or “bomb” the home prior to the professional treatment. This will often make achieving the eradication more difficult and expensive.