How Do Fleas Jump?

A Very Surprising Pest

That is about the best you can say about this disease-spreading insect. If you do not contain and eradicate any fleas you find, it is possible they will have more babies and infest your living area and make life miserable for you, your family, and your pets.

It is hard to get rid of fleas, as they can jump like an Olympic high jumper when they want to. How well do they jump? Just keep reading to find out.

How Do Fleas Jump So High?

They do not spend time working out or in the gym. Fleas have naturally large back legs, at least some species do, and they can jump like the best NBA basketball player in the league today.

What makes their back legs so strong is that they eat right, your or your pet’s blood, and get plenty of regular exercises. That is all there is to their ability to jump high. The good news is that cat fleas and other flea species do not jump that well, so you have a fighting chance to get rid of them before they cause a problem.

It is usually the dog flea species that has the great jumping ability which makes it harder for cats to get rid of the ones that have made a home in their thick fur. You may need a special comb to catch all the cat fleas before they find a new hiding place.

A good bath, some flea powder, and a good flea collar should be enough to protect your pets from their brand of fleas.

How Do Fleas Know Where to Jump?

We are not sure how they detect the items that attract them the most, but they have a system, as humans and pets do, that helps them know when something good is walking by and they can get ready to make their leap.

This system tells fleas what animal or object that is walking by their plant has what they are looking for. Also, fleas like dark areas, areas that are cool and moist, and when something with blood happens, their sensors tell them, and the flea makes its leap.

That is the basic information about fleas, scientists will give you more exact and technical details about how their system detects when and where they should jump. Suffice it to say, fleas are rarely, if ever, wrong, and they can make your life and your pet’s life a lot worse than it should be.

They have the timing needed, and the ability to leap from plants, animals, and humans to other humans and animals with ease. The best thing to do is not worry about how they know but find the best flea protection for you, your pets, and your family members.

Do Fleas Walk or Just Jump?

This depends on what type of flea species you are encountering. For cat fleas, they walk more than they can jump. But they are not slow walkers, and you need special combs to round up as many as you can.

This species of flea, and some others, walk fast to get to a new hiding place before they are caught and killed. Dog fleas can walk, but they are the best jumpers in the whole group. That means they are a double threat flea as they can walk to a hiding place or jump somewhere else to escape the traps you have set.

They can also climb if the situation calls for that activity. That makes some fleas a triple threat and you should invest in some good flea products to get rid of them before they can multiply.

The climbing is often seen when the fleas are trying to escape pesticides and other poisons that are sent their way. They will also climb grass sprouts to wait for a host to walk by. That is when they will jump instead of walk.

Some Final Words

The best thing to do is learn more about the different flea species. That way you can tailor your defenses to meet those varieties in the best way possible. Cat fleas and dog fleas may be fleas, but they do not have the same abilities.

Heat is good for killing fleas so make sure to bathe your pets in warm or hot water to get rid of any ones you cannot find, or the flea collar missed.