Human women may complain that their pregnancy lasts for 9 months. It is a long time. They may get jealous of the flea as that creature does not take anywhere close to that length of time to have their children. A human woman may get jealous knowing the short time frame of a flea’s pregnancy.
To learn how long it takes for a flea to have a child, just continue to read our article. It has that information and more.
Have you ever wondered if all fleas can lay eggs? Check out our post “Do All Fleas Lay Eggs?” to learn more.
How Often Do Fleas Lay Eggs?
The female flea can have a nice blood meal, mate that same evening and have a baby the next day. Some people say that it takes between 36 to 48 hours after the blood meal for a female to lay her eggs, but that time frame is debated.
As is the number of eggs she can lay each day. Some estimates range from as low as 10, mid-range 20 to 30, and a high of 50 eggs per day if she wants. Of course, she has to be eating in between laying to give birth to so many eggs every day.
The bad news is that within her lifetime, flea females can lay roughly 2000 eggs. Not all will survive to adulthood, but a fair number will.
How Quickly Do Fleas Lay Eggs?
Once they get started, it does not take long for a female flea to lay her eggs. To reach her full fertility a female needs to mate with multiple males. That means she has to eat every day just to keep up with her purpose.
The real question is not how fast she can lay those eggs, but how many can she lay at one time. With the possibility of 50 eggs per day, one female flea can create a colony very quickly. 5 female fleas can create an infestation that may be hard to get rid of.
These infestations are not always easy to get rid of. That is because the eggs and larvae may not be in the places you think they are. They can be anywhere in your home.
Do Fleas Lay Eggs Right Away?
No, they don’t. The female flea has to eat a blood meal first, then she has to mate with a male. How long this actually takes is anyone’s guess. But female fleas are capable of eating, mating, and laying eggs in one day.
Some experts state that the initial egg-laying does not take place until the first 36 to 48 hours have passed after the fleas’ first blood meal. Even that is a short period of time given that most animals have to wait months before they can give birth.
The eggs are laid on their host but since these eggs are designed not to stick around, they can roll or fall off anywhere in your home.
Where Do Fleas Lay Their Eggs on Dogs? Click here to learn more.
How Quickly Do Fleas Multiply?
Just do the math. 1 female is capable of laying up to 50 eggs in a day and if she lives 10 days that is 500 eggs, she was able to lay. If your pet has 2 female slaying fertile eggs, in 10 days that is 1000 eggs you and your pet have to deal with.
We do not want to even think of the number of fleas there are when you have a colony of female fleas mating with a colony of male fleas. In other words, fleas, if left unabated, can multiply very quickly.
The problem gets even worse depending on how fast those eggs go from egg to adulthood. It is best to take care of your flea problem quickly, even if you only see one or two fleas on your pet’s back or tail.
How Long Does It Take to Break the Flea Life Cycle?
It will depend on how fast you are to kill those eggs, larvae, and adult fleas. If you can get them all at one time, then you have broken the cycle in one day or even less time. The different stages last for different periods of time.
For example, the egg stage lasts 1 to 14 days, then the larvae stage may last 21 to 37 days. Then the pupae stage lasts for another 14 to 21 days and finally, the adult stage only lasts 6 to 12 months if they are lucky. They do need a host to survive.
But breaking these stages does not take that long. If you use the right remedies, you can take care of all stages at the same time. That is if you kill them all with those remedies.
Some Final Words
Killing fleas are going to be a year-round battle if you live in the wrong area or provide the right conditions that attract fleas. Regular use of different remedies will kill off all stages of the flea life helping you protect your pets and your home from the problems fleas bring.
It doesn’t matter how many eggs a female can lay each day if you kill the female quickly.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases