Fleas are the most widespread parasites found on fur-bearing animals, such as dogs and cats. Fleas are small, wingless, flat insects with three pairs of legs.
Fleas feed on any warm-blooded body, including humans. But, they prefer to suck on hairy animals such as dogs, cats, rabbits, rats, mice, opossums, raccoons and skunks.
Fleas lives on their host, meaning they will dine, mate, and lay their eggs on their target host. Adult fleas usually are 2.5 mm long and can be dark in color. They are capable of jumping large distances from host to host as a result of their six long legs. Individual fleas are difficult to kill by hand and typically require chemical treatment.