Fleas are about the size of a fruit fly, are flat with little legs, and are a red-brown collar. To find fleas on your pet, look behind their ears, around their neck, and around the top of their tail area.

They can jump up to 13 inches!

"Ingestion of fleas by humans or pets can cause them to get an internal parasite called tapeworm. Tapeworms live in the intestine and may cause diarrhea, loss of appetite and weight loss. Tapeworm segments found in stool samples look like dried up rice pieces."

You cant kill a flea by squishing it between your fingers...but you could roll it between fingers to disable it then crush it with your finger nails...ick. Or you could drown them in water

• Advantage (dogs and cats) - a liquid medication that is used once a month to prevent and kill adult fleas and is placed on the back of the neck.
• Revolution (dogs and cats) - a liquid (topical) medication that is used once a month to prevent fleas, heartworm, roundworm, ear mites, ticks and whipworm.
• Vet Kem Ovitrol Collars (dogs and Cats) - breaks the life cycle of fleas between the eggs and larvae
• Sentinel- kills flea larvae and eggs before they become adults. Also kills heartworm, roundworm, hookworm and whipworm
  

• Advantage (Dogs and Cats)-its a liquid (topical) once a month medication that comes in packages of 4 or 6 months worth. It kills adult fleas within 1 hour of application before they are able to lay eggs. It kills flea larvae within 20min of contact and is supposed to kill re-infesting fleas within 2 hours.
• Revolution (Dogs and Cats)-topical liquid medication, apply to the pets back of the neck by parting the fur to apply directly to the skin. It comes in packages of 6 months worth.
• Capstar (cats and Dogs)- a pill medication that can be given 1 tablet every 48 hours until all adult fleas are kill. Capstar is fast acting in killing adult fleas, it starts working within 30min and you can see the adult fleas falling off your pet.
• Ecto Soothe Plus Shampoo (Cats and Dogs) - a shampoo that kills adult fleas and ticks and is good for cleansing the hair coat. *But it will not provide residual flea protection.
  

• Vacuum your whole house (furniture, carpets, floor, pet beds) and get rid of the vacuum bag by sealing it in a plastic bag
  
• Cut your lawn and weeds really short to create a drier uninviting environment for flea larvae
• Wash all pet bedding in hot soapy water thoroughly or destroy it if needed
• Avoid allowing your pets to play with flea infested animals
• Spray your home with flea spray such as Siphotrol 1000 (treats 1000 sq ft) or Siphotrol 2000 (treats 2000 sq ft) - spray all surfaces: floors, carpets, rugs, curtains, furniture, pet beds, and around the base boards. *When spraying your home you and your pets should leave your home for 30min - 1hr. Siphotrol flea spray kills adult fleas for up to 14 days and prevents flea larvae from hatching for up to 7 months.
   All flea control products are recommended to be used at least half a year because the lifecycle of flea and tick can last to up to 6 months, and by using one of the flea and tick control products for so long, the infestation is highly prevented and, in the end, stopped
  

Fleas are a nuisance to their hosts, causing an itching sensation which in turn may result in the host attempting to remove the pest by biting, pecking, scratching, etc. in the vicinity of the parasite. Fleas are not simply a source of annoyance, however. Some people and animals suffer allergic reactions to flea saliva resulting in rashes. Flea bites generally result in the formation of a slightly raised, swollen itching spot with a single puncture point at the center (similar to a mosquito bite). The bites often appear in clusters or lines of two bites, and can remain itchy and inflamed for up to several weeks afterwards. Fleas can also lead to hair loss as a result of frequent scratching and biting by the animal, and can cause anemia in extreme cases.^[10]: