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THE FLEA dun dun dun. I thought I would start off The Mummy Toolbox #catweek2015 with the archenemy of cats (and other furry friends) everywhere. These “not-so-fun” flea facts are everything you need to know about the little bloodsuckers!

1. The Flea lifecycle is: egg, larva, pupa and adult
2. A group of fleas is called a swarm
3. Evidence of fleas have been found as far back as 200 million years
4. The ultimate adapters – there are fleas that can survive in freezing climates (yes penguins can get fleas too!)
5. Fleas can remain in their pupa stage for up to 12 months until optimum conditions are found
6. Vibrations, warmth, carbon dioxide and moisture cause flea eggs to hatch – get the hoover out guys!
7. They can jump to approximately 150 times their own height !
8. They feed on blood and are therefore a parasite
9. In most species of flea the female is larger than the male
10. A female can only lay eggs after its first meal
11. Adult fleas must feed within 7 days or they die
12. Flea larva do not eat blood – they feed on skin and hair (because they weren’t nasty enough already)
13. The game “tiddlywinks” translates as “the game of the flea” in around 15 languages – now you know where the jumping idea came from
14. They have flat bodies
15. They can carry human diseases by biting infected rats and then biting humans
16. Fleas can be frozen for up to a year and revive themselves
17. Most flea eggs, larvae and pupae don’t live on pets, they live in beds, rugs, carpets and sofas

To Find out how to “Keep Flea Free“ around the house! by visiting today’s bonus post!

How do you keep flea free? Know any of your own flea facts? Check out the rest of #CatWeek 2015