Fleas - The Dog Flea
Physical Characteristics
The adult Dog Flea is about 1/8, body is flattened (side to side), wingless and brownish black to black in color and will be reddish black when full of blood. 
Behavior
Fleas are typically found where animals sleep and frequent, including their avenue of travel. Dog Fleas are known to be vectors of the disease organisms causing both plague and murine typhus, and can serve as an immediate host for the dog tapeworm.
It is not necessary to have pets in your home in order to have fleas since fleas can jump about 6 vertically and can hitch a ride in on your pants, socks and even shoe.
Disease Carriers
* Their chief fame, the ability to transmit disease. Fleas can carry Bubonic Plague and Murine Typhus. Some fleas, especially those from squirrels in the Sierras, still carry "The Plague."
* About 75% of fleas are associated with rodents.
* Dog and cats can get tapeworms from the flea. The egg containing proglottids exit the host's body via the anus, these tiny egg packets dry to form what looks like sesame seeds. Flea larvae chew into them, swallowing tapeworm eggs. These eggs hatch in a flea larva and form a cyst within its muscles. Here the tapeworm waits for the larva to metamorphose, and the adult flea to be eaten by the cat or dog during grooming. When the dead flea is digested the tapeworm is released.
Treatment
Fleas require a complete three-step treatment in order to effectively eliminate the entire population.
1. The entire yard is treated with special attention spent on the areas fleas are likely to occur such as shady vegetation under decks where animals rest.
2. The interior of the home is treated with a combination of residual materials and Insect Growth Regulators.
Sanitation is important for complete control.
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