Cat Flea

When treating an infestation, which approach is recommended by UC IPM and Texas A&M?

• Treat only the pet with veterinary-approved products
• Treat only the environment with insect growth regulators
• Treat both the pet and the environment together ✓
• Treat only once the pet stops scratching

Answer: UC IPM and Texas A&M AgriLife both stress treating the pet and its environment together — neither front can be skipped.

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In terms of biological development, the cat flea is characterized as undergoing which process?

• Incomplete metamorphosis
• Complete metamorphosis ✓
• Simple metamorphosis
• No metamorphosis

Answer: Cat fleas undergo complete metamorphosis — egg, larva, pupa, adult.

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Which of the following is an insect growth regulator (IGR) recommended for environmental treatment of cat fleas?

• Fipronil
• Imidacloprid
• Pyriproxyfen ✓

Answer: For the environment, both name methoprene and pyriproxyfen — insect growth regulators that halt development so eggs and larvae never mature into adults.

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Which life stage of the cat flea is described as being capable of waiting a long time before an adult emerges?

• Egg
• Larva
• Pupa ✓
• Adult

Answer: The full cycle usually runs about one to two-and-a-half months depending on heat and humidity, and the pupa can wait a long time before the adult emerges.

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According to the text, how should an applicator best verify an active infestation in a household?

• Visual inspection of the pet's skin for redness only
• Checking for the presence of jumping insects in the carpet pile
• Using a white-sock test and a flea comb to find fleas or flea dirt ✓
• Waiting for the pet to stop scratching before treating

Answer: Use the white-sock walk-through as a quick field count, and confirm activity on the animal with a flea comb, watching for adults and flea dirt.

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According to the provided text, how does a pet typically ingest the larvae of *Dipylidium caninum*?

• Through a bite from an adult flea
• Through contact with flea droppings in the bedding
• Through grooming ✓
• By breathing in airborne eggs

Answer: Per CDC, grooming is the usual route — a pet (or, rarely, a person) ingests a flea already carrying the larvae.

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What is the primary reason larvae develop most densely in pet sleeping areas?

• They seek the warmth of the pet's body
• They avoid the sun and prefer shaded, humid spots where eggs fall ✓
• They are attracted to the scent of pet bedding
• Adults prefer to stay put on the animal while laying eggs in the bed

Answer: Larvae avoid sun and drying, favoring humid, sheltered spots like carpet pile and shaded outdoor resting areas. Indoors, populations are densest wherever pets sleep, since that is where eggs fall and larvae develop.

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When a human contracts murine typhus from a cat flea, what is the primary mechanism of transmission?

• The bite of the adult flea
• The flea's droppings being scratched into broken skin ✓
• Ingestion of the adult flea during grooming
• Contact with larvae in carpet pile

Answer: CDC explains that infection comes not from the bite but from the flea's droppings, which carry the bacteria and cause disease when scratched into broken skin.

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