Why Do The Eggs of Fleas Look Like Salt and Pepper?

June 27th, 2010 Posted in Bed Bugs & Fleas

We all know that salt and pepper serve as great seasonings for our favorite dishes, while also teaching us to, “push it… push it real good.”

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…But besides adding a finishing touch and being the name of a great ’80’s group (Salt-n-Pepa), there is a variation that looks like this seasoning, but may actually be tracings of a pest.

Want to learn why flea eggs (plus something else) look like salt and pepper?



Hey, Who Spilled the Salt and Pepper?


If you see something that looks like salt and pepper sprinkled where your pets hang out, it may be flea eggs.

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Beginning with the egg, a flea’s life cycle follows a complete metamorphosis; and understanding what fleas look like throughout this process may help you approach the problem in the best way.

Because if you know what the egg of a flea looks like, you’ll be able to target that stage of its life, preventing it from becoming a pest.

…But why do flea eggs look like “salt and pepper”?

“Salt & Pepper” is:

  • Actually tiny flea eggs and fecal matter that resemble the seasonings
  • Commonly found in pet bedding or locations frequented by pets
  • The “salt” particles are the eggs
  • The “pepper” particles are fecal matter

Take a closer look at this seasoning trick.

The “Salt” Flea egg is:

  • 1/50 of an inch
  • Smooth
  • Translucent
  • Usually distributed evenly through the host (dogs, cats and nesting animals)


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The “Pepper” flea fecal matter is:

  • Excess excrement dropped by a female flea
  • Dark in color because it’s hardened blood
  • Translucent
  • A food source for flea larvae


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Flea eggs and droppings fall off of the host (your pet) whenever it jumps, shakes and scratches; that’s why you’ll see “salt and pepper” in a pet’s area.

Even though it may seem positive that eggs can easily fall off of your pet, this means little flea eggs get scattered:

  • Throughout the rooms of your house
  • On your furniture
  • In your bed
  • About the yard
  • Basically everywhere your family loves to hang out

Not to mention flea eggs can hatch as quickly as 2 days, and as late as 2 weeks.



What to Do to Shake Up the Seasonings


If you notice salt and pepper, perform a thorough cleaning by vacuuming the space diligently (to pick up eggs and remove dried blood), while keeping in mind hot flea spots.

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By taking care of fleas during early development, you could potentially clear up the problem faster then just attacking adults.

However, if you don’t catch the salt and pepper stage, taking action to kill adult fleas is a must.

EcoSMART home pest control products offer a safe route to flea elimination, especially if you have pets and children.

The products are made with all-natural plant oils, that only target insect receptors, leaving those you love safe.

…But even though EcoSMART is safe to use around pets, do not spray this product directly onto your fluffy loved one. Instead, check out one of EcoSMART’s partners, Sergeant’s Nature’s Guardian, to discover a natural way to treat your pets for fleas.

The only salt and pepper you should be acquainted with after this is the kind on your kitchen table…or blaring out of your headphones.



joce

  1. 7 Comments | The First 1,000 to Comment (Starting 12/21/2009) Will Become EcoSMART Product Testers!

  2. By Laura on Jul 20, 2010

    This has been very helpful. I haven’t seen any white eggs but I have seen a lot of the black and I wasn’t sure of what the little black things were. Nasty. I’m gonna have to try this ecosmart home pest control to get rid of them.

  3. By Megan on Aug 31, 2010

    I am in the process of fighting fleas, and have been trying to do it with minimal chemical intervention as I have a dog, 3 cats, a 6 year old and a just-turned one year old who puts EVERYTHING in her mouth. Just trying to see where I am and this article let me know I’ve still got my work cut out for me! Thanks!

  4. By Tami on Oct 18, 2010

    I have been looking for a safe alternative for killing the fleas that my 2 cats have acquired. This article was helpful and I am looking forward to becoming an EcoSMART Product Tester. Thank you!!

  5. By Kaitie on Dec 10, 2010

    Oh brother! I have an indoor dog and a 17 month old boy. Getting everything washed and clean will be a chore!…My dog sleeps bed with me and I’ve noticed tons of small blood droplets on my white sheets. Any idea if these are from flea bites on the dog or if the fleas are excreting on my sheets?

  6. By Fleakiller Nicole on Feb 7, 2011

    I have a white dog so the ’salt’ is not so easy to see.. Each time I think I’ve got rid of the fleas, they’re back for more of my babe.

  7. By Maria Toyents on Jul 10, 2011

    I always thought the little black things were the eggs of fleas. Thank god its not cause there’s been a lot of that. I’ve just had my mother in law move in with us for a short time now and she brought along her 3 cats and we already had a small dog and a new cat I just adopted. We’ve always had a small problem with fleas because our backyard is open & there’s a lot of cats through our neighborhood so they come to our yard I guess because of the smell from our dog going potty out back the cats would go there too! All of our animals are indoor pets. I’ve got a 6 year old daughter, & two boys 4 and 9 months old. My mother in law might be moving out here soon and she’ll be taking her 3 cats with her so I hope thatll help out on getting rid of some fleas. We’ve also just noticed that now all the cats just got worms now. I’m a stay at home mom and try to keep the house clean as much as I can but it seems impossible with a zoo in my house! I’ve tried all the sprays and shampoos but that only helps for so long. I really need something to work. I pray that if I can get your product of ecosmart that it will help me out. At this point I’m willing to try anything. Lol I’ve tried suave coconut conditioner and it does kill the fleas on dogs I know for sure but I don’t think it does much for the eggs. I don’t know. So I hope that might help someone out there that buys a ton of dog shampoo. Got the info from a friend that has a giant boxer dog that got fleas from walking her dog all the time and she uses it religiously. Good luck all! Thanks so much!

  8. By holly disselkamp on Oct 7, 2011

    Maria Toyents – was your last name ever Disselkamp?

7 Comments | The First 1,000 to Comment (Starting 12/21/2009) Will Become EcoSMART Product Testers! (details)