Flea infestations often originate from household pets like dogs or cats, which pick up the pests while outdoors and then spread them indoors, infesting both their fur and indoor resting areas. Preventing fleas in both the home and yard can be challenging, leaving any pet owner vulnerable to infestations without proactive measures. Fleas depend on a blood meal from a host to survive, and in some cases, they may become an indoor problem when their previous host is absent. In such situations, fleas redirect their feeding activity to other available hosts within the home, such as pets or humans, to sustain themselves. For instance, if a mouse that previously served as a host is trapped and removed from the home, the fleas that fed on it will then seek out other hosts for their blood meals.

While exclusion practices are crucial for many pest issues, they don't directly benefit flea control significantly. However, sealing cracks, gaps, and holes to prevent rodents or other potential hosts from entering the home indirectly helps keep fleas outside. To prevent fleas from entering the home, the most effective methods include eliminating outdoor flea habitats and hosts, along with utilizing area-wide flea control chemical products and veterinarian-approved flea control products on pets.

The life cycle of fleas comprises four phases, starting as eggs and progressing through larval and pupal stages before maturing into adults. Fleas have varying life expectancies, spanning from eight days to two months, and in some instances, up to a year, depending on the species. One pair of fleas has the potential to produce over 1 million offspring within a few weeks. The cycle begins when a fertilized female deposits eggs in suitable locations, such as trash piles or decomposing organic matter, with hatching occurring within 24 hours in some cases. Once hatched, larvae feed on organic material for days to weeks, accumulating enough nutrients to sustain them through the pupal stage. During pupation, larvae transition into adults, undergoing significant physical changes. The duration of development from egg to adult varies based on species, environmental conditions, and food availability, with some fleas completing their development within a few weeks under optimal conditions.