The Fleas (Blood Suckers) Are Back… Are You Ready? Philip G. Koehler FPMA Endowed Professor of Urban Entomology Margie & Dempsey Sapp Endowed Professor of Structural Pest Control Department of Entomology University of Florida Gainesville, FL 32611 UF Entomology is #1 Entomology Department Rankings • 1 University of Florida, 100 score • 2 University of California, Riverside, 95.23 • 3 Cornell University, 91.95 • 4 Kansas State University, 91.29 • 5 North Carolina State University, 90.88 • 6 Michigan State University, 90.74 • 7 University of California, Davis, 89.88 • 8 University of Georgia, 88.98 • 9 Nanjing Agricultural University, China, 86.74 • 10 University of São Paulo in Brazil, 86.74 The Fleas are Back, You Filthy Cat!! Run! The Blood Suckers are Back! 7 Reasons to Not Have Cats 5. 4. 3. 6. 2. 1. 7. Ticks UGA Attacked by Fleas And Gators!! I know, Fleas are Back and the Animal Treatments No Longer Work Why are fleas important? Infestations on Pets Flea Bites on People Why are fleas important? The Perfect Solution for Fleas Before After Cat Flea Cat flea is the most important flea in the US It attacks both cats and dogs as well as many other animals skunks cats raccoons possums foxes coyotes How to Remove “Cat Fleas” “Cat Fleas” Attack Dogs even dumb dogs Cat Flea Life Cycle Flea control is based on biology • Eggs fall off host into carpet, on floor, or into lawn • One cat produced 10,000 eggs in 24 hours • Areas with pet access must be treated Eggs Flea feces Flea Laying Eggs Flea control is based on biology • Larvae hatch and infest premises both indoors and outdoors • Premises need treatment Feces in larval gut Sharp hairs for defense Flea Larvae Check & Treat Pet Bedding for Fleas & Flea Larvae Flea control is based on biology • Pupae are near larval habitats-- can take up to 3-6 months for pupae to all emerge • Nothing kills flea pupae or pre-emerged adults 300,000 Flea Pupae Enough to kill 6 cats from blood loss Adults • Adapted for movement through host fur and hair Male • Jumping: not done by muscles Female – Can jump 50 times their height • Claws on feet are adapted for holding hair Adult Flea Feeding Longest Male Sexual Organ (Aedeagus) 2/3 the length of its body Flea “penis” Flea “penis” Flea “penis” Female Male Fleas can Jump 600 times/hour for 3 days Signs of Adult Flea Infestation Adult Flea Feces Flea Feces (Dried Blood) Dissolve in Water Tapeworms are transmitted by fleas • Tapeworm eggs are eaten by flea larvae Proglottids (eggs sacs) • Immature tapeworms develop in flea larvae • Remain in adult flea • Pets groom adult fleas and swallow them • Tapeworms grow in pet Tapeworm Proglottid (egg sac) Tapeworm Proglottid (egg sac) Flea Control Flea Control! Grooming Fleas off Host Cats groom fleas with special hairs on tongue Customer Cooperation: Flea Control Aids • Steam clean carpets • Wash pet bedding and floors with warm soapy water • Restrict pet access to only areas where flea larval development is not good • Wild animal exclusion Wild Animal Removal for Flea Control is Fun Customer Cooperation: Flea Control Aids Vacuum • Vacuum flea larval breeding areas— removes food, eggs, and adults, but not larvae or pupae • Wash and shampoo animal once Shampoo every 2 weeks • Flea combs— fine combs that physically remove fleas from pet Flea comb Comb Fleas From Pet They Could Drown the Fleas Kitten Dipping to Control Fleas Techniques to Control Fleas 1. Topical or Oral treatments on pets 2. IGRs applied to entire pet living area – Methoprene: not photostable, only for use indoors – Pyriproxyfen: photostable, can be used indoors/outdoors 3. Carpet/floor treatments – Borate dusts: flea larvae feed on treated food – Permethrin or Esfenvalerate: resistance due to extensive on-animal use – Kicker or Exponent: tank mixed with pyrethroids overcomes resistance Direct Treatment of Pets • Comfortis/Trifexis- spinosad • Program– lufenuron • Sentinel/Capstar- lufenuron/nitenpyram • Advantage– imidacloprid • FrontLine– fipronil • Revolution-- selamectin • Promeris- metaflumizone, Amitraz Spot-On Flea Products • Apply a few drops between the shoulder blades of the animal. • Advantage and Frontline (2 veterinarian- supplied products) used to control adult fleas on pets Oral Medication for Fleas on Pets Lufenuron • Mode of Action – Flea ingests the active ingredient (lufenuron) in blood meal – Lufenuron passes into flea eggs and prevents them from hatching. • “Program” Pills and Suspension – Administered orally to pets once a month at mealtime • Tablets for dogs • Liquid suspension for cats – Dose according to weight of animal • “Sentinel” & Capstar – Sentinel contains both lufenuron (and heartworm medication) – Give pills once per month to prevent/control fleas – Faster control using CAPSTAR (nitenpyram) pills weekly along with Sentinel Comfortis for Dogs Spinosad • Oral Medication for Dogs • Mode of action: – Derived from a naturally-occurring soil microbe – Attacks the nervous system of fleas, causing rapid death of adult fleas – Dose according to weight of animal • Starts to kill fleas in 30 minutes • Provides flea protection for a month Egg Stopper Flea Collars IGRs: Methoprene & Pyriproxyfen • Mode of Action – IGR releases from the collar and treats fur of the animal – Flea eggs are killed on contact. – The flea life cycle is broken and infestations never become established • Insect growth regulators (IGRs) in flea collars – Prevent egg hatch for several months. • 100% effective in stopping flea eggs from hatching for at least 6 months on both dogs and cats Most Recent Classes of Insecticides • Newest classes of insecticides: – FDA registered – not EPA registered • Isoxazolines – Several products registered sold in the U.S. and around the world. – Patented, researched, and developed by companies like • Dupont • Bayer • BASF • Merck (MSD Animal Health) • Elanco • Syngenta. – Developed in drug development parts of companies Bravecto Fluralaner • Oral medication for cats and dogs • 12 week protection for fleas and ticks Traditional (1950’s to 2010) Crops Insecticide Development Discovery and screening thousands of Process candidate chemicals Development for major crops (cotton, corn, soybeans) Urban Pests Mosquito Veterinary EPA Registration Development for Control Parasites Product EPA urban pest Development for registration and management medical Development for marketing for crops (termites, entomology veterinary use (cotton, corn, cockroaches, ants) (mosquitoes, flies) (fleas, ticks, soybeans) heartworm) Product EPA Product registration and registration and Product EPA Product EPA marketing for other marketing for urban registration and registration and crops (fruit, vegetables, pest management marketing for marketing for rice, potatoes, etc.) medical entomology veterinary use GMO Crops No spraying needed GMO Plant Development for Insect Crops Control Genetically Modified Organisms Discovery of This process does not occur insecticidal genes in microorganisms with GMO plants Urban Mosquito Transfer insecticide Pests Veterinary genes to crop plants Control Development for Parasites urban pest No EPA registration management (termites, Development for cockroaches, medical entomology Development for Produce seed with ants) (mosquitoes, flies) veterinary use genetic resistance to (fleas, ticks, heartworm) pests Product EPA registration and marketing for Product EPA urban pest registration and management marketing for medical Product EPA Market seeds to entomology registration and produce crop plants marketing for that kill pests veterinary use Designer Chemical Development Veterinary for Insect Control Parasites Discovery of New Designer This process has not occurred with Chemistry Designer Chemical Development Screen for Urban Pests Veterinary Use Mosquito Development for urban Control pest management Develop for (termites, cockroaches, Veterinary Use Development for medical ants) (fleas, ticks) entomology (mosquitoes, flies) FDA Registration Product EPA registration Product FDA and marketing for urban Registration and pest management Product EPA registration Marketing for and marketing for medical Veterinary Use entomology Isoxazoline Insecticides Are FDA Registered Isoxazole is base molecule for the class Lotilaner Isoxazole Sarolaner Future Chemistries in Various Stages of Development for Pest Control Discovery Chemical Name Class Year Mode of Action Afoxolaner Isoxazoline 2014 GABA gated chloride channel Sarolaner Isoxazoline 2016 GABA gated chloride channel Lotilaner Isoxazoline 2014 GABA gated chloride channel Cycloxaprid Cycloxaprid 2011 Nicotinic receptor Triflumezopyrim Mesoionics 2013 Nicotinic receptor Cyclaniliprole Diamide 2013 Ryanodine receptor Tetraniliprole Diamide 2014 Ryanodine receptor Afidopropen Afidopropen 2012 Unknown Flometoquin Flometoquin 2011 Unknown Fluhexafon Fluhexafon 2014 Unknown Pest Control Company Techniques to Control Fleas 1. DO NOT APPLY Topical treatments on pets 2. IGRs applied to entire pet living area – Methoprene: not photostable, only for use indoors – Pyriproxyfen: photostable, can be used indoors/outdoors 3. Carpet/floor treatments – Borate dusts: flea larvae feed on treated food – Permethrin: resistance due to extensive on- animal use – Zenprox, Kicker or Exponent: tank mixed with pyrethroids helps overcome resistance 3-step Chemical Program for Fleas • 1. Treat flea larval breeding areas indoors – Boric acid dust (Borid) • 2. IGR larvicide to all areas – Indoors: Methoprene (Precor, Precor 2000+) – Indoors/Outdoors: Pyriproxyfen (Nylar, Ultracide) • 3. Adulticide + Synergist