What is the purpose of the flea? How does it benefit the environment? Does anyone know? - Suzzette
Hi,
I've searched and haven't found any purposes for fleas that we would like. It must be that they help diseases and bacteria travel from place to place and probably help with population control of mammals through passing on plagues, diseases and weakening the animals. Here is all I could find.
From: www.mothernature.com/
"FREEDOM FROM FLEAS We challenge you to come up with one really good reason for fleas to exist in a just world. In nine months, two fleas can generate 222 trillion descendants. They can live two years, they're built to survive the most frigid winters, and they can go months without eating. They can cause anemia and transmit disease and parasites.
From: www.epinions.com/
"However, there are those creatures that serve no purpose whatsoever. Fleas are such an example. They don't pollinate any flowers, nor do they prey on any destructive or harmful insects. Instead, they siphon the blood of unsuspecting animals and people all the while passing harmful organisms into their bloodstream! "
Here is another site that talks about fleas and their types and history:
www.bloodhounds.com/
Anybody else have any ideas?
Susan from ThriftyFun
I have often asked that very same question about Mosquitoes. Acctually, if you think about it, there are very few insects that help the enviroment. Take grasshoppers for example: In the great plains the 1800's, these grasshopers would travel together in millions and could eat an entire corn field in minutes, leaving the farmer with no crops to sell which means he would eventually lose his land.
Hope this was of help
Steven S.
I think they are here to make our lives miserable, and to think about it they want us to feel what its like been a dog or an animal. This is their plan, they are very angry that they can not be seen and its like they don't exist so they try to pay back by biting us and our animals, seriously! I got bites all over me and I don't understand why they have to bite us when they have the dogs and the cats but then I came up with my idea "they hate being what they are: tiny, no-purpose creatures.
Sorry guys, but they are really getting on my nerves this summer.
Many insects and bugs serve the purpose to feed other animals and birds. Mosquitoes, grasshoppers and flies all serve this purpose. Even cockroaches serve a purpose, like flies, they are natures little garbage collectors. Maybe flees are food for something as well.
"They help dead things rot and enrich the soil. Flea larvae emerge from the eggs to feed on any available organic material such as dead insects, feces, and vegetable matter."
Adult fleas also spread parasites which is important in regulating the breeding frequency of some mammals. For example, a fox that has tape worms will have an effected breeding/heat cycle and therefore will reproduce slower and in some cases not successfully at all. Same goes for all mammals.
Also, the spread of diseases is historically documented to have some links to fleas. Fleas were even the first form of biological warfare, being sent into cities on rats that would infect entire populations will plagues so the cities could then be overtaken.
Both of these are examples of population control.
"If you really want to stretch their value to us : they tell us when a rabbit is about to give birth ! Adult female fleas can detect the changing levels of hormones in the rabbit's blood that indicate she is getting close to giving birth. This triggers sexual maturity in the fleas and they start producing eggs. Then they stop for a bit and start again every time she gives birth. I suppose this information must be important to someone! What about this - Fleas have the same sleep cycles as their hosts. Research is on to investigate human sleep disorders, and the flea may turn out to help in the advancement of this knowledge."
Fleas now are the keys to many forms of research into human illnesses, diseases and disorders and may hold the secrets to many treatments and cures.
Source of quotes: www.bihartimes.in/
May as well ask "Why do roaches exist?" It's rather a mystery of a nature that it can create such beauty in the world, yet also produce useless and harmful things. The same can be said of good and evil people. There are very useful and kind human beings that create and able to save the world, yet so many others that can bring destruction and suffering to the planet. So not everything serves a purpose. It just is. The dinosaurs had to endure natural disasters and sickness long before humans arrived on the scene (although that's not why they became extinct. They were a more successful species than humans by living so long, yet they were wiped with no explanation, either).
I don't believe fleas were created to cull humans and animals. There simply is no absolute explanation for everything. Probably better hygienic living conditions by humans would help lessen disease that is spread, and finding a way to be rid of harmful insects. They probably have the cure, but as usual governments keep it hidden.
Only nature knows why these things happen. Maybe originally the Greeks were right: perhaps there are several capricious gods playing around with the planet. Who knows?
They keep vets in business? LOL just joking...vaseline makes them slow down so you can pick them off...the answer lies in the food chain, of the smaller creatures........They even have fleas on them who are asking the same question about their own fleas.
The purpose of the flea is simple: To teach dogs that they are dogs.
Corrie Ten Boom wrote THE HIDING PLACE, a book about her experiences in the Nazi Concentration Camps and not only gave a reason for fleas but a reson to thank God for them.
They did used to perform in flea circuses but now due to Corporate re-organisation, they are all unemployed. A possible useful purpose if enough could be harnessed together, and made to jump similtaneously could be to launch the space shuttle.
Just wondering, if fleas carry diseases, can they transmit HIV/AIDS??
The wee fleas are here for a very good reason, they keep the pile on the carpets very nice indeed!
I have a life long GRR for fleas. Ive never figured out why there are fleas. I just wish that we as humans can inflict the same amount of frustrated annoyance to them at least once!
No.... fortunately HIV, the virus that progresses to AIDS, does not live long outside the human body. Hence the name Human Immunodeficiency Virus. Same thing with mosquitoes. Although both of these insects can carry other diseases and transmit them to humans and animals.
but fleas go on any host as long as the host is warm blooded and humans are warm blooded so are you calling humans dogs too?
Grasshoppers actually help control overgrowth, most all living creatures on this planet contribute something the overall planetary life cycle
Have you any advice on how to kill cat fleas? I vacuum twice a day and we've used spot on for fleas and various sprays for furniture etc we've even tried spraying freshly squeezed lemons juice onto the cat Coz apparently according to the Web fleas hate lemon juice so much they try avoiding it by coming to the surface of the cat. Then I spent about an hour and half combing through with a nit comb. I killed less than I normally catch on a normal day with the nit comb. Nicola
I would suggest flea spray or something of the sort. But the easy way to kill one if you spot it: Squeeze it between your thumb and index finger and roll it around.
Fleas serve absolutely no purpose. They only thing that fleas are good for is making your cat / dog itch and irritate their skin it is very costly to get rid of fleas the best flea killer or repellent that I have found for my dog you go to your vet and you get what's called a flea pill
Please research the side effects of any oral flea and tick preventative before giving to your animal. The results may be psychologically and financially more than you can handle. Yes, they do work, but at what cost.
