Pest control in Ibiza and Formentera: fleas and lice.
Fleas and lice: health risks and economic losses.
Siphonaptera: fleas.
Fleas are insects that parasitise birds and mammals, with a mouthparts adapted for biting and long hind legs that allow them to jump on their hosts. They lack the ability to fly: they have no wings.
Their bodies are generally narrow, which makes it easier for them to move between the fur or the fabric of carpets, cracks and crevices, etc.
They are insects that undergo complete metamorphosis, and can deposit their eggs on a person, pet or any other animal they are parasitising.
Anopluros: lice.
Lice are flat-bodied parasites, and there are morphological differences between the different species. This makes it possible to distinguish between those with a sucking mouth (suborder Anoplura) and those with a chewing mouth (suborder Mallophaga).
Lice are sexually dimorphic, the female being larger than the male.
Fleas and lice and economic losses.
Their presence in the establishments can be a factor of infestation for the customers who come, who will take them home, where sooner or later they will be detected. In the case of fleas, they may even be detected in the establishment itself, when they see them jumping around.
The presence of an infestation of fleas or lice in a business is certainly not a source of a good reputation for those who do not take measures against them.
Fleas and lice and health risks.
Flea and louse infestations cause skin lesions and wounds, which can lead to infections. In addition, depending on the species, they act as vectors of relapsing fever, trench fever, plague and typhus. Often it is the very act of scratching and thus crushing the parasite's faeces on the wound that causes the infection.
Dog fleas (Ctenocephalides canis) and cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis) are also intermediate hosts for the dog tapeworm (Dipylidium caninum), an internal parasite in the form of a flattened worm. Dog tapeworms mainly affect young children, who may accidentally eat a flea carrying this endoparasite.
Flea and lice identification and control.
Identification of flea and lice infestation:
-Sightings.
-Stings.
-Detection of faeces.
Flea and lice control by Integrated Pest Management (IPM):
-Prior inspection.
-Control of organisational measures.
-Control of structural measures.
-Application of biocides.
For a more detailed description of our work methodology, please consult the description of our Integrated Pest Control (IPC).
Fleas and lice plague in Ibiza and Formentera: main species.
There are 5 of the most common species of these two types of insects that we are going to find as pests:
Dog flea (Ctenocephalides canis) and cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis): they measure between 1.5 and 4 mm. The cat flea is the most important pest affecting our pets, and has gradually displaced the dog flea from its niche.
Both flea species can act as intermediate hosts for the dog tapeworm (Dipylidium caninum), an internal parasite in the form of a flattened worm. The dog tapeworm mainly affects young children, who may accidentally eat a flea carrying this endoparasite.
Dog flea. 
Cat flea
Common or human flea (Pulex irritans): The common or human flea (Pulex irritans), measures 2 to 3 mm. It affects people, but can also parasitise our pets and farm animals. It was a vector of plague during the Middle Ages.
Rat flea (Xenopsylla cheopis): about 2.5 mm long. It is the most common species on rats and is mostly found in areas where rats are present, although it can also parasitise people and pets.
The rat flea is the main carrier of the micro-organisms that cause bubonic plague and typhus. These pathogens can be transmitted from one generation of fleas to another during the flea's reproductive cycle, i.e. through eggs.
Anoplurium, louse (Pediculus humanus): these so-called lice are about 1.5 to 2 mm in size. Pediculus humanus can be divided into two species: Pediculus humanus capitus (body louse, its habitat is the body and clothing) and Pediculus humanus capitus (head louse, its habitat is the head and hair of people).
Pediculus humanus is a haematophagous parasite that feeds on blood, which it extracts in small portions from a large number of bites. They feed at least twice a day, and cannot survive for long outside their host (they need its body heat).
They are vectors of several diseases, including relapsing fever and typhus.
A female louse can lay between 50 and 100 eggs in her lifetime, with an average of 6 to 10 eggs per day. They attach them to the substrate (clothing, hair, etc.). From the time the eggs hatch (7-10 days), they take 10-15 days to reach sexual maturity.
Anoplurium, crab louse (Pthirus pubis): crabs measure between 1 and 3 mm. They affect people, feeding on blood, and behave in much the same way as lice. However, in this case, they tend to colonise the genital areas. They cannot survive for more than a few hours away from the host, hence contagion between people usually occurs through close and direct contact (it is a sexually transmitted parasite).
Malophagous: they measure 2-3 mm. Malophagous lice can affect our pets, such as birds or mammals. There are around 2,600 species.
Unlike other types of lice, they have a chewing mouthparts, not a biting mouthparts. They have parasite specificity (which often helps in identifying the species), so it may be the case that pets of different species are infested with different species of lice. They do not usually infest people, but that does not mean that they do not have the capacity to do so if necessary.
They feed on organic debris produced by their hosts, such as dermal secretions, feathers, desquamations...some may also be haematophagous (blood-feeding), feeding in open wounds of the host.
They reproduce where they feed, attaching their eggs to feathers, hair, etc.
Nova Control has the professionals, resources and experience necessary to guarantee the correct control of pests and microorganisms both in Ibiza and Formentera, always seeking to cover the service in a discreet and professional manner.
At Nova Control, we always try to adapt to the needs and requirements of our clients, whether they are public, private or private entities.
For further information, please do not hesitate to contact us:
