Fleas

 

Fleas are a wingless insects ranging in size from approximately 1-10 millimeters in length, depending on the species, which are found worldwide. With a laterally flattened body, hairy with hooks on their legs to move easily through and to grip onto the fur of their hosts. They feed off the blood of animals such as cats and dogs and occasionally humans too, if you are finding red itchy welts around your ankles then there may be fleas in your home.

Since fleas use a wide range of hosts, diseases can be transferred from one host to another. Fleas are known to transmit tapeworm larvae and, uncommonly, the disease murine typhus.