Pest Controllers - Bird Fleas

The Bird Flea, otherwise known as “Ceratophyllus gallinae” is light-brown in colour and between 1 and 8mm long, they resemble a small shrimp in appearance. They are most commonly found in birds nests, particularly hens. They don’t live very long, but breed during the nesting period when the adult and baby birds stay still long enough to let the bird fleas suck the blood from them at regular intervals. Just as with any type of flea, they have specially designed mouthparts which pierce the skin of the bird and suck out the blood.

When the birds fly off and leave the nest, the bird fleas have to find another host, which sometimes happens if the nest is reoccupied by another bird, otherwise they die. If the nest is reused and they can continue to thrive then the pupae will hatch, mate and continue the breeding cycle. Bird fleas rapidly multiply in places such as hen houses, breeders and batteries.

The bird flea is not a major problem for humans because it doesn’t survive long indoors and tends to die when there is no birds present. They can become a problem if you keep birds as pets and they are damaging to the health of the birds they are feeding from.

Any flea bite can cause sensitive irritation, the risk of infection and sometimes the transfer of tapeworms.

If you do keep birds in your home you should be vigilant about cleanliness and regularly vacuum your carpets at least once per day.