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Oh scary! You are just relaxing after a long day at work and suddenly you notice small, jumping insects that won't let you rest. Numerous insects get lost in dwellings every day and, depending on their way of life, can harm people or the building structure. Since numerous beetles move by jumping or flying, it is often very difficult to define which species the animal in your own four walls is.
What insect is behind it?
Insects are considered to be the most species-rich animal class in the world and therefore come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, with or without wings. This is why it is so difficult to tell apart the numerous species and genera that are spreading through human habitats. However, the behavior of these little "bugs" is clearly due to an insect order: Siphonaptera. Siphonaptera are better known as fleas, the jumping bloodsuckers that were the catalyst for the Black Death in the 14th century.
fleas
Even if the human flea (Pulex irritans) is almost extinct in Europe, there are other species of fleas that can infest humans:
dog flea
Ctenocephalides canis mainly affects canids and therefore man's best friend. They are brownish-colored, jumping insects that rarely infest humans. They are extremely common in rural areas.
cat flea
Red-brown in colour, Ctenocephalides felis mainly affects cats and is also very common in urban areas compared to the dog flea. It infests people very often and likes to settle in their surroundings. The jumping insect is also a dangerous vector of disease.
chicken flea
Ceratophyllus gallinae is one of the most common flea species, as it affects birds of all kinds, especially poultry. One reason why chicken fleas could be found on you is because of bird nests in your yard. They are dark brown in color and appear mainly in poor hygiene.
rat flea
Rat fleas (Xenopsylla cheopis) are considered to be one of the main carrier of the plague and, as the name suggests, mainly affects rats and other rodents. However, the light brown, almost transparent insects do not stop at other mammals and are very happy to settle with humans.
sand fleas
Sand fleas can only be found in America, Asia and Africa, especially in the tropics. They are often found in large flocks and will jump around like mad when disturbed. You are special dangerous for her on holiday, because the females eat into the skin of their feet and wait there for the males. The females form thousands of eggs that fall to the ground and then die in the skin of the host animal. Although Tungidae are not found in Europe and generally less so in the northern latitudes, it is important to keep an eye out for them on holiday. Because of their light color, they are difficult to spot in the sand.
Good hygiene can prevent fleas
Fleas can be mainly due to good hygiene be prevented, including in your pets. Although bird fleas are more difficult to control, the insects also prefer people whose hygiene is unsatisfactory.
tip: Human fleas are no longer a problem in Central Europe today, as their population has declined extremely. However, they still occur worldwide and are a problem especially in Asia, Africa and South America, as they also use domestic and terrestrial animals as hosts.
leaf beetle
But not only fleas jump forward and are a plague for humans. There is a group of leaf beetles that also fit the image of a jumping insect that humans deal with more often. We are talking here about the flea beetles, more precisely the flea beetles.
flea beetles/ flea beetles
Beetroot fleas (Psylliodes) are a genus within the family of leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae) and belong to the group of flea beetles (Alticini), which are classified as pest are respected in the field of agriculture. They do not sting humans or damage buildings by their way of life, but are harmful to farmers and gardeners who keep or grow plants of the following families:
- Sweet grasses (bot. Poaceae)
- Hemp plants (bot. Cannabaceae)
- Cruciferous (bot. Brassicaceae)
- Solanaceae (bot. Solanaceae)
- Foxtail family (bot. Amaranthaceae)
- daisy family (bot. Asteraceae)
Three plant genera in particular are infested by flea beetles and must be treated so that the animals do not cause any major damage:
- hemp (bot. cannabis)
- Nightshade (bot. Solanum)
- Cabbage (bot. Brassica)
Fleas are jumping insects, more precisely beetles, which, on closer inspection, have the classic structure of a beetle. Their hind legs have been converted into effective hocks and they have an extraordinary one for this reason jumping ability. Due to their size of two to four millimeters, the color and the bounce, the beetles are often confused with fleas, although the lifestyle and diet are fundamentally different.
Typical characteristics of flea beetles
- feed exclusively on selected plant species from about 30 families
- only stay near humans if growing plants are available for food
- have usable wings
- do not hibernate in human dwellings
- depending on the species, they are even quite colourful
Based on the way of life, you can immediately tell whether jumping insects near you are fleas or flea beetles. Flea beetroots are only found in homes by accident, but never on purpose. The bugs avoid people and stay outdoors as much as possible. So if you notice jumping insects in your garden, for example on your cabbage, then these are definitely flea beetles, while ordinary fleas bite you or your pets and settle in your living quarters.
There are over 200 species of flea beetles, three of which should be considered as they can damage your plants:
Big rapeseed flea
as a beetle, the rape beetle (Psylliodes chrysocephalus) is special harmful, if you grow cruciferous plants. The dark, blue-black beetles mainly feed on charlock (bot. Sinapis arvensis), turnips (bot. Brassica rapa), oilseed rape (bot. Brassica napus), field radish (bot. Raphanus raphanistrum) and cabbage (bot. Brassica oleracea) apart. As jumping insects, these beetles are easily recognizable there due to their dark colour.
hemp flea
Psylliodes attenuatus mainly specializes in hemp and hops. There they cause extreme damage if the greenish to bronze colored insects are not fought.
potato flea
Psylliodes affinis specializes in numerous nightshade plants, especially potato tubers. However, the beetles are right harmless and rarely cause dangerous damage because they are extremely small. Nevertheless, it is advisable to prevent the small yellow-brown insects so that weaker plants do not suffer from the infestation.
There are for the different flea species different approaches, with which you can protect your plants. In most cases it is sufficient if the earth loose and wet is and the roots can breathe. However, the beetles can spread quite quickly and they have no problem surviving the winter. As soon as the first shoots and leaves of numerous vegetable plants appear in spring, the larvae attack them and can cause great damage in your own vegetable garden.