Fleas and dogs have a parasite/ host relationship. what happens to the fleas in a home when another dog is brought into the home?
When another dog is brought into a home with existing fleas, several things can happen to the fleas:
1. Infestation Spreads: Fleas are highly capable of hopping onto new hosts, so if the newly introduced dog has fleas, they can easily transfer to the existing fleas in the home. This can lead to a rapid increase in flea population throughout the house.
2. Increased Resources: More dogs in the home mean more hosts for the fleas. This provides additional resources for the fleas to reproduce and thrive, resulting in a larger population of fleas.
3. Competition: With the arrival of a new dog, the existing fleas may face competition for blood meals. If the new dog is heavily infested, the fleas may abandon the original dog and move to the new host, leaving the initial host with a reduced flea population temporarily.
4. Flea Infestation Intensifies: If the new dog does not have fleas initially but the home is already infested, the fleas may quickly jump onto the new dog and start breeding, thereby intensifying the flea infestation.
In all cases, it is important to take immediate action to control and eliminate the fleas from dogs and the home to prevent further infestation and discomfort for the animals and humans living in the household.