Fleas?

[CNoonan]

Hey Guys.
I do aquarium maintenance.. I was cleaning a customers reef today and I was draining water into buckets. I was vacuuming out some detritus, and I looked into the bucket and there were about a dozen black bugs on the waters surface. I had no idea what they were, but when I took a closer look I realized they were fleas. They were jumping in the waters surface, just like they would if they were on.. say, a dog.

They seemed to die shortly after being in the water.

Now this customer keeps a very clean house, and there are no dogs/cats (or any animals except for whats in the tank).
The buckets had been rinsed just before I got to their house.

Any explanation for this? They weren't from me.. I'm clean, don't have any flea bites, and I don't think I have ever had fleas in my home (that I know of).

 

[boomer135]

you should know you can expect anything in Jersey...Just B/C the owner doesn't have "pets" they can still have flees

 

[CNoonan]

I guess you're right. I don't know a damn thing about fleas though.

Why would they be in the water??

 

[jenglish]

fleas can live in the carpet and get enough protein from humans to survive. Some folks will have them for years after getting rid of their animals. THey are probably jumping into the water on accident. They will probably need to be treated for with a spray or powder and the tank will need to be WELL covered.

 

[RockinSmall]

flease are attracted to water... thats how some people try to rid there homes of as many as possible, by leaving bowls of water out... thats friggin filthy and i would NEVER return to that house. they need new carpet and some serious bug bombing...