Knowing Your Enemies – Sand Fleas & Sand Flies

Facts about Sand Flea 

Sand Flea (Source: sandfleas.org)

Sand flea biology:

• Shrimp-like creature in appearance.
• Two antennas held upward above the head.
• Body of seven segments.
• Long legs use for swimming and jumping.
• Smaller and less than 2.5 mm long.
• Color ranges from pale to brown.

Sand flea habitat and behavior:

• Sand fleas are found mostly in the tropical beaches.
• You can notice them living in cluster around seaweeds that have been washed onto shore.
• Female sand flea lay eggs in rotten seaweed and plants at the beach.

Sand flea feeding characteristics:

• The female sand flea is responsible for sucking the blood of humans. She requires the protein in the blood to lay her eggs.
• They live in the warm sand at daytime attacking anything 10 inches off the ground especially beach goer’s legs.
• Sand flea and its larvae feed on tiny aquatic animals and rotting seaweed when they cannot feed on human blood.

Facts about Sand Fly

Sand Fly (Source: USDAVIS.edu)

Sand fly biology:

• Smaller and less than 5 mm long.
• Covered with dense hair.
• Rest with wings held upward and outward above the body.

Sand fly habitat and behavior:

• Sand fly is found mostly in the tropics.
• Its larvae inhibit places where there is high moisture and organic content to include animal burrows, termite hill, tree holes, and cracks and crevices
• Resting sites for the adult sand fly include walls, crevices, sand bags, barriers, overhangs, and other protected areas.

Sand fly feeding characteristics:

• The female sand fly is responsible for biting and sucking the blood of mammals, reptiles and birds. She requires the protein in the blood to produce her eggs.
• They are generally active at dusk and throughout the night.
• They may bite during the day when they are disturbed.
• They are “pool” feeders; consume blood from small wounds they make in the skin of the host.

Click to read more: 5 things you should do to avoid being bitten by sand flea & sand fly

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