Big question. Need a good answer. I have heard that birds can get mits, but can they get fleas? About a week ago we had a flea problem with our dog and two cats. Now they are gone thank god, frontline and capstar. But every year we get problems with fleas because in the yard where my dog plays during the day there are two sand pits for horse shoe playing. He gets them from it because it is untreated for fleas. So every year I have to treat the house and the animals(not the iguanas fish or bird). While I havent seen my bird with fleas, I have heard it is possible. So is it?

I don't know about a bird getting fleas. I think they are species specific. Dogs don't get bird lice/mites. I have never had a flea on a bird. Cow fleas are different to dog fleas.

When I got my house back it was infested with the blasted things. My dogs got them and my cat. I was agast cause mine never have fleas. Can't have show dogs with fleas.
Anyway, Peggy did not get any on her. I sure would have seen them if she had.
I got plenty on me though.

The products you are using are pretty good, they not only work on the animal they also help clean up the environment the fleas nest in. Next year when you know fleas are about to start hatching, in the warm weather, treat your dog and cats a month or so before and keep up the treatment through the danger period. You will find your problem a lot less bothersome.

I have no real basis for this, but I'm thinking... in a heavily infested environment, without enough hosts, fleas might be forced to move to birds. But I'm betting that their hosts of choice are furred animals. Intersting tho, now I have to read up on it. :-)

Birds can not get fleas, fleas are specific to mammals

Not true. They will try to survive on any host, including homosapians (humans) There are also rabbit fleas that will try to survive on felines.

Fleas will try to live on whatever species they can to survive.
They will hop from host to host. Depends on what is available.

I know for a fact that rabbit fleas will go onto cats.

Just keep up your flea treatment and make sure you check your birds. I never trust it here. I keep my dogs and cat treated at all times.

Yeh I know it contradicts what I posted before but I have had time to think about it and realize that I had dogs and cats that were more savoury to the fleas. ooops yup gotta include me, homosapian, I actually squeezed the buggers that hopped onto me. So nope they don't just live on mammals, unless I am classified as a mammal.

Guess fleas go for the closest host. Your birds are higher, you had other pets lower down.

Actually, let me clarify, there are numerous types of fleas. ( about 3000 species) The common fleas that we see on dogs and cats, rabbits and human or mammals for that matter do not cross over to birds, since birds are not mammals. only 5% of the known flea family affects birds, and mostly wild birds in the nest box. Your common house flea, while it can jump to a parrot, it will not stay and feed off of them.

here are links about it.......

ParrotChronicles.com
Fleas - Siphonapterology - Vet On-Line

You will see that fleas are species specific, and while they can jump from one type of host to another, ie bird fleas can jump to dogs and cats, not the other way around. Dog and cat fleas, (different type of fleas) may jump but do not thrive on or live off of birds.

Oh and last I checked.......humans WERE mammals

So far thanks for the input. This made a nice conversation. I hope there is more input. ~Jenna

Good, dogs fleas do jump on human but wont remain after the first bite, they realize the mistake and move on. You may end up with a bunch of flea bites simply because a bunch did the tasting. Humans get lice which is different to the lice birds get.