Jim Lodes asked 5 years ago
I have a dead squirrel in my yard. I don’t know if it has/had fleas but I live in an area which has cases of plague. I read on your site that fleas leave dead animals as soon as the body temperature begins to drop. How far do they go? Should I leave the squirrel carcass alone for 4 days before disposing of it? How should I do this?
Adam Retzer Staff answered 5 years ago
Jim,
The fleas should abandon the host soon after it dies. They need constant blood meals or they will starve rather quickly (cat fleas will at least, I assume it’s similar for rodent fleas). As you mentioned, they should starve in 2-4 days.
I’m not sure how far the fleas will be able to travel. Probably not too far, especially considering they will be running low on nutritional reserves. In homes, fleas jumping from room to room is possible, but is considered a long distance and isn’t that common.
I am not an expert at disposing of carcasses, and am not giving any advice. But if I was in your situation, I guess I would use some kind of long tool to maneuver it into a trash bag, trying to stay as far away as possible. Because, as you mention, plague is a factor to be concerned about when dealing with squirrels and their fleas.
I hope this helpful.
Adam
