What Does Flea Dirt Look Like?

Flea dirt is essentially flea feces that consists of excess blood extracted from its host and passed through its digestive system.

Flea dirt looks like red, brown, or black specks similar to dried blood. Usually it can be found on the skin and in the fur of an infected animal such as a cat or dog. It can also quite commonly be found on or near the bedding of the animal.

The flea dirt serves as a source of food for flea larvae after they emerge from the eggs. Flea larvae are blind and are forced to consume whatever food they find nearby, which is basically any organic material.

To see a photograph of flea dirt on a dog, please view our flea image gallery below.