Fleans are pure evil. They hide in the rug, then leap onto passersby and bite. Generations of pupal fleas can wait for you to come home after vacation, hatch at once, and leap into effect. Fleas pay attention to heat and vibration - thus prefer women to men, cats to dogs, etch.

The mosquito magnet uses CO2 and other emissions to mimic mosquito prey, luring them to their death. What is needed is the equivalent for fleas. I propose a small turtlelike device. It would have a kitty bobblehead. Shells with peeloff paper would be sold; once placed on the Magnocat, the paper is peeled off to reveal flypaper-type gum. The Magnocat is plugged in, which warms it to the body temperature of a feverish Siamese. It periodically purrs and vibrates. Fleas think its dinnertime and hop on, never to hop off. The proud owner can count the number of trapped dead fleas when she changes the shell.
-- bungston, Jul 18 2003

// Fleans are pure evil. //

Fleans?
-- waugsqueke, Jul 18 2003


Would "fleans" be attracted to something that wasn't hairy and had no blood to suck? Are vibration and heat really enough? Bake it and let me know how you get on. +
-- saker, Jul 18 2003


//Fleans// - starving fleas.
-- bungston, Jul 18 2003


The bobblehead can wait for the commercial version. A plug in vibrator covered with glue traps should be close enough for field testing. It will no doubt warm up as it runs.
-- bungston, Jul 18 2003


Surely the same result can be achieved by attaching a huge explosive charge to an actual cat ?
-- 8th of 7, Jul 18 2003


The Flea MagnoCat must have a disclaimer that reads "Not to be used in households with small children." I witnessed a small child stuck to a rat paper trap one time and I could only imagine the magnification of screams if the paper was vibrating and purring.

The child might be so traumatized it could harbor a hatred of cats that rivals even 8th up there.
-- vendetta, Jul 18 2003


8th now you are just being daft.

//Fleas pay attention to heat and vibration - thus prefer women to men// eh? I am not hotter than a man & vibration? whats that? bungston, I trust you to give a serious answer.
-- po, Jul 18 2003


Excellent idea. When I was a child, we had a huge problem with the fleas our cat would pick up from the assorted neighborhood moggies. I remember one time putting my cup of tea on the floor by the cat, and coming back a minute later to find five or six fleas drowned in it, evidently attracted by the heat.

(Our current stays in the apartment, and in any case, they now sell drops that will keep a cat free of fleas for a month, which seems to take care of the dog fleas from the hall.)
-- DrCurry, Jul 18 2003


actually the poor dogs are mainly plagued with cat fleas.

those drops (to the back of the neck - for both cats and dogs) are so efficient they will last a year. warning, take care that the use-by-date is current.
-- po, Jul 18 2003


po - by "vibrations" I just meant something moving around, like live things do. The hot tea thing gives me hope that even that might not be absolutely necessary. Maybe a pan of boiling water? Sure less embarrasing than buying an industrial size vibrator and several glue traps.

As regards temperature it is my understanding that while men and women have the same body temperature, women have a slightly higher skin temperature and so might be preferable to insects that use temperature to find prey. Something analogous may explain why babies are always chewed to bits by mosquitoes when grownups get away with a nip or two - higher skin temperature. I tried to find an authoritative link but this is a hard topic to search.
-- bungston, Jul 18 2003



random, halfbakery