How do fleas jump so high? | Natural History Museum

Fleas can jump distances of up to 50 times their body length. But how do they perform such incredible leaps? Dr Erica McAlister, Senior Curator of Diptera at the Museum, explains.
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[Bennuides]

They can be eliminated if they do to them the same things they do to mosquitoes.

[danielledewitt]

Found one or two of these little vampires on my dog last night so after treating him with flea treatment we all went outside with him and I called to the fleas ok fleas times up everybody off my dog now please you vampires.

[philg]

Wrong. Fleas can reach earth escape velocity on an unobstructed path if they see you on the way to the moon in your blue jeans and will land on the cuff of your pants and walk the rest of the way to your scalp. They can even do this launching from a shag carpet if it's placed outside.