True or False? Vibration and heat can activate dormant flea pupae within minutes.

The statement is true because both vibration and heat serve as effective stimuli to activate dormant flea pupae. When these pupae sense vibrations, they interpret this as a signal that a potential host is nearby, prompting them to emerge as adult fleas. Similarly, heat—whether from a warm-blooded animal or environmental changes—can also trigger the emergence of pupae from their dormant state.

This understanding is crucial in pest control, as it highlights why treatment measures often need to address not only visible adult fleas but also the dormant stages in egg and pupal forms. The use of heat and vibration in environments where fleas are prevalent can encourage these dormant pupae to hatch, thus making the control strategy more effective by targeting all life stages of the flea lifecycle.