Fleasare a cuss on ardent - blooded creatures . The parasitic life suckers feast upon the veins of all things furry and feather . With their pierce rima oris and famished appetites , fleas hop around , latch onto mammal of all kinds and spread out misery in their wake . But fleas have at least one redeeming timber — they also make extraordinary circus performers .
That ’s right-hand . The idiomatic expression " flea carnival " is n’t just a euphemism for a cheap , dilapidated movie theater . Flea circuses with live , performing flea in reality do exist , although their Book of Numbers ( like the fleas themselves ) are in extortionate decline . There are a probably a whole lot of reasons for this state of affairs in the flea circus industry , but suffice it to say that as humans have meliorate their hygienics and residential cleanliness over the retiring couple of centuries , they ’ve become a bit more squeamish about hang out with fleas voluntarily .
Let us lay eyes on the squalid lifecycle of the humble flea . Fleas love dogs ( which is why flea collar sales are so phenomenal ) , but they ’ll blithely treat themselves to humanblood , too . They like dirty , dampish environment , which are best for raising their young . After fleas gorge themselves on your vital fluid , the evidence of their feast remains in raised , red sharpness marks that are often antsy and may last for several weeks .
flea jump from server to host and they can channelize plague , typhus , tungiasis , tapeworms and more . To disembarrass yourself of flea , you ’ll in all likelihood employ a variety of medicated shampoo to shoot down them and lap them away . To force out a truly stubborn pack of fleas , you could potentially twine up shave off your hair .
Under perfect conditions and with regular meal of blood , Rambo - specialty fleas can live more than a year , but most fleas do n’t make it past three months . And a tiny , select few apply their short time to become noted .
Properly handled fleas are marvelous public performing artist , well - suited to animation under the big top — or , more accurately , little top . All it take is a little longanimity , human ingenuity and a few fleas with good - than - mediocre strength and speeding .
An Itchy Backstory
Fleas come in in about 2,000 varieties . They ’re wingless and bloodsucking , using piercing mouthparts to slurp the blood of their hosts . The ones used for Circus have flat , reddish brown bodies that are about 2.5 millimeters ( less than a hundredth of an inch ) long and have elongated hind legs that enable jumping capabilities of fantastic symmetry . Their upright saltation may top 7 inches ( 17.8 cm ) , and their long jump can exceed 12 inches ( 30 centimeter ) , which is many , many time the insect ’s body length . Those gadget characteristic are what make fleas unadulterated for bantam circus show .
In the 1570s , a London blacksmith became one of the first people to enslave a flea to do his bidding . The purpose of his task was to show off his craftsmanship , in which he create a tiny gold strand that he later affixed to a flea , sort of like the creation ’s smallest blackguard collar . The smithy , named Mark Scalliot , gained fame from hispublic relationsfeat and inspired others to take up the flea - power phenomenon . Other craftsmen , such as watchmakers , employ similar flea doojigger to tout their study and prowess .
In the 1820s , a epitome transmutation of sorts come to flea acts , thanks in part to Louis Bertolotto , an Italian showman living in London who decide flea were his itchy tag to fortune and glory . He proclaimed his novel routine as an " over-the-top exhibition of industrious fleas , " in which the bugs were the stars of the show instead of the products .
Bertolotto ’s show was part legal action , part humor and part social commentary . His fleas pulled a diminutive carriage . They dance to an orchestra boast tiny instruments , which the fleas supposedly play with hearable enthusiasm . They bring to life a recreation of the Battle ofWaterloo , riding on golden saddles and wield swords against their foes . The fleas even donned full engagement regalia for their rounds of war .
It would be hard to hyperbolize Bertolotto ’s fame and popularity . He was n’t an obscure sideshow junkie . He was a rock adept performer of the first rate , like Elvis or Johnny Cash . His shows were so successful that he took them all over the world and to North America , which spawned countless ape . So , flea circus kept spreading , sort of like the bugs themselves .
Fleas Cross the Seas
In the other 1900s , American William Heckler was one of the first ape to find real achiever as a flea master key . He address his flea " skilled professional " as they hoodwink , race and box on his little point . He named his favorite flea and say that they respond to voice commands . He also told a reporter that in one dear sidereal day of performances his little carnival could lend in more than $ 250 in admittance fees , which these day would be well over $ 3,000 .
Other copycats took their act on the route , too , in the Circus and medicament road designate that traveled America . Over time , flea circuses became inextricably unite to fair sideshows and county fairs , along with the like of bearded ladies , human unicorns and camel female child . Some people were ravish with terpsichore fleas . A lot of other people scoff . But no matter their opinion , flea circuses became the stuff of sideshow legend .
Trainers invent more and more tricks for their fleas to do . One flea might do high dives . Another appear to read books . And one flea might even do his own wizardly show routine .
The popularity of flea circuses has waxed and wane over the decennium . count on where you go , you may be able to happen innovative - day flea circuses at a nearby fair or carnival . For exercise , one of the most famous and long - running flea circuses appears at an annualOktoberfestcelebration in Germany .
Fleas as Art Form
Like all other sustenance creatures , flea motley in behavior . Some jump higher and run quicker than others . Out of 10 flea , perhaps only one is fluid and athletic enough for circus conjuring trick and fame . So flea trainer watch their flea to determine which 1 are picture off their Michael Jordan move . These ultra - active fleas will become the core of the next show .
Fleas are n’t exactly doglike . You ca n’t trail them to sit or speak . So their " trainers " must find other way to get their bug to join forces .
When they want to harness a flea , trainers often use thin gold telegram or thread so thin it ’s nearly microscopical . Then the trainer can hobble their flea to a smorgasbord of gadget , one of the most common being trivial wagons or carriages that the flea tug across the stagecoach .
Glue , too , is a very useful tool for affix harnesses to tiny bug . bemock up a tiny fiddle or flute and then paste it to the foreleg of a flea and it will frantically " play " it for an interview ’s amusement . Vibrate the phase just a little and a gaggle of fleas would turn into a company of emotional dancers .
Jugglingis another comfortable legerdemain . Position a yoke flea on its back , settle a tittle of lint on its legs and it will flip it round and round . set aside a piece of string between two little magnetic pole and the harnessed flea will do a bit of tightrope walk .
Flea trainers are notoriously close - mouthed when it comes to the finer point of their deal . Give away too many enigma of their foxiness , they say , and the thaumaturgy evaporate .
Scratching Out a Living
If you ’re put off by the idea of the flea being harnessed or glued to their props , take heart : It ’s questionable as to how many contemporary flea circuses really engage living flea . After all , fleas are rather difficult to see without some sort of magnification , especially from more than a few understructure aside . It would be extremely leisurely to fabricate a flyspeck carnival fill up with props of every sort and pretend that fleas are interacting with those props , when in fact the fleas are not there at all .
That ’s on the button what some performing artist do , using electronics , magnetsand other instrument that stand in for actual fleas . The power of proposition is mighty . Carnival types know and realise this . Perhaps it ’s no surprise , then , that many flea trainers have background in theater and magic . They have a hang for engaging and unhinge their audience with a dexterous sleight of hand .
Whether the fleas are genuine or not , one matter ’s for sure — it ’s getting hard and laborious to find fleas suitable for the circus . Improved human hygienics and effectivepesticidesmean that household fleas are a rarity in first - earthly concern nation . They ’re so difficult to find that some trainers actually order them from overseas , pray that their small bloodsuckers survive the journey .
For circuses that do have real , live flea , there ’s still the matter of keeping them animated for as long as possible . And to survive , flea expect stemma . So , some trainers range up their sleeves and let their flea have a go . It ’s typically the easy and most convenient way for their charge to get a warm meal .
In spite of the give - and - take relationship of the flea circus , it ’s still easy to see how the flea wind up with a rude deal . They ’re harnessed or even glued for the duration of their lives and expected to perform on command until they buy the farm . Regardless , there are n’t any regulation ostracise flea circuses . The show will go on so long as the romantic nostalgia for sideshow survive in the fondness of kinky performers everywhere .
Lots More Information
flea can leap out about 150 times their own height . They ’ll put that unbelievable jump ability to work as they swoop on anything resembling food . That might be your Caterpillar or your frankfurter . And if do n’t address your pets on a regular basis to ward off fleas , the little bugger might wind up sucking on your lineage , too . These are the sort of thoughts that ran through my head as I posture in a sound admirer ’s home , follow flea flickering wildly through the family domestic dog ’s pelt . I had plan that night to crash on their sofa ; after witness the dog ’s unhappy plague I decide to make other plans very , very quickly .
