It probably feels like you have been battling fleas all spring and summer, but winter is right around the corner so maybe the pests will start to die out? Can dogs get fleas in the winter? Sadly, the flea battle is a year-round fight. Flea populations do slow down when the weather turns cold, but they never completely go away. You still must remain vigilant and continue your flea battle.
Do Fleas Die in the Winter?
When the temperature is freezing, some fleas might die, and others enter a state of dormancy. Once the weather returns to normal, they re-animate. In addition, many fleas will try to overwinter in the warm confines of your home and on your pet.
A Fleas Life Cycle
Within 24 to 36 hours after feeding on your pet a female flea will start to lay eggs. She can easily lay 10,000 eggs in 30 days. The eggs are laid everywhere. Outdoors and indoors. When the eggs hatch, the flea larvae create a cocoon that they stay within for up to 30 weeks before emerging as an adult. The fleas might not hatch during the cold weather, but they will eventually emerge.
Environmental Flea Requirements
Fleas thrive when the weather is 70 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit with a humidity that hovers at around 70 percent. Most homes are the ideal atmosphere for fleas to live in year-round. Once your house becomes infested with fleas, you must gain whole-house control of the situation, or the pest will take over and make your life and that of your pets miserable. There is no downtime for fleas indoors. You must remain vigilant and continue the fight even when the weather is cold outdoors.
Flea Prevention
It is far easier to prevent fleas than eradicate a full-blown infestation. Even if the weather turns cold, you still must remain vigilant and continue your flea prevention practices. You’ll want to treat not only your dog but also the environment inside and outside to control the fleas. Nowadays, you can use monthly or bi-monthly pills to prevent fleas. Topicals and collars also act as monthly preventatives. Ideally, you should talk to your veterinarian about the best flea preventives for your area.
Indoor Flea Treatment
If your pet should become infested with fleas then you will want to treat the pet using a shampoo and then pick a preventative. You’ll also want to treat the house by vacuuming and washing all the pet’s bedding. Pick indoor control options such as foggers, carpet sprays, or a home spray to kill the adult fleas, pupas, and eggs. Treat your yard for fleas using a spray.
Sadly, dogs can get fleas in the winter, so you’ll want to continue your battle year-round and just consider it a part of pet ownership. Fleas are always an ongoing problem in many regions of the world but, luckily, advances in the flea prevention and treatment arsenals are impressive so you at least have the tools you need to control and prevent the pests.