Do Fleas Die in Winter?

Sure, canine can get fleas within the winter. With the proper circumstances, canine can nonetheless decide up fleas exterior even within the winter. Freezing temperatures will decelerate their life cycle, however there may be nonetheless threat.

And your own home is ideal for fleas all 12 months spherical. Even when the out of doors climate is ample to remove fleas, each life stage might be good and comfy in our heat properties which can be full with nooks and crannies to cover and hosts to feed on.

That is why indoor-only pets can get fleas, too. The preliminary flea might need hitched a experience on one other pet or your clothes, or might have traveled from a neighboring house. And mice can carry fleas into our properties to infest our pets. And, sure, ticks are energetic within the winter, too.

The Flea Life Cycle

A flea’s life begins as an egg. Feminine grownup fleas lay their eggs on their hosts and within the surrounding setting, so flea eggs will be each in your canine and in his mattress, the carpet, your couch… you get the image. Eggs can hatch as quickly as at some point after being laid if the circumstances are proper. Different instances they may incubate for 10 days earlier than hatching.

When the egg hatches the flea enters the larval stage. Flea larvae dwell wherever their dad and mom have been hanging out, consuming their feces (flea grime) in addition to blood. This stage lasts 5 to twenty days relying on the circumstances.

Subsequent the larvae spin protecting cocoons and grow to be pupae. Pupae are secure inside their cocoons and might keep like that for months. That is the first stage that will get canine house owners in bother through the winter! You might assume that each one the fleas in your yard are useless due to the chilly, however the pupae are nonetheless there, ready for a heat day.

The grownup flea waits to emerge from the cocoon till each the circumstances are favorable, and a number (your canine) is close by. All it takes is your canine mendacity in a pile of leaves on a shock heat day in the course of January to restart a flea infestation.

From there the grownup fleas chunk your canine to drink blood, mate, and lay eggs to proceed the cycle.

Breaking the Cycle

In case you discover fleas on one in every of your pets, you have to to deal with all pets within the family and your private home itself for 3 consecutive months to interrupt the cycle. Extreme infestations might require longer should you miss some pupae when vacuuming and so they hatch after you could have stopped treating your canine.

I often deal with my canine and cat for fleas year-round. Even residents within the northern United States are seeing extra popup days within the winter with temperatures above freezing. My canine journey with me and attend canine exhibits, the place they might doubtlessly be uncovered, and whereas my cat is primarily indoors, she does hang around on our screened porch. I’d a lot quite forestall a flea infestation than need to attempt to eradicate one.