This article contains affiliate links. Found Animals receives a portion of the proceeds from every purchase made after clicking on the links. These profits go toward saving more homeless animals! You might be wondering when flea season is in your area of the country. After all, it’s important to keep your pet on a flea and tick preventative when these pests are most prevalent. However, fleas and ticks are a problem for pets year round. Here’s a map showing when you might be most at risk for an infestation:  As you can see, fleas and ticks are most active during the warmer months of the year. In some warm areas of the country, such as the South and West Coast, flea season is year round. In the middle of the US, fleas and ticks are a greater risk generally between March and December. Moving north, flea season gets gradually shorter. All this being said, fleas and ticks can strike any time of year, in any part of the country. So even if it’s an icy-cold February in Alaska, you still might experience a flea infestation or tick bite — it’s just less likely. Fleas are tough little creatures (the yucky ones always are!). They can live in temperatures as low as the upper 30s and thrive especially when it’s between 65 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit with 75-85% humidity. Fleas simply need an animal host to feed on to survive cold winters. Flea pupae stay in their cocoons while it’s chilly and emerge when the weather gets warmer, simply biding their time in a warm area, like your basement or garage. These pupae can stay dormant for well over a year until the weather warms up. Then they emerge from their cocoons and that’s when you have an infestation on your hands. When Does My Pet Need to Be on a Flea and Tick Preventative?Since these pests just need a warm environment to thrive, a warm home is perfect for fleas to lay their eggs. This is why all pets need to be on flea and tick preventatives all year round — even if you have an indoors-only pet. A warm house is particularly at risk for fleas to be active the entire year. What Happens If My Pet Isn’t on a Preventative?Unfortunately, you risk more than just a few itchy bites if you don’t put your pet on a flea and tick preventative. These blood-suckers can spread a variety of serious diseases including:
Plus, prevention is much, much easier to deal with than extermination. This is a case where defense is the best offense. Giving your pet a topical or oral medication once a month is much, much easier than shampooing your pet and having to rid your entire home of fleas and ticks. These pests don’t just hide on our animals — they also infest carpets, furniture and floorboards. Extermination isn’t just a massive pain. It can also be expensive! You might also have to pay for pricey vet bills. It’s just not worth the risk. If you already have fleas, here are some products that might help: So again, even if you live in a cold area of the country and your pet lives indoors 24/7, they need to be on a flea and tick preventative all year long. Ask your vet about your options and never use a cat preventative on a dog or vice versa. What kind of flea and tick preventative do you use? Let us know on Facebook!
Historically, fleas tended to be active when our British weather warmed up in the spring and summer seasons. However, now we can keep our houses cosy and warm in the winter it provides the perfect conditions for them to survive 12 months of the year. In fact, flea pupae – the cocoon stage – can lay dormant for long periods of time, waiting for the right conditions so adult fleas can emerge. That’s why it’s important pet owners help protect their dogs and cats from fleas all year round, even during the winter months, to preserve their health and prevent a dreaded home flea infestation.
Changes in the weather can help or hinder the flea life-cycle but these robust insects have plenty of survival techniques to keep them alive for 12 months of the year. Fleas are tough little critters that can find warmth and shelter to get through the winter months by living on not just our pets, but wildlife too, such as foxes and rats, or in animal dens. If you don’t use a regular preventative, fleas can easily latch on to your pets and make themselves comfortable in your home!
A flea goes through four stages during its lifecycle: egg, larvae, pupae and adult. What stage they’re at will depend on where they prefer to hang out. If your pet is unprotected, adult fleas will feed on them and go on to lay an average of 20 eggs every day, which your pet helps to distribute around the environment as they move
Fleas lay eggs on your pet which fall off into your home wherever your pet wanders, which means they might end up on bedding, furniture and in your carpet. Once the eggs hatch into flea larvae, they seek out dark spaces such as under furniture and in the pile of carpets, or cracks between floorboards, that will provide protection. The following stage, flea pupae, refers to the cocoon they create for protection before emerging as an adult. The sticky outer layer of the pupae enable them to hide deep inside the fibres of carpets and rugs. Fleas aren’t fussy about their hosts and many will live on wildlife, as well as pets. That means if your pet comes into contact with any wild animals in the garden, they are at risk of a flea jumping on board.
Fleas are a huge nuisance to our pets. When they feed on them, sucking their blood, the itchy bites can cause distress and discomfort and they can transmit diseases to pets and pose a risk to you too. There are many different types of fleas in the UK, but cat and dog fleas are amongst the most common and they can even bite humans too. Despite their names cat and dog fleas are not specific to either animal, as both species can be found on either a dog or a cat. Cat flea Cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis) are around 3mm long and have long legs, which they use to jump big distances. If a cat flea feeds on a cat that is carrying a type of bacteria in its bloodstream called Bartonella henselae, then its flea dirt can also contain this bacteria, and can be passed on to people via cat scratches or bites, resulting in a condition known as Cat Scratch Fever. Fleas can also carry the tapeworm parasite Dipylidium caninum, and if a person accidentally ingests an infected flea, it is possible for this to affect humans too, however this is very rare.
Dog flea The dog flea can grow up to 4mm long, and like the cat flea, is brown-black in colour.
There are some give-away signs that your cat or dog may have picked up a pesky flea. As soon as you spot any of the below, take action immediately to prevent the infestation spreading any further. Flea bites can be very itchy for your pet and some animals are allergic to flea saliva, a condition called flea allergy dermatitis (FAD), which makes the itching sensation even more intense and leads to severe discomfort.
To relieve the itch, cats and dogs will scratch a lot and may even resort to licking and biting at their irritated skin, which can cause hair loss and self-trauma. Flea dirt is the name given to flea droppings, which look like black specks on your pet’s skin. If you suspect fleas, you may want to use a fine-toothed flea comb to search your dog or cat’s fur to find evidence of fleas or droppings. Remember, always speak to your vet if you have any concerns about your pet.
If you discover your dog or cat has fleas you will need to treat them and any other pets in the household right away. You’ll then need to turn your attention to getting rid of fleas from your home. Treat your pet Most preventative products will work as flea treatments too. The best way to keep your pet free from fleas is by using a regular preventative. There are plenty of different formats on the market, including collars, spot-ons, tablets and sprays so you can choose a product to suit your pet and your lifestyle. Long lasting flea preventatives can be particularly useful if you don’t want to have to remember to apply monthly. Seresto Flea and Tick Control collar provides 7-8 months of protection against fleas and ticks – the longest-lasting product in one treatment – for cats and dogs. It’s clinically proven to kill fleas in 24 hours and actively repel and kill ticks through contact, so no biting is required for it to work.* Odourless, water-resistant and easy to apply, Seresto also has a safety release mechanism, perfect for exploring pets!
Treat your home You will need to deep clean your home thoroughly to remove the different stages of fleas that will have moved in. Ensure you:
For more information, read our guide on how to get rid of fleas in your home. It can take at least several weeks to rid your home of an infestation, so why risk fleas? The easiest way to avoid them is to prevent fleas biting your pet.
* Mehlhorn et al. Parasitol Res (2001) 87:198-207, information is regarding mode of action and is not intended to relate to speed of kill or to imply parasites can be completely stopped from biting. Use Medicines Responsibly. Seresto Flea and Tick Control collar contains imidacloprid and flumethrin (NFA-VPS). Further information is available from the datasheet at www.noahcompendium.co.uk or on request. The Bayer cross is a Registered trademark of Bayer AG. Seresto, Elanco and the diagonal bar logo are trademarks of Elanco or its affiliates. Elanco UK AH Ltd., Form 2, Bartley Wood Business Park, Bartley Way, Hook, RG27 9XA. Tel. 01256 353131 |
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