COOL WEATHER FLEAS
Summer is over and the fall season is approaching but that doesn’t mean the possibility of flea infection is fading. In fact, we see more flea infestation when the cool weather breaks than during the entire summer. The reason? Well, in Michigan, the risk of flea infestation is at its highest in the fall and here is why;
In the early spring, when temperatures rise, the flea comes out of dormancy. They find a host (wildlife or your pet), to get a blood meal and begin to lay eggs – rapidly. These eggs hatch and begin to lay more eggs. The vicious circle continues and by Fall, trillions of fleas are produced and looking for new hosts.
Here’s the fact; if you aren’t using flea protection, your pet and home are more likely to experience flea infestation now than any other time of the year because trillions of fleas are looking for warmth and blood meals. If you’ve ever experienced flea infestation, you know that the costs and frustration of treating your pets as well as your home far outweigh the cost of monthly flea preventative and, ease and efficacy has come a long way. In addition, fleas are responsible for flea allergy dermatitis and tapeworm.
According to experts, fleas cannot survive exposure to temperatures below 30.2 degrees for more than 5 consecutive days. If you’re not using flea prevention all year round and you’re not battling flea infestation, we recommend two hard freezes before stopping your flea preventative.
