How Cold Kills Fleas

During the winter, it’s important to use flea preventative treatments on your pet. The cold can kill both fleas and their offspring, making it crucial to control the flea population before they become mature. Fleas are opportunistic creatures and will attach themselves to pets to stay warm. They may also lay eggs in order to ensure the flea population will continue to live.

The cold kills the eggs of fleas, although this is not enough to kill them. The temperature must be below 32 degrees Fahrenheit to kill adult fleas. Fleas that haven’t yet emerged from their cocoon will remain dormant for up to five months, during which time they can survive without feeding. The cold temperature won’t kill ticks, but it can help them survive for a while longer.

Cold weather can kill fleas, but this does not happen overnight. Fleas that are already pupae will survive temperatures as low as 37 degrees for up to 10 days. This means that you should keep your pet warm as much as possible if you are going to expose them to the cold. If you have pets who are constantly exposed to the cold, it is important to cover them in extra clothing.

When temperatures drop to 55 degrees Fahrenheit, flea eggs will take longer to hatch. This means that they’ll have to look for a warmer environment to lay their eggs. In warm weather, they can lay up to 50 eggs per day.