Will Fleas Die in Cold Weather?
Fleas can survive a few days at low temperatures, but they will die when temperatures drop below freezing. In fact, fleas can live 10 days at 37 degrees or lower. The survival rate varies depending on how cold it is both indoors and outdoors. The temperature of a home can have a huge impact on the survival rate of fleas.
While most people assume that cold weather will kill fleas and ticks, this is not true. Some conditions will actually help ticks thrive. Ticks don’t die during the colder months, but the warmer weather will cause their numbers to increase. That’s why you should always keep an eye out for ticks and make sure your pets stay indoors when possible.
The winter months may be the ideal time to kill fleas as the cold slows down the flea’s reproductive cycle and gives people a break from itchy bites. However, fleas will still come back in the spring. Flea prevention measures can help you keep your pets safe from fleas and protect your home from infestation.
Flea prevention is important throughout the year, so don’t stop your treatment because it is winter. However, the cold weather can kill adult fleas as well as their eggs. In addition, cold temperatures will kill off the flea population outdoors, but they are not completely destroyed. If temperatures are still below freezing, you should continue applying flea preventative.