Yes, dogs can get fleas in the winter. With the right conditions, dogs can still pick up fleas outside even in winter. Freezing temperatures will slow their life cycle, but there is still a risk.
And your house is perfect for fleas all year round. Even if the time outdoors is enough to eliminate fleas, each life stage will be nice and cozy in our warm homes that have nooks and crannies to hide and hosts to feed on.
This is why pets can also get fleas. The original flea may have hitched a ride on another pet or your clothes, or it may have traveled from a neighboring apartment. And mice can bring fleas into our homes to attack our pets. And, yes, ticks are active in winter too.
The life cycle of fleas
A flea’s life begins as an egg. Adult female fleas lay their eggs on their hosts and in the environment, so flea eggs can be on your dog and his bed, carpet, your sofa… you get the idea. Eggs can hatch as early as one day after laying if the conditions are right. In other cases, they may incubate for 10 days before hatching.
When the egg hatches, the flea enters the larval stage. Flea larvae live wherever their parents have been hanging out, eating their droppings (flea dirt) as well as their blood. This phase lasts five to 20 days depending on the conditions.
Then the larvae spin protective cocoons and become pupae. The pupae are safe in their cocoons and can stay that way for months. This is the primary stage that gets dog owners into trouble during the winter! You may think all the fleas in your yard are dead because of the cold, but the pupae are still there, waiting for a warm day.
The adult flea waits to emerge from its cocoon until both conditions are favorable and the host (your dog) is nearby. All it takes is for your dog to lie in a pile of leaves on a surprisingly warm day in mid-January to restart the flea infestation.
From there, the adult fleas bite your dog to drink blood, mate, and lay eggs to continue the cycle.
Breaking the cycle
If you find fleas on one of your pets, you will need to treat all pets in the household and the house itself for three consecutive months to break the cycle. Serious infestations can last longer if you miss some pupae when vacuuming and they hatch after you stop treating your dogs.
I usually treat my dogs and cats for fleas year round. Even residents of the northern United States see more leap days in the winter with temperatures above freezing. My dogs travel with me and attend dog shows, where they could potentially be exhibited, and while my cat is primarily indoors, she hangs out on our screened porch. I would rather prevent a flea infestation than try to eradicate it.
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