Friday, December 16, 2016

Ho Ho Ho, Fleas and Ticks Don't Die in Snow! (and Here's Where They Go) #12Bravecto

When I was in kindergarten, my class sang "Up on the Housetop" in the school Christmas program. I had to memorize the words and to this day, I remember many of them: ♪♫ "Ho ho ho, who wouldn't go? Ho ho ho, who wouldn't go-oh, up on the housetop, click click click; down through the chimney with good St. Nick?" ♫♪

Can someone tell me what the heck that means? I mean, who would go down the chimney with Santa, and more importantly, WHY would anyone be on the roof with Santa to begin with? And why does Nell get a doll in her stocking, but Will gets a hammer, tacks, whistle, ball and whip? I, frankly, don't even like the Santa in this song; he's creepy!

two corgis sitting on Santa's lap
Clearly, I am the only one with a problem.

But I digress. You see, that story has nothing to do with anything I need to tell you in this post about fleas and ticks NOT dying in snow (or frigid cold), except that it's what inspired the title. #theMoreYouKnow

FLEAS AND TICKS MIGHT NOT SURVIVE THE APOCALYPSE, BUT THEY WILL SURVIVE SNOW AND COLD

So, who's ever wondered whether fleas and ticks die when the temperatures dip below freezing and/or there's snow on the ground? (If not, what exactly was it about the title of this post that hooked you? [wink])

I certainly have! I've googled it at least once, but to tell you the truth, until I got into planning this post, I might as well have known NOTHING about the subject. If you thought fleas and ticks were genetically built for survival (aka, alien mutants from hell) before, wait until you find out how they outwit winter weather (and us, if we're not careful)!

Corgi standing on snowy ground


This post is sponsored by BRAVECTO® and the BlogPaws® Pet Influencer Network™. I am being compensated to help share information about BRAVECTO.  But we only share information we feel is relevant to our readers. Neither Intervet Inc., nor Merck & Co Inc., are responsible for the content of this article and have not written, reviewed, or edited it in any fashion. For more information about BRAVECTO, please click here.

Off-topic side note: I don't believe I've ever mentioned before that when I need to research health-related things about my pets online, one of my trusted, go-to sources has always been the Merck Veterinary Manual. Seriously. It's not a substitute for an actual vet, but if one needs the straight facts, from experts in the field, it is one excellent resource. And this is a huge reason why I signed on as an ambassador for, and give my own dogs**, BRAVECTO® (Fluralaner), a chewable flea and tick preventative (that lasts up to 12 weeks* in ONE dose)!

BRAVECTO kills fleas, prevents flea infestations, and kills ticks (black-legged tick, American dog tick, and brown dog tick) for 12 weeks. BRAVECTO also kills lone star ticks for 8 weeks.
** BRAVECTO is approved for use in dogs only. Ask your veterinarian about appropriate flea and tick prevention for your cat. 

THERE ARE PLENTY OF WARM PLACES IN AND AROUND YOUR YARD FOR FLEAS AND TICKS TO HIDE (OR RIDE)

Cold out? Snow on the ground? No problem, said the fleas and ticks in your yard! Here's where they're hiding (some in plain sight):

  • In warm pockets on the ground, carved out by grass and leaves. And, when that first snow falls, it serves as a blanket, keeping bugs extra toasty. For real, they can survive all winter tucked in these warm spots!
  • In your garage, covered patio, wood pile, shed or basement. Essentially ANYWHERE that there is shelter from the cold. They're tiny, y'all, and can crawl right in (and lay their disgusting eggs) undetected. 
  • On the warm bodies of wild (and tame) animals. That's right; think the squirrel gets a break from fleas? Probably not. And if your pet comes in contact with one of these flea/tick-ridden animals, they can get infested too. Unless, of course, they were infested already. 
  • In your home. Now, this is their FAVORITE place to hide during winter: on your pet where they can breed and lay eggs all over your home! (Click here to read about the time MY home was infested with fleas.)

chihuahua face wearing a hat with pompoms on it
Jedi wisdom. 

FLEA- AND TICK-BORNE ILLNESSES ARE DIAGNOSED IN WINTER

Even in places where winters are long and hard. In fact, ticks will start looking for a blood meal when the temperature rises to only 39 ℉; that's COLD to me!

GIVE YOUR DOG THE GIFT OF A FLEA- AND TICK-FREE HOLIDAY...ALL YEAR!

See your vet for BRAVECTO to not only ensure a pest-free home for the holidays (and a comfy, itch-free dog), but year-round. It can be done in less than five doses a calendar year!

HAVE YOU EVER DEALT WITH FLEAS AND/OR TICKS BITING IN COLD WEATHER? HAVE YOU EVER HAD TO FORGO HAVING COMPANY OVER, OR TRAVELLING WITH YOUR DOG, BECAUSE HE HAD FLEAS?


BRAVECTO is FDA approved and available only from a veterinarian or clinic. Ask your dog's veterinarian about it today. (Locate a veterinarian or clinic that carries BRAVECTO. P.S. It's accurate; I've used it myself!)

Money-saving tip: Register at My Pet Rewards for deals, such as cash rebates!

For the latest news and promotions, follow BRAVECTO on social: Facebook | Twitter

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information published. However, it remains the responsibility of the readers to familiarize themselves with the product information contained on the USA product label or package. More product information is available here: https://intervetus.naccvp.com/product/view/1047512?e=d97b22ed63e734e84c1a5910a9c8f531z1688

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Six years ago on December 29, I published the following picture on this blog. It was my very first post. How far we've come, and at the same time, how little we've changed! Thanks for sticking with us! 

two corgis in front of a lit fireplace

Stay toasty and insect-free! Happy holidays, y'all!

Love, 

Elizabeth, Jon Farleigh, Dewi, Lele, Maddox, Tigger, Bobby Flay, Bertie, Lulabelle and Frances


28 comments:

  1. Great post! I will never forget the year that the Goldens had fleas, it was November, cold and snowy. Ever since then we have kept up with the flea and tick treatments year round. We've heard a lot of great things about Bravecto!

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    1. Ugh! So sorry you had to deal with that, but glad it's under control now!

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  2. The weather is pretty mild here normally so fleas are a problem year-round. And Mr. N is a bug magnet I swear.

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  3. We never had problems with ticks until recently. So now we're revisiting having to see whether there is a good tick preventive that wouldn't cause bad reaction in Cookie (Advantix did)

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  4. We keep preventative on our dogs and cats year round. We live in the woods and our property has tons of leaves for the fleas and other nasty parasites to take up residence for the winter!

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  5. Living in a year-round warm climate, I hadn't really thought about how ticks and fleas did in colder weather ~ this was an interesting read.

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  6. This is such great information! I'm using Bravecto all year round, it gives me so much piece of mind.
    Love & biscuits,
    Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them

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  7. This is such great information! I'm using Bravecto all year round, it gives me so much piece of mind.
    Love & biscuits,
    Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them

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  8. Wow, I really thought they died in the cold and snow. In fact just this morning when I woke up to a temp of -10, I thought well, at least this will kill the fleas. Now, I realize that is sadly not true. Sigh

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  9. I read that the one thing that will survivie Armageddon is cockroaches.... Ugh can you imagine...... Ticks really ARE creepy though!!

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    1. Well, I hope the roaches enjoy being here ALL ALONE!

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  10. First, Happy (almost) sixth Blogiversary! Such a cute pic! What an informative and important post! I don't think many folks think about flea and ticks hiding in the ground's warm spot under the snow, or on other animals in the winter. Sharing over on my "Bark About" board! And that photo with Santa is so cute!

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  11. Super important reminder for pet owners. A lot of folks in MA stop using flea and tick preventatives in the winter, and that's a huge mistake. Thanks for sharing. Love the photo of the pups in front of the fire.

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  12. In the past we've have deliberately stopped giving our pets preventatives, but not any more. There's too much at stake.

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  13. Rats I was sure snow and -11+ windchill killed ticks and fleas.

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  14. We pretty much have fleas and ticks year round in the South.

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  15. Fleas can survive almost anything nature throws at them! I live in Michigan - the land of frozen tundra for at least 6 months of the year. They are still here! I don't have a problem with fleas with my kitties, but when I was a kid, my dog always had them. They aren't a problem outside, but as soon as they come indoors, they thaw out and start biting. Yuck!
    -Purrs from your friends at www.PlayfulKitty.net

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    1. "...they thaw out and start biting." Now there's a mental image! Ewwwwwwwww!

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  16. I didn't realize Up On A Housetop was such a creepy song, I hope i don't hear it this year, because I won't be able to avoid listening to the words... don't want to ruin my childhood!

    Fleas are sure to survive the apocalypse. I was planning on getting a pet bat to eat them, but Bravecto sounds much easier and more affordable.

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    1. I cannot handle being the cause of a ruined childhood, so please, plug your ears. :) I'd like to have a bat, actually. Not a pet one, but one that leves in the eaves of my house. They're GREAT for mosquitos too!

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  18. Heeey I used to like that up on a housetop song hehehe...it does seem kind of weird now...thanks a lot :) Great post! Ugh, those darn ticks and fleas are quite sneaky.

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  19. What an awesome read! Thank you for sharing!
    Keep up the awesome posts :)

    Amanda

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  20. i loved the way you wrote this post and the pictures. We dont have snow where i live but being a groomer i know too well what a big pain it can be to have a dog infested with ticks and fleas

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