When Does Flea and Tick Season ‘End’ in Iowa?

Anyone who owns a pet should know how important it is to prevent these little pests from attaching to their animal. The worst part is...that it doesn't really take much for your pet to become a host for one of these bugs. If you let your cat outside for periods of time or anytime you let your dog out to use the bathroom, there's always a risk of a flea or tick jumping on board and tagging along for a ride.

Fleas and tickets can be attached to all kinds of outdoor animals. If you have raccoons in your yard at any point, squirrels, possums, rabbits, etc, there's a constant risk of fleas and ticks entering your surrounding area and attaching to your pet. These pests can also live year-round so yearly prevention is necessary but there are months during the year they are less active.

The American Kennel Club says "Ticks are blood-sucking parasites that attach themselves to animals and people. Once attached to a host, ticks feed voraciously." The biggest problem with ticks is the amount of diseases they can transmit to your pet, with the most popular one being Lyme disease.

Fleas have the ability to stay in their tiny cocoons and nestle into your couch or rug when it's cold outside and once the weather gets warm, they can find a host. An adult female flea starts laying eggs one day after its first ingestion of blood and can lay up to 50 eggs per day.

When is Flea and Tick 'Season' in Iowa?

Fleas and Ticks are most active in the warmer months and in Iowa. This generally means from April to November, according to AKC. Now that we are a full week into November, this should mean these pests would normally be less active. There's one problem...

This winter, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and plenty of other midwest states could experience a "warmer than normal" winter. If you're normally used to relaxing on flea and tick treatments during the winter months, you might want to rethink that this winter.

The AKC recommends asking your veterinarian for advice about the safest treatment for your pet and your home.