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Our rabbits live indoors, but during the nice months we take them camping and to other outdoor activities. To protect them we give Revolution Flea & Tick during the 6 months of outdoor weather.

Occasionally when we have a nice covering of snow, I wonder if anybunny might like to go play in it (for short time, it is cold out there). But I don't want to dose them for what might only be a couple of minutes, and at the same time I don't want them to get fleas.

I know there are no absolutes, but is it safe to assume that a fresh trackless covering of snow is flea free?

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  • Just to make it clear. Are you asking if it's safe to assume that there are no fleas in snow? Or what happens to fleas in the winter?
    – Spidercat
    Jan 15, 2015 at 21:31
  • Possibly both, but what I want to know is if I take my pet out in the snow, and they have not been protected, how likely are they to get fleas.
    – James Jenkins
    Jan 15, 2015 at 22:04

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Fleas will be far less active once temperatures drop below 5 or 10 °C, but they can be still active and don't really hybernate (ticks as well). However, they won't procreate if temperatures are that low and they'll more or less be idle waiting for the temperatures to climb again.

Due to this I'd consider snow or even grass below the snow pretty much "clean", especially if it's just for short periods of time and there aren't any other animals around (squirrels, straying cats, etc.).

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  • Also to add freezing/first frost will tend to kill off fleas: "An adult cat flea dies after being exposed to temperatures of 30 degrees Fahrenheit or less for five consecutive days" ... "Newly formed adult fleas remaining in their cocoons survive up to 30 weeks at temperatures of 51.8 degrees" ... "all flea stages, except the adults, possess the ability to stay dormant when temperatures drop to 40 degrees or below." ehow.com/info_8309619_hard-frost-kill-fleas-lawn.html
    – Deirdra Strangio
    Jan 22, 2015 at 3:30

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