When is flea and tick season for dogs? Months by country

In the US and the UK, ticks are most active from March to November. In Canada the season runs from April to November, in India from April to October, and in Australia from August to May. Fleas are different: they breed indoors all year in heated homes, and flea problems in the home peak in late summer and autumn. So many vets advise treating fleas all year and planning tick protection around the season where you live.

Pick your country in the calendar above to see each month. The months come from the regional risk calendars in Maggie, which a vet reviewed for each country.

Flea and tick months by country

The months below are the ones where the risk is high across the whole country. Your own area can start earlier or end later, especially in warm, humid or coastal places.

A month outside these ranges is not a safe month. It is a month where the risk is lower or depends more on where you live.

Why the seasons differ

Ticks become active when it is warm and humid enough for them to wait on grass for a passing animal (see the CAPC tick guidance). That is spring to autumn in the UK, the US and Canada, the warm wet months before and during the monsoon in India, and the long southern spring and summer in Australia. Fleas depend less on the weather outside, because the home stays warm.

Australia: the paralysis tick

Along parts of the Australian coast, the paralysis tick is the main danger, and its season is long: from September to May. In those months, search your dog with your fingertips every day, from the nose back: under the collar, in and behind the ears, under the front legs, between the toes and around the lips and gums. A tick found early is a tick removed before it does harm.

From September to March, check that this month’s product names the paralysis tick on its label and that the dose is on time. An ordinary tick product may not cover it, and some labels give it more often for this tick.

How to check your dog for ticks

Do a fingertip check after every walk in long grass, woodland or parks during tick season:

1. Start at the head. Feel around the lips, inside and behind the ears, and under the collar.
2. Move to the front legs. Check the armpits and between the toes of each paw.
3. Finish with the body. Run your fingers along the belly, the groin and the base of the tail.

A tick feels like a small, hard bump that does not move like a skin tag. If you find one, remove it with a tick hook or fine tweezers close to the skin, without squeezing the body, and ask your vet if you are not sure. Tick-borne disease can turn serious within days, so check every time.

Why fleas have no off-season indoors

Only about 5 percent of a flea problem is on your dog. The rest is eggs and pupae in carpets, bedding and sofa seams. Central heating keeps them developing through the winter, which is why a flea problem can start in December and why the CAPC flea guidance advises treating all year. Treating the dog alone can take 3 months to clear an infestation. Vacuuming daily and washing bedding at 60 °C (140 °F) cuts that down a lot.

The peak months in the table are when a problem in the home is most likely. They are not the only months your dog needs protection.

What to do in tick season

• Make sure the product covers ticks. Some flea treatments do not. Our guide to how often to flea your dog lists which common products cover ticks and for how long, with a calculator for the next dose.
• Give each dose on time. A monthly product given late leaves days with no cover, right when ticks are most active.
• Know your local risks. In the US Northeast, tick season is also Lyme season: see Lyme season in the Northeast. Autumn tick season explains why September and October are still high-risk months in the US and the UK.

Where Maggie fits

In the app, set your care region and Maggie shows when the flea and tick risk peaks where you live, next to the dates your dog’s protection runs out. Reminders arrive before each dose is due, for everyone in your household.

Leo is an AI companion, not a veterinarian. For medical concerns, always consult your vet.