This warm winter weather we're seeing may be nice for us, but it can be bad for our pets. The mild winter has allowed fleas and tics to survive longer, so you may have to check your pets.

A veterinarian at the Heartland Veterinary Clinic said fleas usually die when the temperature gets to be below 40-degrees.

But we've had many days with higher temperatures this winter, and that's letting more fleas survive to find a way into our homes and on our pets.

The vet said once the fleas get inside, they can survive all winter and even reproduce to bother our cats and dogs.

"If you take one adult flea, you know how many you see on your pet, it can produce, in its lifetime 800 eggs. And so if more of those fleas are surviving through the winter and hatching out, you're going to see a whole lot more when they're done hatching their generations," said Veterinarian Heather Beach at Heartland Veterinary Clinic.

Beach said if you have pets, you should start using flea and tick prevention on them now: especially since we may be getting an early spring.

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