Fleas love Nanaimo's mild coastal climate as much as humans and without a good frost in winter to kill the thousands of eggs a female can lay each day, the blood-suckers can multiply fast.
With almost no snowfall whatsoever and mild temperatures throughout the winter veterinarians and pet groomers are seeing a spike in the number of fleas and ticks on the backs of animals.
Vets say it's a timely reminder to treat pets.
The SPCA, which takes in mainly strays hasn't noticed the increase but seeing dog groomers say it's early and unusual for pets in loving families.
"We've seen quite a few the last couple of weeks," said Lynn Graber, owner of Shaggy Days pet grooming.
"I have to say most of the people that do come to the shop here do give their pets flea medication but the past couple weeks we've seen three or four dogs with a lot of fleas, not just one or two. To me it seems excessive. I would say it's noticeable."
It's a similar story at Dog 'n' Suds dog grooming and day care centre.
"We've noticed more this year because they never really went away," owner Daria Holmboe says.
"We don't usually see fleas come through the shop until later in the spring or summer. This year we've had a couple cases where they don't seem able to beat it. The thing with fleas is you go back into the same environment and keep picking them up."
She tells her clients not to bother with cheap products but to use the kind veterinarians sell.
Veterinarians say while weather is a factor, properly protected pets don't get flea infestations.
"People forget and if they stop, boom, it's back," said Dr. Jeff Goldman of Woodgrove Animal Hospital.
Cheaper, old-style flea control products only work for a few weeks then they wear out, eggs keep hatching and the infestation returns.
Those products contain dangerous toxins that are bad for the environment.
New products emerged about 20 years ago that inhibit the fleas developing an exoskeleton. They cost more but work for several months.
"It's birth control for fleas," Goldman said. "It's a marketing world out there and you have to be an informed consumer."