Ticks! Ticks! Ticks!!!

[Ig.Gardener]

I'm sorry if this has been answered in the ant thread, but I figured even if it was, it would need it's own thread because it's such a HUGE problem, at least in my area. So, here's the question. As I've said before, my house is in woods and I have two labs and a jack russel mix. The ticks are HORRIBLE. One of my labs contracted Lyme two years ago, which was terrifying. We used Frontline, and the ticks were reduced but still there. We tried Advantix and it worked better, but made my jack russel mix ill. I did research and found a home made mixture that I put in a spray bottle and I sprayed them every night, which worked as well as the Frontline and was safe to touch and smelled better, but it's not just the ticks getting on them but clinging onto them and coming into the house. Is there any inexpensive way to repell them at least a little? Maybe something I can put on the floors? I had to use a strong pesticide on everything last year because the jack russel came in COVERED in nymphal ticks, which was an ordeal to say the least. Any advice is helpful and the cheaper the better.

[Nad R]

Bantam Chickens loves ticks. Also was that "frontline" or "frontline plus"? Frontline Plus works great on my little yorkie. I have never seen a single tick on him after using frontline plus. However the little rat did have two ticks early this spring before I started up his toxic avenger. Advantix does seem to work better, but does not last as long as Frontline Plus. This rainy season has made ticks here in Michigan the worse I have ever seen also.

I am still waiting for the human version of frontline for ticks. I do use OFF once in a while and on my clothes instead of on my skin. I were a light weight long sleeve shirt and hat when gardening. I always take a bath and look my self over real well and use fine tooth comb after a day of gardening.

[David Hare-Scott]

You need an offsider so you can check each other over at the end of the day .....

D

[David Hare-Scott]

Other than what you are doing I can only suggest going over the dogs by hand every night. If they run through a wooded area with ticks nothing will stop them picking up ticks, all you can do is deal with them. I use Killtix collars on my dogs but they run mainly on the paddocks so the load of ticks isn't so bad.

David

[Frank]

I'd probably ask my vet as to what meds are safest for dogs. We went through this with our cat who never leaves the house but picked up a tick.

Lyme disease is rampant around here and I know numerous people that had it. I spend a lot of time outside and in the woods but have never caught it as in the woods I wear long clothes and shower when I get home. The deer ticks apparently take a long time to settle in before they bite you.

[Ig.Gardener]

Other than what you are doing I can only suggest going over the dogs by hand every night. If they run through a wooded area with ticks nothing will stop them picking up ticks, all you can do is deal with them. I use Killtix collars on my dogs but they run mainly on the paddocks so the load of ticks isn't so bad.

David

I do a tick check on them every night, and myself. I was just hoping for something that would deter the ticks from coming/staying in the house. I'll look into the Killtix collars. Do you know if they can get wet. I got some collars before for them but they jumped in a creek on a hot day and they didn't work anymore. Labs!!! Also, I don't recall if it was Frontline or Frontline Plus. I didn't use it last year, just the spray I made because it was working just as well, and like I said, it smelled wonderful.

[Mysterious Traveler]

The best way to get rid of ticks is to buy some Diazinon and malathion and spray your yard once a month.

You also need to dip your dogs in a solution of those chemicals and you'll never be bothered by ticks on them again. I had a dog that had ticks so bad they were crawling off him all the time and all the regular pet products to get rid of ticks never helped, so out of desperation I tried malathion & Diazinon and never had another problem with ticks. You'll be amazed at how fast the tick problem goes away. It doesn't take much of those chemicals to make a good dip solution.

Stop spending hundreds of dollars for pet products that don't work.

[Nad R]

The pet products does work for my dog. However, if you do spray your yard it will probably kill the good bugs also like worms and spiders. Then the next year your yard will have nothing but the bad flying bugs real bad because the good bugs will not be there to fight the bad bugs. So how many Bad Bugs can be and bugs be... Carried away here for a moment.

[Chris]

Unless you already have the diazinon, you cannot get it- it is banned in the US and Europe.

Chris

[David Hare-Scott]

Yes, they are also safe for the pond animals and fish too if the dogs go swimming.

D

[David Hare-Scott]

The problem is the ticks in the woods where the dogs run, should the OP spray the whole woods?

If you spray your yard you will blitz every insect and many other small organisms that live there. Not all "bugs" should be killed on sight.

David

[Ig.Gardener]

Another issue with spraying the yard is that I live on ten acres and the dogs go everywhere. The creek I mentioned is at the very edge. Will the Malathion & Diazinon make my little one sick like the Advantix? Let me add that although she has no health issues and is still energetic, she is about 16 years old and is starting to slow down. She's my old lady. ^_^ If it won't then that sounds wonderful! One dip and done.

[Mysterious Traveler]

Don't be an idiot!!!

Evidently you don't have a tick problem so bad your willing to try anything to make it stop.

[Amos Nomore]

Possibly done for good. Please do not use these compounds directly on your pet. I have treated many dozens of pets for organophosphate toxicity and, unfortunately, wasn't able to save them all. Applying diazinon to an elderly dog could very well kill it from overt neurological toxicity. These poisons are hard on the liver, kidneys, lungs and endocrine system. Some dogs develop acute pancreatitis following exposure to organophosphates. As others have suggested, these compounds wreak havoc on the environment and many are quite persistent.

Please consult with a good veterinarian in your vicinity. Try to obtain some Frontline spray. Continue to use the topical monthly, but also use the spray once a month during tick season, staggered two weeks. Inspect your dogs feet and ears, etc., daily. Use a few pumps of the Frontline spray on any areas were young ticks are attracted to your dog as often as you need to prevent their attachment.

Again - consult your veterinarian. If you don't think their advice is working, find another one based on local recommendation. Too many pets suffer at the hands of well-intentioned owners willing to take the advice of laypersons who, though also rarely having nothing but the best intentions, have simply been lucky not to have killed their own pet with their enthusiastic advice.

[Nad R]

I agree!

[Billy]

Amos sounds right on, but you may want to run this by rec.pets.dogs.health .

[Bill who putters]

Having suffered about 200 tick bites in the last 60 years here is a few tidbits.

Up to about 25 years ago Lymes was not a recognized illness. Seems dear tick the size of a pin head moved into New Jersey. My wife was unlucky enough to have it in the early years. Bulls eye bruises are an early sign "Bell's Palsy" a latter one luckily she received antibiotics for some thing else. The bigger ticks were everyone's concern because of "Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever" which I don't hear about anymore. Best practice is mindfulness and stay out of high grasses here. Wife and son both have had Lymes.

Sill I hate chiggers and give them the August garden.

[Ig.Gardener]

It sounds to me that I'm doing everything I can already. Thank you everyone.

[Nad R]

Cool, so you got the little chickens.... Cool :)