Ticks

[dwiggle]

For the past several summers we have had severe tick infestation the point my son woke us up this morning saying they were all over our bed, brought in of course by the dog sleeping on the bed. Needless to say, I found about fifteen very small ticks, about the size of two pinheads on top of the bedspread then removing that and the sheets, I found one rather large one that was close to 1/4 inch in diameter. We have sprayed the yard with your standard variety pest killer, but they keep coming back. My backyard is heavily landscaped with junipers and other shrubs and is watered every two to three days. What do we need to do to the yard, the house and the dog to stop this from reoccuring?

[drchelo]

I don't know for sure how to dis-infest your house of ticks, but, with as heavy an infestation on your dog, I would suggest a pyrethrin-based dog shampoo - your vet can tell you the best one for your area..and to keep the ticks off, to start feeding garlic and brewer's yeast to your pup, if he will accept it. Another natural remedy you can use for the ticks in the house is boric acid.
You can comb your dog with a "flea comb" - this is a very fine-toothed instrument similar to a "lice comb" that comes with the human product, "Nix" for head lice - and comb through the dogs coat, and removing the ticks one-by-one. Cover each critter with petrolatum, and then come back with your tweezers, and pull the tick straight up - to make sure that you have not left the head in the body. Now, most ticks will fall off the dog when they are full...but the pyrethrin based shampoo should get rid of the majority of offenders.
There are some systemic products on the market to prevent flea and tick infestations on your dog - "Sentinel" and "Revolution" and "Canine Advantix" that are also heartworm preventives - they are given orally once a month. I use these on all four of my dogs, along with the brewer's yeast and garlic to prevent heartworm disease. If my dogs had short hair, I would probably stick with the garlic and yeast alone - along with heartworm preventive - but their long hair makes it almost impossible for me to go over them with a fine tooth comb.
Talk to your veterinarian about the right kind of shampoo for your friend.
Good luck!

[Dchall_San_Antonio]

Next spring, early, spray beneficial nematodes in your yard. The ticks are in the soil until the soil warms up. You can get them then.

For now, the vet provided Frontline and the ilk are pretty non-organic, but they work like a champ! I use them very sparingly - not every month but only when they get the bugs.

Look at a product by Green Light called Bioganic

http://www.greenlightco.com/products/LiquidInsecticides.htm

You can spray that with a hose end sprayer on everything. Spray at a cool time of day or the oils might damage your greenery. The oils seem to be a contact killer for all insects. For that matter, you might try an orange oil spray on the plants. Again, don't spray in the heat of the day.

[senegaltictac]

When we worked with animal rescue and had as many as 22 dogs, we found granulated sulfur in the yard worked well. Cedarcide in granulated, liquid, and the cedar puff works well fleas.

[Pam Woller]

my son is studying entomology and makes frequent forays into the woods to study specimens in Missouri. He has had several run-ins with small ticks. What is the best way to avoid getting them besides wearing boots, and either elasticized pant bottoms or having the pant tucked inside the boots? Once he has them, what is the best way to remove them? Someone suggested a "tick nipper" --where do I get one? Most entomologists are not organically-minded and so I am trying to find good alternatives to their methods so that I can make an impact on this profession and protect my son from their reliance on poisonous chemicals.

[Kathe Kitchens]

Dusting the boots with sulfur has been sited as a good preventative. Also spraying with a citronella to repel has been touted. I've never heard of any way to get away from tucking in the pants. That plus a sulfur dust on the boots will help a lot. They still can grab on to the shirt, etc. so a little spray of citronella, orange oil or cedar based spray should repel pretty well. There is also Cactuc Juice, a prickley pear cactus product which works on all kinds of insects. You can buy that on line if you can't find it in your neck of the woods. So far as my experience goes, it repels all types of insects and does it very well. That is my product of choice. I'm outside all the time so subject to mosquitoes, spiders, ticks, fleas, etc. depending on where I am. I stopped getting little no-see-um bites when I started using Cactus Juice every day. :D

Kathe