TICKS!!!!!!!!! ARGH!!!

[Rob]

As I understand it Tick numbers skyrocket when Red squirrell and grey squirrel numbers skyrocket and that coincides with years that mast crops such as acorns are plentifull.Those goshdarn critters seem to be a huge problem in areas that do not allow deer hunting too.

[kurt]

http://www.cedarcidestore.com/catalo...FQSEnQodUC4Khg We cared for a stray dog until we found the owner and he brought ticks with him(the dog).After he was gone found them on the two dogs we had.We did the Adams shampoo and it worked.One night abought a week later I noticed some ticks coming in under the screen door and crawling towards me.Bought the above product and it does work.In the meantime while waiting for shipment and product to work we cut grass low,do brush against any shrubs do not walk under trees.I kept dogs indoors for the two weeks for product app.I wore the rubber knee high boots when I had to go to yard.Changed clothes outside before I came in.It was a real pain.But we got them.The product works for alot of insects also.Now I do a one a month regimen perimeter of house,complete yard and tree spray.

[roherb]

What can I say I guess I am a tick magnet!

There was one particular day this past fall when I lost count after 50 something ticks I pulled off my paint legs and coat, and yes I have already had a few on me these past couple of weeks.

I can't ever remember ticks being this bad here in Upstate NY, Kinda tempted to buy a boat load of guinea fowl and just let them loose all around my property.

Tick checks have become as routine as brushing my teeth.

[Tracydr]

I need something that does a better job of dusting large areas than my sock stretched over a cup. Any suggestions? I have about 1/4 of an acre that needs dusting, less since a large part is the pool and house but still, lots of trees and plants. Puey, that sulpher sure does stink! I have to reapply tomorrow since we just had irrigation. Yuck!

[bughunter99]

Originally Posted by lurley

My son got Lyme disease about four years ago. We left for vacation in Florida right after he got back from boy scout camp. Our second day in Fl I saw the rash and called a local Dr's office, telling the nurse what I thought he had and that we needed an appointment asap. She swore up and down that he couldn't have lyme disease. She said they get folks in there all the time thinking they have it when they don't. I told her we were not local, we were from Ohio, but she still seemed skeptical. Well he did have it. The doctor even took a picture of the rash with her cell phone so she would have an example to show future patients. Poor kid had to stay out of the sun the rest of vacation because of the strong antibiotics he had to take ( they cause your skin to burn easily in the sun).
I pulled a tick out of my 8yr old daughter's ear a week ago. Our dogs get frontline, but I think the ticks are hanging out in the trees and dropping on us. I think maybe the warmer than usual winter is going to have us battling all kinds of bad bugs this year?

Yep. That is unfortunately a very common scenario. Lyme is one of those diseases that does attract a lot of hypochondriacs. Thus her statement was likely true that they see a lot of people that think they have it that don't. The other side of that coin though is that the tests for it stink so some that have it won't have accurate tests and others won't get tested correctly so they look negative but actually have it. Kudos to you for being persistent and getting him treated.

Stacy

[noinwi]

I don't know if ticks actually drop on you, but they do climb as high as they can and out to the ends of grass blades and branches to latch on to any living thing passing by.
I'm always worried about the ones I can't see on the cats, so that's why I use the Frontline on them. They may get bit, but the tick will die and drop off(or occasionally I'll comb a dead one off).
Tracy, aren't Muskovy ducks supposed to be good at tick control? Don't know if they'd be any quieter though.

[Tracydr]

Originally Posted by noinwi

I don't know if ticks actually drop on you, but they do climb as high as they can and out to the ends of grass blades and branches to latch on to any living thing passing by.
I'm always worried about the ones I can't see on the cats, so that's why I use the Frontline on them. They may get bit, but the tick will die and drop off(or occasionally I'll comb a dead one off).
Tracy, aren't Muskovy ducks supposed to be good at tick control? Don't know if they'd be any quieter though.

Ducks would be nice but not sure we'd like them in our pool!

[Tracydr]

Just ordered some sort of garden sprayer for about $24 to spray the yard with sulphur. I'll wear a mask and glasses. That stuff is just nasty! But, I do believe it actually works. I have to reapply every two weeks, though, because we flood irrigate.
That and the Adams flea shampoo seems to be making a big difference.Not perfect but with ticks, they're tough boogers.
I also ordered some frontline. I'd prefer to use pyrethrin or even just essential oils rather than long acting chemicals but, especially the cats, they're really not into regular bathing. I don't mind washing the dogs but it looks like the shampoo only works for about 7 days. With three dogs and one is long haired ( blow drying and combing), one is big ( Doberman) that's a lot of bathing. Plus, three cats that get on our bed. Need to have something more manageable. Plus, I guess you can't use most essential oils on cats, or on dogs that come into intimate contact with cats. ( ours sleep together and one cat bathes the dogs).

[RebelRidin]

Originally Posted by Tracydr

... I also ordered some frontline. I'd prefer to use pyrethrin or even just essential oils rather than long acting chemicals but, especially the cats, they're really not into regular bathing.

Tracy, cats love baths. You just need to keep you tongue a bit drier...


Actually I just wanted to say that the frontline works very well. We live in tick central and have three indoor/outdoor cats that get into our bed as well. No problems once we started using the frontline.

[ExpendableZero]

The ants and ticks are terrible here. I'm going to try the granules.

[Tracydr]

Originally Posted by RebelRidin

Tracy, cats love baths. You just need to keep you tongue a bit drier...


Actually I just wanted to say that the frontline works very well. We live in tick central and have three indoor/outdoor cats that get into our bed as well. No problems once we started using the frontline.

Thanks, Goerge. I'm sure it will work fine.
I've just trended towards not using many pesticides at all in the last several years. I really hate having to make my animals wear a full-time pesticide. Especially since cats seem so sensitive to every little toxin.

[noinwi]

Tracy, we've had cats that were quite sensitive to Advantage in the past(so I no longer use it), but have had no problems whatsoever with the Frontline.
I buy a large dog dose(pour it into a screw top vial)and dose it down for the cats(with a syringe...no needle)and typically use a bit less than what a purchased cat dose would be. This is easy to do with Frontline because the formula is the same strength for dogs and cats and dose is weight-based.

Other products like Revolution(which is Ivermectin and will kill ear mites and fleas but only certain ticks)have different formula strengths for cats and dogs and you have to figure out the dose for mg/lb. And other products have extra ingredients for dogs that cats can't tolerate, so you do have to be careful.

I actually wait a little longer than the 'recommended month' for re-applying. With four cats and a long tick season, it's the most economical way for us to do it. Before the topicals were introduced, we would bathe and dip all our cats(we had seven at one time...think production line bathing, lol)regularly with Adams products(what was used in the local animal clinic)and we have the scars to prove it! Either way they are getting low doses of toxins, but IMO it's the lesser of two evils.

[Skaggydog]

Originally Posted by noinwi

"he takes his finger and rotates the tick in a clockwise motion and they back out"

That's how my little plastic crowbar tool works...and you don't have to touch them(yuk!).

Twisting clockwise or otherwise is an "Old wifes tail". They should be gently pulled straight out. To leave mouth parts or for the tick to regergatate (don't squeez them) is bad . For your health, look it up and be safe.

[BigBrownDogHouse]

Ticks really bug me!

.....But in all seriousness, I was curious and just checked the Center for Disease Control website and they say to remove the tick with a tweezers by pulling steady and straight out, NO twisting. The twisting increases the risk of leaving tick parts in the victim.

Be safe out there folks!

[noinwi]

I'm not affiliated with the company, I just use the product and it works for me. When you twist gently, the tick releases its hold. You're not breaking its mouthparts off. It's easier than using tweezers when you're trying to hold a cat still. I used it on my leg last year and there wasn't even a red mark left so I doubt anything was left in the skin. Just sayin'...

http://www.ticktwister.com/info.html