How can we get rid of ticks?

[Arianrhod Wolfchild]

We have developed a severe tick problem and can't seem to find a solution. It all started about a year ago, when we started finding ticks on the dogs. We had never had a tick problem here before. So we put the dogs on Frontline Plus. We have always had an exterminator spray the house and yard once a month for fleas, so we asked them to start spraying for ticks as well. It did not help. We started seeing ticks in the house on the floor and on the walls. The dogs still were getting them even with the frontline. They kept spraying and we kept bathing the dogs with tick stuff and using the frontline and nothing got any better, it actually was getting worse. We switched to Advantix for the dogs, and the exterminators fogged the house. Nothing changed.

Finally we switched exterminators after about 4 months of this. Things finally started improving and it seemed after a while that the ticks were mostly gone, we would see on once in a while, but rarely. The new company has sprayed every months since then, sometimes twice a month if we found a tick or two. Now all of a sudden, the ticks are back. They are all over the place. I don't know what to do anymore. It's starting to feel like we will have to burn the house down to be rid of them.

Has anyone ever had this problem? Does anyone have any ideas of how to get rid of the ticks once and for all?
Thank you for any suggestions.
Blessings,
Arianrhod

[Arianrhod Wolfchild]

I will do. Thank you so much sweetie.
Love & Blessings,
Arianrhod

[putnamwitches]

OMG! Let's hope it doesn't come to that! LOL! :) Let me know if you find anything that does work. Thanks!

[Arianrhod Wolfchild]

Thank you so much for this info. I will check it out. My vet just told me of another thing I will have to check on, called Diatomaceous Earth, which is all natural. It is supposed to get rid of all insects pretty much, including ticks and fleas. I hope one of these things will do the trick or we may have to move out and let the ticks have the house. LOL
Thank you again!
Love & Blessings,
Arianrhod

[putnamwitches]

Okay, I hope this is better! There is still alot of info. out there so if you still need more info. don't be afraid to let me know because I love that I have someone to try to help! The bottom part of this article is what may really help you. You probably know all the rest but I thought it was better to post the whole article.

HOW to GET RID of TICKS
There are many different types of ticks. However, we will talk about Brown Dog Tick, the American Dog Tick and Deer Tick. Ticks are small, reddish-brown in color and you can see the mouth from above. They are flat and shaped like a tear drop, when they get filled with blood then they will swell. All ticks are blood feeders and they can transmit many diseases. The American Dog Tick does not carry Lyme disease; however they do spread the Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

The Rocky Mountain spotted fever usually takes about 2-3 days for symptoms to appear. It would start off with a sudden fever, headache, and muscle ache. A rash will usually appear on the wrists and ankles on the second or third day of the fever.

The rash will start to spread, if you have been bitten by an American Dog Tick, then it is strongly advised that you to go see a doctor because late treatment can be fatal. To control American Dog Ticks can be extremely difficult because most of the pesticides labeled for outdoor use for ticks will not exterminate them if they are in large numbers.

The Brown Dog tick and Deer tick will carry Lyme disease. When a person is bite by a tick, they might experience flu-like symptoms and will develop a red rash shaped like a bull's eye. Since Lyme disease can be mistaken as a flu, most of the time people ignores the symptoms, however if it is not treated immediately then it can lead to more serious health issues. The preferred host for ticks is dogs. However American Dog Ticks will use humans as hosts too. They will attach themselves to ears and between the toes on dogs and lay their eggs on the back, but that area is not the only place that they can. Ticks can be transferred from other dogs as well.

TICKS INSPECTION
Ticks usually live in areas that are high in humidity and commonly found in grassy, bushy, wooded, and shaded areas.

TICKS CONTROL METHODS
Preventions:
Few steps that you can take to control the infestation of ticks is to

•Well clip grass
•Remove the bush near your home
•Pruning trees to allow more sunlight to go through the soil surface and it will not be attractive to the ticks because the sunlight makes the humidity disappear.
•If you have a dog, after a walk or a vacation, make sure to inspect the dogs fur coat thoroughly to see any sign for a tick.
To control ticks outdoors so they don't get transmitted inside, you can use liquid spray (CYNOFF WP , CYPER WP, DEMON WP, SUSPEND SC, MASTERLINE BIFENTHRIN ) using a hand sprayer (CHAPIN 1 GALLON SPRAYER), or granule (BIFEN GRANULES, TALSTAR PL GRANULAR, DELTAGARD G GRANULE, TALSTAR EZ GRANULAR) using a hand spreader (HANDY GREEN II SPREADER, HANDLE SPREADER).

Using the amount instructed on the label for liquid spray and granule. Apply the solution and granule uniformly on the lawn entire lawn, large turfs, and other landscaped areas. Apply on bushes, wooded and shaded areas as well. If there is already a tick infestation inside the home, you can use liquid spray (CYNOFF WP , CYPER WP, DEMON WP, SUSPEND SC, MASTERLINE BIFENTHRIN ) using a hand sprayer (CHAPIN 1 GALLON SPRAYER) with a mist and pinpoint nozzle, dust (DRIONE DUST, DELTA DUST) using a duster (BELLOW BULB DUSTER, CENTROBULB DUSTER), and aerosol (BEDLAM INSECTICIDE SPRAY, ALPINE AEROSOL, ULTRACIDE AEROSOL , PRECOR 2000 PLUS PREMISE SPRAY , V CLEAN-OUT FOGGER).

Using the amount instructed on the label, apply the liquid solution and aerosol around window/door frames, window sills, cracks and crevices, near pet areas, baseboards, corners, storage areas, closets, around utility pipes, attics and eaves, cabinets, sinks, furnaces, stoves, behind and under refrigerators, and carpets. Pay special attention to pet areas.

Ticks may be on the bed and furniture as well so we suggest STERI-FAB, it is safe to be used on beds and furniture. After the application of liquid solution, aerosol, and STERI-FAB, leave the house for about 3 hours and ventilate the house once you come back only if you sprayed the whole entire carpet, or mattress. After you come back home, steam vacuum the home thoroughly.

Reapplications may be needed. If that is the case, reapply to retreat the home. If there is a tick attached to your dog we suggest you use PETCOR FLEA SPRAY (DOGS AND CATS), you will spray individual tick thoroughly until wet then give the dog a bath.

Cynoff WP, Cyper WP, Demon WP, Suspend SC, Masterline

These products can be used with this item:

Chapin 1 gallon sprayer

Bifen, Talstar PL, DeltaGard, Talstar EZ

These products can be used with these items:

Handy Green II, Handle Spreader

Drione, Delta

These products can be used with these items:

Bellow Bulb Duster, CentroBulb Duster

Bedlam, Alpine, Altracide, Precor 2000, V-Clean Out

Steri-Fab

PetCor Flea Spray

Information found at http://www.pestmall.com/tickcontrol.html

[Arianrhod Wolfchild]

Thank you Putnamwitches, unfortunately, I don't think these suggestions will work. The ticks are brown Dog Ticks, not deer ticks and there are no rodents around to carry the ticks.
We have bathed the dogs with tick stuff, had them dipped at the vet, the house has been sprayed, and bombed repeatedly and the yard has been sprayed regularly also. It is unreal. I have never seen anything like these things. Nothing seems to work. We have never even had a tick in the house before this. Thank you for trying, I do really appreciate it. I will continue to stop by and post when I can. A reminder once in a while is not a bad thing though. lol
Many Blessings of Love & Light,
Arianrhod

[putnamwitches]

I have never had this problem myself with much to my surprise because we have three abandoned houses right beside us. I found these articles. I hope they help. If not please let me know and I will look up more information for you because that is what I am here for and it is so nice that someone is actually posting something and asking a question too! :)

Practical solutions
4-Poster Bait Box System
One proven way to dramatically reduce tick numbers is the 4-Poster bait box system. It attracts deer to corn bait stations where a tick-killing product is applied to the deer’s neck and shoulders. In essence, this device uses deer to kill ticks and has show dramatic reductions in tick numbers in areas where it has been used. The 4-Poster bait box is commercially available in the United States, but using and maintaining it requires a special license. For more information, see: http://www.liebertonline.com/toc/vbz/9/4

Tick Tubes
Homeowners can use Damminix Tick Tubes—tubes filled with permethrin-treated cotton balls which mice use for nesting material. This kills the ticks in their early larval stage when they attach to mice as their first host. Damminix tubes are an effective approach to reducing ticks and are commercially available at garden or hardware stores or the internet.
Modify your landscape by clearing out underbrush, rock or wood piles, stone walls, or any crevices that provide nesting or cover areas for small rodents. Keeping the grass low-cut will also reduce the number of small rodents who host the larval ticks.
For more information about preventing Lyme disease, read the "Tick Management Handbook", last revised by Kirby C. Stafford III, Ph.D., or visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

Controlling Fleas and Ticks on Your Pets
Discover your options for controlling fleas on your furry friends

The Humane Society of the United States

The fleas and ticks on your dog or cat are only a small percentage of the number in the animal's environment. Fleas and their eggs can live outside in grass, soil and even crevices in sidewalks, while inside they live in rugs and carpets, cracks in floors, bedding, etc.

Applying poisons to the animal's body kills only a small part of the problem. You must treat the larger environment to solve the problem.

Bagging the bugs
To really tackle the problem effectively, you must treat both the indoor and outdoor areas the same day, and remove all while this is underway. Getting your animals a flea dip at the veterinarian's office, where they can be dried and kept safe while their home is being treated is probably the best plan.

For outdoors, purchase a flea/tick killer for outdoor use; treat the grass and soil where the animal spends most of his time. For indoors, try using a flea "bomb." This will require you to remove birds and fish as well, but is the most effective treatment. The fumes require you to stay out of the home for a number of hours. At the end of the day, bring you animals home.

Use alternatives
Comb your pet regularly with a flea comb, vacuum frequently and dispose of the bags immediately after use, mow areas of the lawn where your dog spends time, wash pet bedding weekly, and wash your pet with a pesticide-free pet shampoo. In addition, to protect cats from fleas and ticks, as well as a host of other outdoor hazards, cats should be kept indoors at all times.

Monthly flea treatments
Monthly flea treatments for pets such as Frontline, Advantage, and Revolution contain newer insecticides that are safer and more effective than older, over-the-counter products. The safest monthly treatments are available only through veterinarians or online suppliers that require a prescription. Always consult a veterinarian before buying or using any flea or tick control product on your pet. Read more on the what you should know about flea and tick products »

You may consider several topical products (available through veterinarians) that are insecticides designed to have fewer toxic effects on the nervous systems of mammals: imidacloprid (found in Advantage®), fipronil (in Frontline® or Top Spot®), and selamectin (in Revolution™). Avoid OP-based products by looking for any of these active ingredients: chlorpyrifos, dichlorvos, phosmet, naled, tetrachlorvinphos, diazinon and malathion. Avoid products with carbamates by looking for the chemical names carbaryl and propoxur on the label.

Consider using a product with insect-growth regulators (IGRs), which are not pesticides. These will prevent the next generation of fleas but will not kill insects already on your pet. Common and effective IGR products include those made with lufenuron (found in Program® and Sentinel® and available by prescription), methoprene (in Precor®), and pyriproxyfen (in Nylar® and EcoKyl®).

More safety tips
Never use flea and tick products designed for dogs on your cat, or vice versa.
Remember never to apply pesticides to very young, elderly, pregnant, or sick animals unless directed to do so by a veterinarian.
Always read the ingredients, instructions, and warnings on the package thoroughly.