# Tick Control Options



## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Well this looks like it will be a brutal bug season in the South East given the total absence of a winter.

These tick diseases really have me concerned and I want to minimize risk. My dogs have to be out in the woods, and in areas frequented by wildlife so just controlling the situation at home is not enough.

With a 7 month old puppy I am wondering about the best options. Right now he is on sentinel but that does not touch ticks. I did buy a Preventic collar when I was ordering other things but am not to keen on medicine dipsensing collars for a number of reasons...Certifect is out but not for long and you always worry about the drug delivery rate - plus it is the same active ingredient as the collar but for much more $$$.

The little "seed ticks" as folks call them around here are are very small and hard to find.

What are people doing. Last year the ticks were really bad. For my house I am planning on buying food grade diatomaceous earth and going around the yard with it though I don't want to kill earthworms and not sure if it will. May look into nematods but don't know if they get ticks too.

So two fold: control at the house and control on the dog.


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## Konotashi (Jan 11, 2010)

We had a tick infestation a year or two ago. The exterminator had to come down and he DRENCHED the house and the yard twice. Haven't had any more tick problems. Would definitely recommend having the house done BEFORE there's an infestation....

I used Bio Spot on Ozzy. I think it repelled ticks. I know some medicines, like Frontline, only kill ticks after they're on the dog.


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

I give Rafi Bug Off Garlic from Springtime Inc. In the 4 years I've had him I have found one tick total on him. We frequent wooded and grassy areas daily. 

I also use a NEEM oil spray during major tick season. 

I don't use any pesticides on my animals.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

How do these impact spot on HW preventives too? 

The Neem and the Bug Off?

The biospot is a permrethrin which I tried to get away from but at some point I have to weigh the damage caused by ticks if they do get on vs. the damage cause by insecticides.


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## kiya (May 3, 2010)

jocoyn said:


> Well this looks like it will be a *brutal bug season* in the South East given the total absence of a winter.
> 
> These tick diseases really have me concerned and I want to minimize risk. My dogs have to be out in the woods, and in areas frequented by wildlife so just controlling the situation at home is not enough.
> 
> ...


OMG your not kidding. Usually this time of year is safe to keep going out on the trails, I pulled a tick off of Lakota last week already. I stop using advantix over the winter, usually it isn't an issue. She got infested with seed ticks twice last summer. Even though she's white I couldn't see them until I saw a little speck of red from a bite. Usually they are on legs so scrubbing in the tub is the only way to get rid of them. 
In 20 years of living here I think I've tried everything under the sun for ticks and have yet to find a solution. I though I was happy with the neem spray but like everything else I still find ticks. I also have to be careful about what I use because Kiya has seizures. Last fall I picked up a bottle of spray, cant think of the name of it, it was a very small bottle for what I paid. Any way what I started doing already is if the ground isn't frozen I spay their legs, chest, under belly (kind of lightly). I try to head out early in the am before the ticks become active. I though about getting children's leotards and using them on the dogs legs. It reminds me of the tv commercial where the dog is dressed in some sort of hazmat suit.
I think around June I probably will have to stay out of the trails till frost comes, and walk the dogs on the roads. Which still doesn't mean they won't pick up any ticks we have all kinds of wildlife in my front yard. 
For going into the trails I think the best way is to spray before going into the trails & check when you come back.


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## lorihd (Nov 30, 2011)

gineau hens or chickens will really help your tick problem. i use to let mine roam (before the foxes showed up) but now they are locked up and ive noticed the ticks are out of control. I have a friend with gineau hens and she doesnt have a problem


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Yes, Guineas and Chickens are good but I live in a subdivision and they are not allowed per the HOA rules and that still does not take care of concrens when we are not at home and in the woods.


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

jocoyn said:


> How do these impact spot on HW preventives too?
> 
> The Neem and the Bug Off?
> 
> The biospot is a permrethrin which I tried to get away from but at some point I have to weigh the damage caused by ticks if they do get on vs. the damage cause by insecticides.


Are you asking if they protect from heartworm too? If so, then no, they don't. The Bug Off would not interfere with the topical applications and I don't think NEEM would either. 

If you are going to use Bug Off you have to start it a good 3 weeks before tick season begins.


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## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

jocoyn said:


> The biospot is a permrethrin which I tried to get away from but at some point I have to weigh the damage caused by ticks if they do get on vs. the damage cause by insecticides.


Everyone has to make a decision they are most comfortable with, but personally speaking, I have successfully (100%) used biospot for a number of years now on all my dogs, and no fleas/ticks to be seen. Although my dogs don't see near the exposure yours do to the great outdoors (woods), i do quite a bit of hiking with mine in the nicer parts of the year. We also started camping last yr with some of our dogs (tent camping, true camping) and picked sites that backed directly up to the woods for some privacy. The dogs were on tieouts on the tree line, with access to the forest, and we did a lot of hiking over the 3 to 4 day trips several times last year. not a single tick, and I checked them THOROUGHLY. Another member here (wildo) actually posted that he took his dog on just a day trip hiking in the exact same area and found as I remember 3 ticks on her. So IMHO, the biospots works. Yes there is some risk, but just me personally - I think the risk the ticks offer is of more concern.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

BowWowMeow said:


> Are you asking if they protect from heartworm too? If so, then no, they don't. The Bug Off would not interfere with the topical applications and I don't think NEEM would either.
> 
> If you are going to use Bug Off you have to start it a good 3 weeks before tick season begins.


Not asking if they prevent HW, but since the HW meds are absorbed through the skin does it impact their effectiveness. Probably not I would guess. Maybe could impact the flea meds that are distributed through the coat.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

I think for the yard I am going to combo diatomaceous earth and nemtatodes though I have not found locally available "food grade" and wonder if the "organic garden grade"is acceptable -- I need to head by the farm store I guess.

Preventic vs permethrins. Yes, I have used biospot before and, truth be known, I think Vector that folks talk about is mainly permethrins though I am looking to see if there are any real negatives to the Preventic.


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## VTcoach (Jun 28, 2005)

I use K9 Advantix with very good results for ticks.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

All these suggestions are filed away. I have 6 months worth of sentinel for all three dogs on hand, so I am going to work my way through that and use the preventic as well. Since my dogs are not allowed to jump all over and play with each other I am not too concerned about them from the stanpoint of getting the collar in their mouths. Longterm I would rather not use a collar.

Then I will revisit. Thanks! Now for a trip to the farm store to see if THEY have 'food grade" diatomaceous earth.


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

I did want to say that the Bug Off Garlic does not repel fleas, only ticks.


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