Ugh spring is here and so are the ticks

[cudamank]

Well it was warm here today, warmest of the year 80+ and I notice my lab has a couple of ticks. I keep collars on them but it looks like the warm weather brought a major outbreak. So tonight I bathed all three dogs, new collars and treatment, then well they were relaxing in the house, sprayed the yard.

I wish we had the good sprays out here, but first it was the DDT, then the Malathion, then Dursaban, then Diazanon all are gone. Now I think we are down to strong words and warm water.

What do you guys use for flea and tick control in your yards?

 

[akviper]

A yearly application of this seems to keep them out of my yard.

We have bears, moose, and voracious mosquitos, but are spared from ticks. It was a real wake up when I visited Minnesota a couple of summers ago. The ticks were everywhere.

 

[Pete99004]

Tick collars work for a short time frame then need to be replaced and only work well around the neck of the animal, not so well on the rear or underside of the animal - Frontline works very well is safe and the best I've found in over the counter products. Covers both the front and rear areas effectively as you apply it on both the front and the rear - one dose is good for 30 days.
Watch your dog closely for adverse reactions when first applied - rare but some dogs may react to the dose first time out and so you should watch to by sure he is dealing with it OK.

Doesn't prevent ticks from landing on the animal but kills them should they decide to hunker down and bite (which they always do). I also spray the foundation area with Bug B Gone concentrate so I can mix my own dose and spray in a heavy mix. OK to spray the grass with this as well but do not exceed dose on package as it might damage the lawn. Safe for pets after it is dry. Kills many pests - fleas, ticks, ants, Chiggers, certain spiders, earwigs, etc.

Ticks like tall grasses so if you eliminate those areas for dog use - it will reduce the infestation.

The only good tick is a dead tick!

Best of luck.

PS - Frontline kills fleas as well.

 

[michael thornton]

I went wild hog hunting a few weeks ago and was bit by a spider, it looked pretty bad there for a while but it finaly started to heal. thing about ticks is they get on you and you might not know for hours, im going turkey hunting today at the same place, you can bet ill keep a eye out for the ticks and spiders, might even see a turkey!

 

[rte148]

I've had good success with Frontline for my 5 dogs. You will get the occasional tick, but nothing major. Plus it definitely prevents fleas.

I'm in rural Virginia at the moment, but am moving back up to Connecticut later this year where tick prevention is critical due to lyme disease.

 

[BigBill]

Frontline on my dogs and cats works awesome. There out in CT even with the cold and snow already. I took one off one of my cats the it was digging a groove in the cats flesh. It was a medium sized tic..

When i was loggin we would wash our hands and arms when gass'n up the saws to keep the bugs away and the poison ivy off of us.

 

[BigBill]

But you have those B52 mosqueto's.

A yearly application of this seems to keep them out of my yard.

We have bears, moose, and voracious mosquitos, but are spared from ticks. It was a real wake up when I visited Minnesota a couple of summers ago. The ticks were everywhere.

 

[Fishslayer]

What do you guys use for flea and tick control in your yards?

We don't, but we keep Frontline Plus on the dogs & cats. No problems.

 

[writerinmo]

I use this stuff in a bag I get from walmart, don't have the bag handy but I get it in the garden section. I use my seed spreader to put it down, usually before they are calling for rain for us, as directions read to water after you spread it and I am cheap that way...

If we have an overly wet spring I reapply again, and it works real well, none of my dogs have ever had a tick other than if we maybe go out to the city parks. It also has the bonus of knocking down a lot of the grubs, so the moles stay out for the most part since there isn't much for them to eat there.

 

[Class III]

I use this stuff in a bag I get from walmart, don't have the bag handy but I get it in the garden section. I use my seed spreader to put it down, usually before they are calling for rain for us, as directions read to water after you spread it and I am cheap that way...

Sevin Dust??? If so, that's the same stuff we use up at our farm for tick control around the house and barns. It will kill ticks, fleas, lots of different spiders... Just don't apply to your pets.

Class III

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

I was at a farmers market last week and got into a conversation with a lady who grows tobacco. She is into the organic thing and told me that she soaks the leaves in water and uses it as insecticide-says it works like a champ. She sells seed pods as a novelty and tells me the stuff grows like a weed.

 

[Steve in Vermont]

I use Sawyer Spray (24oz bottle) on my clothing. It's called Permethrin (I bought mine at Cabelas) and you spray in on clothing, i.e. pants, socks, shirts, before you put them on. It's supposed to last for several washings and kills insects on contact. Not for application on animals or directly to skin. I've used it for 2 years and never had a problem with ticks or chiggers.

 

[Jst1mr]

I use Sawyer Spray (24oz bottle) on my clothing. It's called Permethrin (I bought mine at Cabelas) and you spray in on clothing, i.e. pants, socks, shirts, before you put them on. It's supposed to last for several washings and kills insects on contact. Not for application on animals or directly to skin. I've used it for 2 years and never had a problem with ticks or chiggers.

Watch out using this stuff if you have cats...it is extremely toxic to them.