early tick season (mattress, house, buy)

[2mares]

This last week we pulled 8 ticks from 3 of the dogs and two people at work found a tick on themselves. It seems early in the year for ticks to me. Has anyone eles noticed ticks already?

[vacation bound]

2mares- In Fl it is horrible. Ticks and fleas. I had to bring my dog to the vet for scratching and biting and she said I was the 7th person that day to bring their dog in for the same thing. Three medications later and he is still biting and scratching. And those flea and tick treatments, none work on my dog. Spraying the yard and house helps for a little while and then it is back to the same old thing.
If anyone knows of any good flea and tick treatments I am up for suggestions.

[Grizzlybear34]

VB - Boy, did we have the ticks bad last year! The version of tick we had was called the brown dog tick. The don't go to cats, so I'm sure the cat loved it that the dogs were in peril.

Have you checked the dog's bedding, and particularly under it? They get their fill, and then go into hiding. Lay their eggs and then you have an infestation. It took us good month to get rid of them.

Clean the dog and de-tick'em. Check between their toes. After dog is tickless(yeh right), move all the furniture around the dogs bed and thouroughly vacuum. Go to a good pest control supply house(not Lowes or Home Depot) that carries stuff the pros use. There is product called Suspend. It is about $60 for a pint, but it dilutes down quite a bit. Take a garden sprayer and treat the entire house, the carpet, under the furniture, between the mattress and box spring, and particularly along all of the baseboards. Two weeks later, do it all again.

Did I mention you also have to treat the yard? Start at the house and work your way to the far corner of the propererty. Treat again, two weeks later.

It's a lot of work, but it took care of the problem.

[Bones]

Originally Posted by 2mares

This last week we pulled 8 ticks from 3 of the dogs and two people at work found a tick on themselves. It seems early in the year for ticks to me. Has anyone eles noticed ticks already?

This is early for ticks. Guess because of the warm days we've had recently.... Guess I'd better order some of the flea-tick stuff for the outside cats that adopted us last year......

[alleycat]

Originally Posted by Bones

This is early for ticks. Guess because of the warm days we've had recently.... Guess I'd better order some of the flea-tick stuff for the outside cats that adopted us last year......

It is early for tick season. Maybe the little fellows will come out and get comfortable and then we'll get another hard freeze and it will kills some of them.

[heathdawn]

In Fl my dog is going crazy with the biting and scratching I've bathed her once a week. Frontline works best for my dog but Advantage works for the cats. Also if you buy Borax powder detergent, it kills fleas and eggs. Sprinkle it on your carpet and wash the bedding etc. Hope this helps.

[Bones]

Originally Posted by heathdawn

In Fl my dog is going crazy with the biting and scratching I've bathed her once a week. Frontline works best for my dog but Advantage works for the cats. Also if you buy Borax powder detergent, it kills fleas and eggs. Sprinkle it on your carpet and wash the bedding etc. Hope this helps.

I've used Borax in Florida for the fleas - works great.
My 2 inside cats is not a problem up here in TN. Now that I have 2 outside cats I think the vet suggested something that started with the letter "B" is best to use, I'll have to get the paperwork out.

Thanks, Bones

[vacation bound]

I guess I'm off the the pest control strore and grocery for the borax. Thanks everyone for the info,.. I do spray my yard and house but maybe the pesticide I have is too old and not working anymore.
Has anyone heard anything about garlic pills for the fleas? I thought someone told me they hate the garlic.

[46Barb]

I use Frontline Plus on my dogs as it is also good for lyme disease, fleas, etc.

About a month ago, my dog had 2 ticks which were coming off since I use the Frontline. I'm not used to seeing ticks so early and we don't live near trees, bushes, high grass, etc.