My daughter rescued a stray yellow Labrador Retriever a while back. She was full of ticks and health problems. We were grateful to the local lab rescue for placing the dog in foster care for treatment. But the ticks stuck around and slowly began to invade our big back yard full of grass and gravel, our own three dogs, and their indoor cage areas where they sleep at night. We have fogged the inside of the house, used tick shampoo, sprayed the backyard, tweezered and flushed the creepy things in alcohol daily, and sprayed a smelly natural tick spray around and under their cages. Nothing seems to work for very long, if at all, and these horrible creatures are beginning to wear me out. I've tried to avoid the high cost of exterminators, but at this point, I'm desperate. Any advise would be greatly appreciated! Has anyone had experience with exterminators? Do they have to come back a second time and do they usually charge for this?
The responses received have been wonderful! Thank you all so much for your advise! Well, my mother-in-law, who loves animals too, got wind of the tick invasion. She lives out of state and she has been a member of the rescue society in her area for a long time. She sent us three months worth of Front Line by mail. I applied it to the dogs right away and it seems to be working, but it is still too soon to tell. As for the yard, we are still weighing our options, but we have everyone's responses on a list and will consider each of them as we make our decision. The inside has fewer ticks now due to the Frontline and a natural powder that we purchased to spread under and around their cages and all over the carpet. The ticks do not climb the walls anymore! We had no wood piles to remove, but the weeds definitely could have been a problem as we have had more rain than usual here in AZ. So, although the lawn is dormant this time of year, we used the mower to cut the weeds back and the dead grass very short. Hosing down the porch and keeping the dogs out of the yard until they go away seems to be the plan for now. Reading about Lyme Disease was extra motivating, to say the least! Thanks for all of your help! I will probably experiment with every one of your suggestions over time, just to be quadruple-sure these ugly creatures stay away for good!
Don't give up! My sister-in-law has lyme disease from contact with a tick. I don't think that the ticks in Az typically carry lyme, but dont give up. If infected, it's a lifetime painful disease. Good Luck, and pay for the professional service. It is worth it to have them gone.
Generally, exterminators have a guarantee, for at least 3-4 months, and if they have to come back in that time, then there isn't a charge. And if the ticks are gone for 3-4 months, they should be gone for good. When the exterminators come, you could ask them for something that will help keep the ticks away, just in case, and if you notice a reinfestation, you can get rid of them right away, before it gets so bad.
my husband works for an exterminating co give him a call ###-###-#### co is sos exterminating his name is curtis
Dear J. --
Besides spraying, you must internally treat your dogs. There is a solution that you get from the vet. You squeeze the tube of fluid onto the backbone area of your dogs and it will absorb into their skin. They sell this on the shelves in pet stores but it is not as effective as the vetinary one and is also much more irritating to the animal. Also put a flea and tick collar on them.
The critical thing is to have your yard sprayed. So probably what needs to be done is you will have to fog, get the dogs treated with flea baths -- soak them well -- treat them internally, put on flea collars -- and have your yard sprayed with the proper product all at the same time. This is not easy to do because every single corner of your home needs to be fogged. This means the inside of every cupboard and you will have to use spray in areas where the fog will not reach.
Since you are using poison, you will have to wash everything that you own. It is a big job. And yes you can call an exterminator, but I do not know what they charge these days or what the terms are. I only know that I have had this problem and the above is what is needed.
The season is coming, so I would suggest that you do this quickly and protect yourself as much as you can. A good fogger should last for 7 months and I would over-fog for the area. There is also a company that exists that has natural products that will help your dogs -- kills these pests on contact -- and you can use in the house without harm. If you are interested in finding out about these products, please feel free to contact me at ###-###-#### or 1-888-869-3236. My email address is ____@____.com Best to You
M.
I'd go with Burns Pest Elimination. They have reasonable rates - about $60 per two months and they can come back within 30 days if the first spray doesn't take. I hope that works.
Hi,
I recently relocated from MI where ticks are pretty common. After several tick incidences we had great success (0 ticks!) with this product, "Lewey's Ecoblend"-- get the Equine spray bottle, will last a long time.
It's totally natural but don't think it's wimpy: it will repel the ticks from your dog w/natural oils ticks find repugnant. (just dilute it w/water a bit and put in a spray bottle and apply to your dog, to the area, just everywhere). Smells great and is chemical-free = safe for kids and pets. It keeps away all kinds of other bugs, too. Don't take my word for it, check out their site, namely "product overview" and "testimonials". I can't endorse it enough, it's just awesome.
http://www.buzzoff.us/product.asp
Good luck!
L.
P.S. I also forgot another product I saw that caught my eye about someone who got rid of a tick infestation in the testimonials: cedarcide. It keeps away scorpions, too- is this even necessary? I'm new to the area so I guess I'll see! Take care.
I few years ago we had a tick invasion. It was AWFUL!!!! We called Terminex who did a great job spraying. They had to come back two weeks after their first to spray a second time. That helped. We took the dogs to the vet and paid to have them pick the ticks out. There were soooo many. It was worth the money to have them do it. ALSO we took the dogs to a new groomer and had them shampooed.(The dogs picked up the ticks at the old groomers.) Then 48 hours AFTER they were shampooed we put on some Frontline. Frontline doesn't work if you put it on right after they have been shampooed. It took us a few trips to figure that out. Finally the vet told us. All this may seem radical, but I have young kids. Once I found my 9 month old CHEWING on a tick that was all it took! Terminex has been coming back every quarter since then. Now we have no fire ants, spiders, or other pests. Its worth the $90+ every quarter! Ticks are bad pests and the reason it took so long was because they spraying only killed the live ticks, then the next batch hatched. But Terminex will come back every two weeks until there are no more at no extra charge. They only sprayed in the house their first visit. I woudln't let the dogs in until they were tick free. Usually they sleep inside in cages. It did take a good month to get rid of them all, but we haven't seen a tick since then! Good Luck!!
You can use Shaklee's basic H2. Just add it to a spray bottle and use 1/2 water then spray away. It is all natural, non-toxic and safe to use around pets and children. No harmful chemicals at all. You can use it straight on your skin as a bug repelent also.
let me know if you are interested in giving it a try. I have some available.
Dear J.,
I am a registered nurse in Arizona and have learned how to protect myself, my grown children, and my grandchildren and animals from tick bites. Ticks are one of the primary sources of Lymes Disease along with other biting insects like mosquitoes, and chiggers. An old doc taught me to use a product called Flowers of Sulphur (non-prescription).. you put it on your clothes and skin especially around socks and pantlegs. Some Mom's even put it on their animals to protect them.
Tick bites can cause some severly disabling health problems that can cost millions in health care costs. Severe arthritis can occur along with tick bites. After a bite you may see a bullseye rash somewhere on the legs or body. Sometimes the rash is very diffuse and does not look like a bullseye. Body aches and pains will often accompany the rash.
The powder of Flowers of Sulphur works to prevent the bites and is as easy to apply as baby powder. If you do get a tick embedded in the skin be very careful how you remove it. There are special tweezers that can be found in places like sporting goods stores that can remove them safely. If you squeeze a tick by the body that is embedded in skin you can inject the infectious contents of the tick into the human body.. which you do not want. They must be removed by the tweezer down next to the skin and at the head of the tick so as not to squeeze the ticks contents into the body.
Using an exterminator to rid the yard is a good idea. If that dosen't work start spreading or spraying the Flowers of Sulphur around the yard. Your local pharmacist can order this product for you. I take it camping with me because we have ticks here in Arizona too! Good luck!. P. W
Hi J.,
Oh my goodness, I am so sorry you're going through this. My family went through the same thing a couple of years ago and this is the first year we've been "tick free." It was a nightmare.
PLEASE do NOT spray insecticides in your home. You are honestly better off living with the ticks than poisoning your family and risking your own health.
Do some research on ticks on the web. It will freak you out; but will let you know what you're up against.
Best thing to do is spray down your base boards with a Tea Tree Oil and Citris mixture. I used a product called "Sol-U-Mel from Melaleuca. It's works great! You'll also want to spray your dog down with it EVERY DAY. I also used a product called "Neem" and rubbed it into the fur around their neck and pits. You can also use "Front Line"; but it will take a few months before you begin to see any results. Be patient. With diligence and time, they will all go away.
Best of luck to you!
Warm Regards,
G.
Call Truly Nolen. They will come and spray. I had it done several years ago and it cost me $150.00. Then they came back 3 times no charge and once a month till ticks were gone.That was $30.00 each time. My daughter had a deer tick so small you could barley see it and she got deathly sick. She had to take medicine for months that could have caused bone marrow problems but it was that or die. Thank GOD she didn't and she got better. No problemsfrom either. Also you don't want your pets to get tick fever. My dog got it and it cost me over $5,000.00 to get her well. She was a very sick dog. We almost lost her. She was 5 at the time and she lived to be 19. I trust them. Hope this helps.
We also had a tick infestation when we bought our home- I paid and exterminator- it was worth every penny. I would get one that would guarantee their work so that if the little devils show back up- its free. The one thing that happen with us is that we had sprayed- but they kept coming back- turned out we had a pile of wood in the backyard- on the ground- apparently that is breeding ground for them- got rid of the pile and that stopped them from resurfacing.
Frontline is the brand that I use for my dogs. It's the stuff you get from the vet. You put a spot on the back of their neck once a month, and it kills any ticks already on the dog, as well as prevents new ones from hitching a ride into your house. It was very effective, even on the East Coast, where ticks are EVERYWHERE in the spring and fall. It's safe to pet your dog once the treatment spot dries. (Always wash your hands after handling pets anyway.) My dogs both have super-thick fur, which was a good place for ticks to hide and breed. One of them was also infested when I got her from a rescue operation. This stuff works like a champ. If you want to save money, use it monthly during tick season, and every two months the rest of the year to keep the fleas at bay. (Something the vet won't mention.) I don't usually treat them Dec and Jan, if it's really cold.
If your yard has a wood pile, shrubbery, trees, these are all places that ticks love. As a native Missourian, I can tell you, ticks don't leave. Diligence is everything, so keep it up.
A few years back my husband and I went through the same problem...What we did is, my husband know an exterminator, he has known him for 20 years, we had him spraying our house, both indorrs and out, monthly. Unfortunately, it took about 2 years, but the problem is taken care of.
Our exterminators are a family owned and operated. They are wonderful people who are fair and honest and also very helpful. They aren't just our exterminators now they are our friends! If you are interested send me a personal email and I will give you their number.
Good luck
We did use an exterminator for our tick problem that was persistent. We used Sexton Pest Control. We were supposed to follow up with a second visit, but we never had the money to. It seemed as if the one time treatment did the trick, but just make sure they spray your whole yard and that you treat your dogs with a shampoo, tick collar or gel from the store prior to them coming out. We used a gel that you put down the dogs back that we received from the vet. Good luck with your tick problem, I know it can be tiring. We finally did the exterminator when we found a tick on one of my daycare kids! YUCK and AHHHHHH!
J.,
Do you still have the dog? I can't help but tell you that my mom has lyme disease from those nasty little creatures. She was bit in Sedona. It is not worth keeping the dog if she is harboring so many(maybe that is why she has so many health problems?). I have no idea how you get rid of them, & have never used exterminators. Actually I did not know there were that many ticks in the valley.
I don't want to scare you, but I would definately look into getting tested for lyme disease, if you guys have pulled them off of you. I think you should just call around to different companies & see how common tick invasions are, maybe do some research on the web too. I am sorry I can't give you any reliable exterminator companies. Just want to give you a heads up, better safe than sorry. I am sure there is a way to get rid of them.
S.
Tiks can hybernate in the ground.... I know of a exterminator that has done a great job for a friend of mine...
Valleywide Temite and Pest control
###-###-####
We took our dog down and had her dipped at Petsmart and then we used HARTZ. You can buy it at almost any store. We used it once a month for awhile. It worked wonders on our dogs. But you have to treat all the dogs so that none of them will be carrying any. We haven't tried the natural treatment but I'm sure you could look into that as well.
You have to spray the yard at least once a week for three weeks. You can look up online to buy your own chemicals to treat your yard for ticks. Or just call Arizona Termite @###-###-#### , ____@____.com,
or Envro ____@____.com~449~3322. I've used all many times in our Real Estate Business. They all do a good job.
Good Luck
G.
Hi!
I had this happen a while bak and my mom reminded me of salt, it's cheap and it last well into the soil we went out and bought a 50pd bag at Costco I beleive although they no longer sell salt in that size, I recomend a lot of salt you can sprinkle it all over the place in wood piles even in carpet if their coming inside, when we used it our tick problem was completely gone in about 3 days, what happened with us is we had a huge rain here on the NW side of Tucson Az and I had sickly desert pack rats coming close to my house for help cause they were infested with fleas, in which salt works for most bugs except ants and some others bugs.
Wish you the best!
