Ticks, So Many.

[pesh]

Hi All

This would have already been discussed but have to put in once again.

I live on the NSW Central Coast and we are in plague proportion with paralasis(sp?) ticks.

I have a mobile grooming business, with-in the last two weeks I have sent three clients to the vets with their dog having at least one tick I had found while washing. But it's breaking my heart I've just received another phonecall from another client who Husky just passed from tick poisoning.

Another client last week also lost their dog from ticks, but this dog was found to have 14 ticks. Neither from a lack of care. The second had taken himself for a walk being a farm dog, and was missing for no longer than 1 1/2 days, and when he returned it was all just too late for poor Jack.

I've received phonecalls asking what can people do about them in their yards. One person rang because they had so many they couldn't leave the dogs there (only just bought the house) as the dogs and themselves would be covered within minutes from brown ticks. They contacted the council, wires anyone who might be able to help rid them, but they said they knew nothing and wouldn't assist because it's natural.

HAVE YOU ANY SUGGESTIONS HOW TO TREAT THE YARD/PROPERTY?

Thx in advance

Sharon

Edited October 20, 2010 by pesh

[Miss BeRidgierent]

Im not really sure but Lime kills fleas it might kill the ticks too??

[Hairy Maclary]

Spray your yard with Permoxin if you want to do it yourself, or get a professional pest control company to spray. And tell your clients to check their dogs every single day for ticks.

[poodlefan]

Pesh are your clients using tick preventatives?

[pesh]

I have been on their back to get preventic collars and to check their dogs everyday, unfortunately all too late.

So many clients are surprized the tick preventor in the spot-ons only lasts two weeks, not the month as the advertising doesn't state this, but states four weeks for the fleas so naturally think its four weeks for tick cover also.

Have said about the permoxin, some take it on, many don't unfortunately.

I also have to be careful about saying the lime, as it's an off label use your talking about and I could be in quite a bit of trouble telling people to use lime, and they or their pets get sick by not doing it properly. It's a vicous circle.

Edited October 20, 2010 by pesh

[Maddy]

This probably isn't very helpful for people who live on farms or larger properties but keeping your grass very short, spraying/cutting down weeds and not leaving plant material (grass clippings and the like) about makes a big difference. In summer (assuming we still even have grass), everything is kept very short and clippings are buried to make sure there's fewer places for things to lay eggs.

We also spray down the dogs and their bedding with permoxin and so far, we haven't had any issues with ticks or fleas.

[Quickasyoucan]

We seem to have a plague here on the northern beaches (even worse than usual). The local vets think it will be one of the worst seasons ever.

Seaforth vet alone has lost 5 dogs in the last month . I used to walk regularly at Curl Curl dog park and never had ticks but met a lady I knew who said almost every dog she knew down there has had a tick this year and one old dog has lost his life

I have already found one tick on my boy low down on his rear leg, luckily it wasn't engorged and no harm was done, but I am now checking him twice daily.

I think being vigilant and hand checking is the best thing as no preventative is a 100% effective.

With the people with the yard, I would be calling in the professionals. Friends at Bayview had their yard sprayed by a pest man as their kids were constantly picking up ticks. Seemed to work that season.

[Fordogs]

Permoxin on the dog & bedding daily and search, search, search.

When I lived in a tick area Preventic collars also