Know anything about Ticks?

[EAO76]

So back in probably august/ Sept I found ONE tick on Trucker while I was giving him a bath. It wasn't engorged so I assume not on him long. Then in approx Feb (so 5 or 6months later) my 3year old son (so gross) had a small tick on him (again not engorged). Then about a two weeks ago (so a month after my son) my husband was getting out of our car and found one crawling on his ankle. Then last night I was washing dog beds (in the house) and found one live tick. So I am starting to freak out. How concerned should I be about finding random ticks? I'm not seeing them on the dogs at all which I think is odd because if we have them that is where they should be.

The thing is that we live in the city. We have a small yard but other than opossums & squirrels there is no wildlife. There are feral cats that roam the neighborhood but with four boxers they don't enter our back yard. We DO OCCASIONALLY transport shelter dogs in our car from various shelters to our Boxer Rescue's kennel. This is my best guess of how they might have found their way to us.

My husband took apart the car and sprayed Sentry Home & Kennel Spray in there. And we washed all dog bedding (I do this often anyway). We have no carpet in our home (hardwood & tile only) but I still vacuum daily. I'm not that good about using flea & tick treatment on my dogs because its never really a problem. I usually use frontline plus in the summer and that's about it. I did apply frontline plus to all four dogs last night after I found the most recent tick.

From my googling my best guess is that they are Brown Dog Ticks. Do you think continuous washing, vacuuming & using Frontline Plus is enough? I would rather not spray my house & yard with poison (dogs, small kid, and I'm pregnant due in two weeks) but I don't want a tick infestation either. I will spray if its necessary.

What should I do? do you think finding random ticks indicates an infestation? Should I spray? What specific products should I use?

[entelekia]

I would think what you're doing now is enough. Give it a few days and see if you find any more ticks. If the dogs aren't plagued with them I would definitely not call it an infestation.

There are also homeopathic remedies for ticks/fleas that you might want to look into (essential oils and stuff of that sort). A quick google search should point you in the right direction.

If it continues I would have someone maybe come inspect your yard? (pest company). Otherwise I really can't think where the buggers can be coming from (provided your car is clean now).

Keep us posted.

[Cami]

Last year I found two ticks on Raine. In nearly 7 years with Cami I NEVER found even one.
I think my DH brought them home. We have a couple of acres at a rental and he spends a lot of time there. The ticks were so bad last year that when he would finish mowing the grass (at the rental) the front of the lawn mower which is white would be BROWN!!
So totally gross and I know this doesn't help you but I freak out about ticks and am constantly inspecting Raine (and myself).
Hopefully you don't see anymore.
Supposedly everything has a purpose but for the life of me I can't fathom what good a tick does!

[Gatorblu]

I was just at the vets and they had a poster up talking about birds spreading ticks. (It had a very gross picture of a bird with multiple ticks), plus rabbits and squirrels. I put diametacious earth down in my yard last year and plan to do it again this year. Before that we had and eco-friendly company that came in and treated. Ticks like tall grass, so keep your yard mowed. I live in the suburbs and I have enough wild life come through my yard and it is fenced in. I get rabbits, squirrels and opposums, and birds. I even saw a mouse a month or so ago.

If you put down the DE make sure whoever puts it down wears a mask while doing so. It isn't harmful if swallowed, but you shouldn't breath it in.

[Independence]

We have 6 wooded acres and we can't fight the ticks. I think that you are being careful and checking. We do a tick check on the dog and me even if we have been playing in the yard. I have a hip replacement and a tick bite on me can put me on antiboitics for 10 days.

I also read that a tick has to been embedded for 24 hours before you run the risk of lymes diesease. I know that doesn't make me feel much better either....

[TwoDogs]

Originally Posted by EAO76

I usually use frontline plus in the summer and that's about it. I did apply frontline plus to all four dogs last night after I found the most recent tick.

In my area (Massachusetts), peak time for ticks is not the summer. We get the most ticks in March-April-May and Sept-Oct-Nov. Depending on where you are, you might need to start treating earlier.

[Tuff Love]

Because you live in the city I think what you're doing is sufficient. Like you said, they may have traveled in your car from a rescue that may have had a bunch of ticks on him/her, or maybe they're hanging out in your lawn. Sounds like the ones you found were fairly spread apart time-wise. I'm not sure what kind of weather you guys had this year but we had such a mild winter that I would expect ticks and other creepy crawlies to be in higher abundance this year. I hate the little beasties myself so I sympathize.

(I think deer ticks are mainly over here on the NE, so I wouldn't stress too much about Lymes)

[Roge]

Ticks(,even Irish ones) dont like whiskey, its a old farmers cure , if a tick latches on pour a drop on whiskey onto it and it will shrivel up and fall off.I used to laugh at this but my SIL found a tick on her dog one evening last summer so she droped on some whiskey and it was all shriveled up next morning and all she had to do was rub it and it fell off, the alochol would also help kill off any germs.
I know it sounds a bit mad but she sweares by it.

[Tuff Love]

Originally Posted by Roge

Ticks(,even Irish ones) dont like whiskey

hahah, i laughed. too funny.