Tick invasion

[NorTracNY]

I have had outdoor dogs and cats for about 15 years. I've probably taken off 10 ticks at most in those years. I've taken off over a dozen in the last week! They get monthly tick medicine and yesterday morning they all got another round of it. The previous dose was only 2 weeks ago. Sure enough, later yesterday we found 3 on one of the cats.

What is going on? I'm not use to ticks, especially this late in the year. What should I be doing/looking for?

 

[dmccarty]

Is "tick medicine" something like Advantage or Frontline? If so, we have had problems with these over the last few years. Seems like either the ticks have developed immunity and/or the formulation is not consistent since we still find ticks on the dog. However, this stuff does not work until the ticks bit the dog. I think the wifey has stopped using this stuff and just does tick inspections on the dog several times a day.

The lifecycle of the ticks involves deer and mice. So some methods I have seen have to been to treat deer with Permethrin at bait stations. Others have done the same thing for mice with PVC tubes, Permethrin soaked cotton balls and bait. The idea is for the mice to find the bait and get a dose of Permethrin while feeding and/or taking the cotton ball back to their nest which will get dozing them.

Other people spray the yard but that just won't work for us.

It is a nasty problem that is for sure and I really thing the tick explosion is from the increase in the deer population and forest fire suppression.

Good Luck,
Dan

 

[toppop52]

I had that problem when we built on this property 5 years ago, I started spreading diatomaceous earth every March or April, no ticks, no fleas.

 

[dmccarty]

I had that problem when we built on this property 5 years ago, I started spreading diatomaceous earth every March or April, no ticks, no fleas.

Hmmm. I will mention this to the wifey.

Thanks,
Dan

 

[NorTracNY]

We used Hartz Plus for treating. We have battled a rat problem recently and thought that might have been the source, but from what I've seen online, it looks like rats are bigger carriers of fleas than ticks.

We have always had a huge deer population in my area. If anything I think they are going down in numbers. Forest fires are non existant in NY. I know of a field fire that happened once...

 

[toppop52]

That was our problem, we had dozens of deer that fawned in our thicket.

 

[Mendonsy]

I think the weather is at least part of the reason why the ticks are still around. We have had some frosts, but not anything down into the low 20's yet so it hasn't been cold enough to kill off this year's tick crop.

 

[newbury]

<snip>
The lifecycle of the ticks involves deer and mice. So some methods I have seen have to been to treat deer with Permethrin at bait stations. Others have done the same thing for mice with PVC tubes, Permethrin soaked cotton balls and bait. The idea is for the mice to find the bait and get a dose of Permethrin while feeding and/or taking the cotton ball back to their nest which will get dozing them. <snip>

Or instead of PVC tubes use toilet paper tubes. A lot cheaper and biodegradeable. But remember Permethrin is toxic to cats.

Permethrin is a commonly used insecticide that is safe around many animals, but is highly toxic to cats. Permethrin belongs to a family of chemicals commonly used as insecticides. The chemical is found in some dog flea treatments and shampoos, and also in certain household products such as fly sprays and ant powders.

 

[ovrszd]

I'm outside and in the timber almost every day. Have a dog companion. I treated him early last Spring. Normally I pick tics off myself daily during Summer. I only had one this year. Dog has had none. Oddly low tic population here this Summer.

 

[rekees4300]

What is going on? I'm not use to ticks, especially this late in the year. What should I be doing/looking for?

We use Frontline for Wood Ticks but it seems to have little effect on the Deer Ticks which have exploded in recent years. Have found them year around, even January! Some will scoff but I think Climate Change is a factor.

 

[adventure bob]

Global Warming? While scientist will argue about how to measure it and if its real or not, I'm a pragmatist: what changes are occurring around me to say that something is changing? I wont begin to try to assign a cause, too much politics in that question, I do believe things are a changing and bug populations are changing in response to the climate. growing seasons may be next.

 

[ovrszd]

We use Frontline for Wood Ticks but it seems to have little effect on the Deer Ticks which have exploded in recent years. Have found them year around, even January! Some will scoff but I think Climate Change is a factor.

No scoffing here. But I'd rather think Deer Ticks would be more related to Deer population on your property, especially close to the buildings.

 

[Thomas]

Ticks also plentiful here stir the leaves etc. on the ground feel those little suckers,clothes looks like someone sprinkle pepper on them.

 

[ovrszd]

Global Warming? While scientist will argue about how to measure it and if its real or not, I'm a pragmatist: what changes are occurring around me to say that something is changing? I wont begin to try to assign a cause, too much politics in that question, I do believe things are a changing and bug populations are changing in response to the climate. growing seasons may be next.

Our Planet and it's smaller residents evolve all the time. For example, RoundUp used to be the Chemical of choice for weed control. Now it's being phased out because the dominant noxious weeds have evolved and some are even RoundUp resistant now.

An example of bug evolution would be the Pine Beetles in the Rocky Mountain Forests. If you haven't saw that destruction do a Google search. Hundreds of thousands, if not millions of acres of dead pine trees.

 

[ovrszd]

Hmmm,,, noticed a trend so far. Posters with worst tic problem are in the Eastern States.

 

[Trails End]

This year, the ticks are worse than usual here in southern NH. My wife and dog manage to
acquire at least two or more ticks during every daily walk, and if I go into the woods even
for a short walk, I can count on finding at least one or two ticks on me when I return to the
house.

 

[toppop52]

Climate change is of course real and ongoing, it started the first day there was a climate on earth and it continues today. The cause assigned it recently though, I totally dismiss. It may play a role in tick infestation.

 

[toppop52]

Fleas are by far the worst I've seen this year.

 

[rekees4300]

No scoffing here. But I'd rather think Deer Ticks would be more related to Deer population on your property, especially close to the buildings.

That's a good point. It's likely the Deer population as well as Climate Change are factors. The deer population around here is high. Last Winter they even ate the scrubs by our house ... I wasn't a happy camper. Recently, for the first time in this county, Bovine TB was found in a few deer. Now the county health officials have panicked and intend to reduce (aka slaughter) the deer population back to its 1970's level. Some cow herds have also tested positive and been slaughtered. Perhaps an unintended consequence will be fewer Deer ticks?

 

[ovrszd]

Mother Nature will balance populations (including human) if they get out of control.