By James Stuart
Ticks are becoming a common occurrence throughout the Houston area. A gentle winter combined with lots of travel and pets has created a situation where ticks are showing up regularly in the winter months inside homes that have never had a problem before. Here are some tips to keep the tick population down:
- It is very important to keep all your pets on a systemic flea and tick killer from the vet.
- Frequent washing of pet bedding along with thorough cleaning of the areas where they sleep is also important.
- An additional dehumidifier in the room the pets sleep in can also make a big difference. Ticks need above average humidity in the natural environment so drying things out can actually get rid of a tick problem in a home provided you do not reintroduce new ticks from the outside.
- Insecticides, miticides (ticks are big mites), and growth regulators applied by professionals are only part of a tick elimination.
If you take your pets to an area where ticks are suspected it is a good idea to bathe them with a tick killing shampoo. Most vets probably wish all the animals brought to them received flea and tick baths before they arrived. Keep in mind that the first few developmental stages are so small they are invisible.- Have your pets bathed on the way in and on the way out of boarding, or staying at some else’s home.
Ticks can make their way into your yard on rats, squirrels, raccoons, birds, and of course other people’s pets, so it is a good idea to treat your lawn as often as monthly to kill ticks before they make it onto your pets and into your house.
Ticks are a serious health threat and should not be disregarded as a nuisance. To keep ticks from your home and yard, contact us and we will be happy to discuss ridding your property of ticks and any other pests that have moved in! Like us on FaceBook.