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Across the Fence:  TICKS!  |
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SheilaC
True Blue Farmgirl
1948 Posts
Sheila
Vermont
USA
1948 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 20 2011 : 7:39:47 PM
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ICK! I cannot believe it already--the snow is barely melted and already found a deertick on my dog, and my friend already got bit and is being treated for Lyme.
SO--any ideas for me? We live right by field and woods, so lots of ticks seem to show up and I get pretty freaked out by the thought of Lyme--with 2 cats, a dog, 3 little kids, etc etc. and they all love to play in the woods, I don't want to keep them closed up indoors. . .
Anything you can do/take/whatever to discourage them? natural ideas/herbal/?? (I mean other than frontline or some such--unfortunately they don't have tick drops for kids!!)
Thanks in advance for your great ideas!
http://troutwife.blogspot.com/
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CMac
True Blue Farmgirl
1074 Posts
Connie
Ashland City
TN
USA
1074 Posts |
Posted - Apr 20 2011 : 7:47:44 PM
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Let chickens free range and/or get some Guinea hens. They will take care of the yard for you. Dogs will keep the deer away from the house. Thats important since they are a vector for Lyme disease.
Does anyone know if DE works to get rid of ticks?
This advice from someone who has had five attached already this year. :0 They seem to be especially bad this year, but we don't have chickens this year either.
Good luck! If you find something that works let us know!
Connie
"I have three chairs in my house: one for solitude, two for friendship, three for company."
Author: Henry David Thoreau |
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SheilaC
True Blue Farmgirl
1948 Posts
Sheila
Vermont
USA
1948 Posts |
Posted - Apr 20 2011 : 7:50:30 PM
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I'd thought about guineas, but we don't really have space for another little coop, and so we couldn't keep them over the winter. . .
http://troutwife.blogspot.com/
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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Okie Farm Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
1674 Posts
Mary Beth
McLoud
Oklahoma
USA
1674 Posts |
Posted - Apr 21 2011 : 05:05:14 AM
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Our dog has already been diagnosed with Rocky Mountain spotted fever! About two weeks ago. Can't believe it this early!! I know that giving the dog ( a black lab) a recommended dose of Ivermec by mouth (used on cattle for worms) does the trick for keeping the ticks off of him. We just hadn't started early enough this year. It seems that if we keep them off of him, they don't reproduce in the yard.
Mary Beth
www.OklahomaPastryCloth.com
www.Oklahomapastrycloth.com/blog
The Sovereign Lord is my strength - Habakkuk 3:19 |
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TeresaJ25
True Blue Farmgirl
975 Posts
Teresa
Medford
NY
USA
975 Posts |
Posted - Apr 21 2011 : 05:29:54 AM
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Where I live we have a major deer tick problem. In fact, one of my "selling points" to my DH to get chickens, was that they eat the ticks. They can be such tiny little buggers, really hard to spot on your skin.
I too have to use Frontline on my dog. I get so skeeved out if I pet him and feel this lump under his fur..ick.. just thinking about it now...ick..
Getting tested for Lyme's Disease is a very common thing around here...
I really don't know of any way to control them.
~Teresa
Farmgirl Sister #1348
*Anyone can criticize and complain and predict doom and gloom.
Be the person who fills the room with sunshine! |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Apr 21 2011 : 07:30:13 AM
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Teresa- Me too!! I was petting Sky once and felt one and got up and started jumping around waving my arms going "Ew! YUCK YUCK YUCK! Getitoff! Getitoff!" My husband about wet himself he was laughing so hard. I have never seen his face get that purple before! LOL Normally bugs and critters don't bother me...but ticks push the ick button in me...
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
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Okie Farm Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
1674 Posts
Mary Beth
McLoud
Oklahoma
USA
1674 Posts |
Posted - Apr 21 2011 : 07:50:31 AM
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Alee, that and leeches! Oh gross. I got one on me once, fishing for trout up in Maine. We were wading and I felt something kind of itchy on my leg. I looked down and there was this long, black leech stuck to the inner part of my thigh. I am sure that everyone thought that a bear was dragging me downstream from my blood curdling screams. Eww. Eww. Eww.
Mary Beth
www.OklahomaPastryCloth.com
www.Oklahomapastrycloth.com/blog
The Sovereign Lord is my strength - Habakkuk 3:19 |
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HollyG
True Blue Farmgirl
214 Posts
Holly
Hamburg
Arkansas
USA
214 Posts |
Posted - Apr 21 2011 : 08:01:27 AM
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You may try tucking a dryer sheet in a pocket (or back of a diaper!) I know they work to keep mosquitos away. We have a bathroom in our shop and it's open (the shop, not the bathroom!) Mosquitos seem to flock to the dark corners. I tacked a few along the wall in there - not only did it smell fresh, not a mosquito to be found! My husband has found 2 already - which does seem early, even for us. Again, I haven't tried it for ticks, but it couldn't hurt...
HollyG
Farmgirl #2513
www.mydeepwoodslife.com |
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batznthebelfry
True Blue Farmgirl
1257 Posts
Michele
Athol
Ma
USA
1257 Posts |
Posted - Apr 21 2011 : 09:46:24 AM
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Oh Alee & Marybeth you two crack me up...I know its so gross but just the image I got in my head of you two made me laugh out loud....I am that way with those awful flying giant roaches.....I almost wet my pants just seeing them....Now i know people do use DE earth to dust their dogs & cats with for the fleas as it will kill them...I would say it should work on ticks since their bodies aren't the hard shell like a flea or mite....I would definitely give it a try just make sure you get the DE dust down into the skin area & not just on top of their coats...I would do a heavy dusting in the neck area & tail since thats where fleas tend to group & & if you can get them to lay on their back do a good dusting on the tummy as well....but do dust everywhere except the face...DE will scratch their eyes...No ticks here yet that I know of but we have had so much rain no one is going outside...lol.....I live next to a forest so I am sure they will be out soon but I have 100 pounds of DE earth just waiting to use on the cats ..I dust my coop with it & the chickens thats why I have so much.......Michele'
Chickens rule!
The Old Batz Farm
Hen #2622 |
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FieldsofThyme
Farmgirl Guide & Schoolmarm / Chapter Leader
4928 Posts
USA
4928 Posts |
Posted - Apr 22 2011 : 09:09:25 AM
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We have that problem too. I posted for help on a natural oil mix for dogs/cats, but no one has one. I ordered a few back issues of a magazine to see if I can find the recipe.
We plant to get guineas. We have chickens too, but we still get them. The recipe I'm looking for is a natural oil mix, that even humans can use. I know my son gets them on his legs while walking the dogs. If I find the recipe, I post it.
Farmgirl #800
http://momzonetakingtimeformom.blogspot.com/
http://scrapreusedandrecycledartprojects.blogspot.com/
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SheilaC
True Blue Farmgirl
1948 Posts
Sheila
Vermont
USA
1948 Posts |
Posted - Apr 22 2011 : 10:01:08 AM
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Thanks Kristina. I was fine with the ticks we got in OH, but now here we have deer ticks and they are so tiny and I'm a little freaked out by Lyme. :) Please do post whatever you find out!! :)
http://troutwife.blogspot.com/
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Tea Lady
True Blue Farmgirl
645 Posts
Lorraine
Morris
IL
USA
645 Posts |
Posted - Apr 24 2011 : 09:10:27 AM
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I've heard about the chickens and guinea hens - but I can't have chickens. I've also heard that if you feed your dogs garlic it will help. But the ticks are so bad here, I use Frontline too. I also have the same feelings of ick when I see or feel one. Blech... Those were indeed funny images - thanks for the laugh.
Lorraine
(aka Tea Lady)
Farmgirl #1819
www.birdsandteas.com |
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sharikrsna
True Blue Farmgirl
185 Posts
Shari
Carthage
Illinois
USA
185 Posts |
Posted - May 07 2011 : 08:38:26 AM
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We have TONS of ticks here right now. I find that by keeping out of the tall grass I don't get them on me, but I have to check the dog every time she comes in. Luckily our ticks our enormous and easy to spot, but still creepy!
Shari
Farmgirl Sister #607 |
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Shi-anne
True Blue Farmgirl
596 Posts
Cheryl
Ada
OK
USA
596 Posts |
Posted - May 07 2011 : 09:59:47 AM
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You can buy the powdered Lime (I think it is spelled that way) at the feed store (or garden centers) and sprinkle it around your yard. It will get rid of the ticks, but you will probably need to do it 3 or 4 times throughout the summer. This is NOT harmful to humans or other animals. However, if you have milk goats (and we do) you canNOT use it. It makes the milk have a weird taste.....but hey, that would probably help shoo other tiny creatures away!
Edited to say....NOT Lime, but Sulfur. Sorry. But lime is good too! 
http://theprairiemaid.blogspot.com/
Farmgirls don't have hot flashes ~ They have power surges! |
Edited by - Shi-anne on May 07 2011 6:59:07 PM |
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BarefootGoatGirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1495 Posts
Corrine
North Carolina
USA
1495 Posts |
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Across the Fence: TICKS! |
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TICKS!
