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January 05, 2009, 07:56:46 PM

Permaculture Forums | substance | critter care | Topic: safe tick control

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safe tick control

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dj
Posts: 1

August 21, 2008, 08:28:06 AM

I love your article about fleas and will try using DE.

I'm curious ... you don't address ticks. Any thoughts about tick control without poisons. (last year we removed about 15 ticks / day from each pet during tick season) ... not fun for anybody ... I'm up learning a new way to deal with this issue.

thanks!


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paul wheaton
Administrator
Posts: 1471

western WA

August 21, 2008, 09:47:42 AM

The only time I ever had to deal with ticks was when I bought a new puppy from a farm that must have had a lot of ticks. So we plucked about 20 or 30 from that puppy over the first few days. Nothing came up later.

DE works on any critter with an exoskeleton, so it will work on ticks too.

I've heard of people that have a lot of ticks on their farm will get guinnea fowl. While they are loud and obnoxious, they think that ticks are the tastiest candy in the world and will quickly reduce a local tick population.


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Leah Sattler
Administrator
Posts: 784

oklahoma

August 21, 2008, 11:09:50 AM

I wish I could find something natural and effective for ticks also. the de might work short term but its really important to keep the ticks form latching on to begin with not just kill them off occasionally by dusting with de. I have no choice but to use a spot on type product or a collar specifically for ticks. I always get the eebie jeebies from petting my dogs after I put the product on but I get worse eebie jeebies when I find ticks all over the the place.
several years ago they got out of hand without my noticing. I was just using a plain old flea and tick spot on with pyrethrins than just isn't enough. I let the dogs in one evening due to a storm. I have one (cody) who is banished to the laundry room when inside for a few reasons. I walked in there and thought hmmmmm it seems someone has spilled some seeds from my garden bin. then...oh wait....those seeds are all MOVING! and they are all over the walls!!!! I inspected my dog closer (who is old and doesn't like to be touched much) and found him totally covered in ticks. I felt so guilty Sad

. they were packed between his toes and everything. I had to shave his belly down to get them all off (hundreds). My house after that was totally infested with ticks for awhile. that winter I even moved pictures from the wall to dust and found ticks behind them, and at least once a day picked a tick off the floor or wall that I happen to see crawling not to mention the ticks on the dogs and us. It was awful.
I will be watching this thread to see if any ideas come rolling in!

this is cody. he looks good in this pic. it was taken last year. he is 16 and is starting to really deteriorate. his time is soon Sad


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Put a bit of sunshine in each day;
Others need its cheer and so do you-
Need it most when outer sky's dull gray
Leaves the sunshine-making yours to do.
-"scatter sunshine" Jaunita Stafford

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