Fleas in House

Archive for January, 2011

Treatment and home remedies for fleas are inexpensive and easy to make. Furthermore, you don’t have to be concerned about potential side effects.

Citrus Sprays

Cut some lemons and place them in a container of boiling water. Let this steep overnight. Next day you can sprinkle this on your pet. Good places to spray are the pet’s armpits and behind its ears. You can also spray this on the furniture.

Essential Oils and Garlic

Essential oils of cedar wood, almond oil and eucalyptus can be mixed together. Shake the mixture and apply it on your pet dog. Giving your dog a bit of garlic can also keep fleas away. Mixing a bit of yeast in their food will also deter the fleas.

Oil Baths and Homemade Flea Sprays

Pets that are infested by fleas will benefit from an oil bath. Just add a few drops of lavender oil in the water and bathe the dog. Some people like to use rosemary instead. After you bath the dog, rinse it well.

Use a pet comb to remove fleas that may still be present. Next, make a spray. Add a couple of drops of cedar wood oil to a bottle of water. Add a couple of drops of lavender oil as well. You should spray this on the dog three times daily for two weeks.

Other Treatment and Home Remedies for Fleas

Vacuum all the furniture and the room where your pet plays in. Thoroughly wash your pet’s toys and bedding. Next, spray a layer of salt on the furniture, the floors and carpet. Leave the salt there overnight. Vacuum it the next morning. Remove the vacuum bag when it is full. Place the bag in a sealed container. Put it in the trash can.

Here is another way to get rid of fleas. Prepare a bowl of dish soap with water. Put the bowl below a night light. The fleas will be drawn to it and die. Dispose of the bowl’s contents and replace it.

Tips

Spread diatomaceous earth around the yard. This will get rid of the fleas. Aside from diatomaceous earth, you can use pine needles and cedar wood. These have a smell that fleas hate.

By using these treatment and home remedies for fleas, those pests will cease to be a problem. When the fleas have been eliminated, keep the home and yard tidy. You can also apply medication on your pets on a regular basis.

Ticks on dogs are not just disgusting, but they can also transmit serious diseases. Dog owners therefore, have to be aware of the dangers posed by ticks and how to remove them.

Where Ticks Hide

Ticks are parasitic creatures that are drawn to mammals, especially dogs. These parasites conceal themselves in wooden areas, shrubs and plants. When it finds a host, the tick will attach itself with its mouthparts. It will begin to feed, and this can last anywhere from a few hours to days.

In the case of dogs, the ticks are often found in body parts with very little or no hair. Mostly they are found in and around the dog’s ears. They can also be found in the points where the inside of the legs join the body. Ticks on dogs are also found in skin folds and between the dog’s toes.

Symptoms

Not all ticks carry disease, but some do. Signs of a disease caused by ticks include lethargy, fever, anemia and swelling of the joints.

Some may also cause tick paralysis, a condition wherein the animal is temporarily unable to walk. It takes several weeks or months before these signs may manifest. Some of the diseases they cause are lyme disease, anaplasmosis and babesiosis.

How to Find and Remove Ticks

Move your hands all over the dog’s body. In particular, scrutinize the skin folds, neck and ears. Make sure to wear some latex gloves. Part their hair and look for any raised parts. Ticks may be no bigger than a pencil point or as large as a lima bean.

To remove, use tweezers or a tick remover (available in pet shops). Part of the dog’s skin will be removed; this is normal. After you remove the tick, wash the skin with soap and water. The area should clear up in a matter of days. If it doesn’t, contact your vet. They can recommend some tick control products.

Prevention

Mow the grass and trim the plants. Even if the garden is clean, check your dog regularly for ticks. Remove them in the manner indicated earlier. But if you keep the grass at manageable levels, these parasites will be discouraged from appearing.

As stated, ticks on dogs can be prevented by using tick prevention products. Besides the vet, you can buy these over the counter. Follow the directions for the application. Most products will require continuous application so the ticks stay away from the animal.

Ticks on cats can cause as much of a problem as ticks on dogs. While outdoor cats are the most prone, those indoors can suffer from it as well. By knowing how to remove ticks, the odds of the animal acquiring a disease from it will be reduced.

Required Materials

Antibacterial ointment
Tweezers
Hydrogen peroxide
Cotton balls
Rubbing alcohol
Clear sealable jar

Step 1

Pour rubber alcohol into the jar. Fill it up ¼ of the way. Put a date on it. This is where you will put the ticks. In case the cat gets infected, you can take the ticks to the vet and have it tested.

Step 2

Put your gloves on. This is to avoid making contact with the tick’s blood.

Step 3

Dip a cotton ball in the hydrogen peroxide. Wipe the bitten area with the cotton swab.

Step 4

To remove ticks on cats, get a pair of tweezers. Grab the tick as near the head as possible. Pull it out in a straight manner. Do not twist or turn it. When you pull, avoid squeezing the tick’s body. Try not to pinch the animal’s skin.

Try to get rid of the whole tick, not just the body. Sometimes the head will remain in the skin. Usually this won’t be a problem as the head will come off.

But keep an eye on it nevertheless. A small bump will be visible, which is normal. Contact your vet if it swells or the area around it reddens. They will be able to provide the proper treatment.

Step 5

Place the tick in the jar. The alcohol will kill it.

Step 6

Get another cotton swab. Dip it in hydrogen peroxide. Apply this on
the spot where you took the tick off. Apply some antibacterial cream if you prefer.

Tips and Warnings

Check your cat regularly for signs of ticks. The sooner you spot them, the less chance of an infection occurring. If the ticks keep on coming, you can use flea dips.

There are also various cat tick control products you can buy. But make sure the product is made specifically for cats. Do not use tick treatment for dogs on cats unless you are sure it is safe. Cats are sensitive to chemicals; using the wrong product can be dangerous. e careful when buying.

Aside from removing ticks on cats, you should also maintain a tidy yard. Trimmed plants and grass will keep these pests away.

Belonging to the superfamily Ixodoidea of the order Ixodida, the Tick is part of the class Arachnida; basically, an arachnid, relative to the spider and the scorpion. Ticks are external parasites, or ectoparasites, that feed on the blood of warm-blooded mammals (which include humans), though they occasionally feed on cold-blooded animals such as amphibians and reptiles.

It takes about two years to complete the life cycle of the tick. It starts in the springtime, with the mating of the male and female ticks while they are attached to their host. The male tick dies after mating, while the female tick eventually detaches herself from her host after a few weeks to lay her eggs on the ground. The female tick dies after laying the eggs, which can number from 1,000 to 8,000 eggs in all.

The eggs eventually hatch into larvae in the summertime. At this stage of the life cycle, tick larvae have only six legs. From summer through autumn, the larva begins feeding on small mammals, such as mice or birds. It remains with its host for around a week before it detaches to shed its skin (molt) for duration of a week to eight months, keeping inactive for the most part during the winter.

The tick larvae emerge as eight-legged nymphs in the second year of their life cycle. At this stage of their development, they continue to prey on small mammals from the latter part of spring to early in the summer. They would engorge themselves for a period of three to eleven days, detach from their host and then molt after about a month. The molting occurs in the autumn, and following its second meal, the nymph has now grown to an adult tick. However, a full-grown tick really has barely a year to live. It will feed for a final time, during which it will mate and then afterwards lay its eggs before finally dying. And the life cycle continues anew through the offspring.

Ticks pose a definite danger to human health, as they are known transmitters of several infectious diseases, such as ehrlichiosis, tularemia, Q fever and Lyme disease. As it relates to the tick life cycle, tick larvae are infected with the disease when they feed on a host that already carries a disease-causing bacterium. The tick will then carry the disease with it for life and will in turn infect the later hosts that it feeds on.

Ticks on kittens can cause problems because kittens are fragile. Ticks can transmit different kinds of diseases. These ailments can make the kitten ill and may pose health problems for humans too.

How to Restrain the Kitten

You may need someone to help restrain the kitten. Taking the tick out may hurt the kitty, causing it to bite or scratch. Get someone to hold the kitten by the nape. The rest of the animal’s body should be held by the other hand. Another way to restrain it is by wrapping a towel around the body.

How to Remove Ticks

Put your gloves on. Apply a small amount of isopropyl alcohol around the part where the tick is found. Grab a pair of tweezers and use it to grip the tick’s head. If you can’t get to the head, try to get as close to it as possible.

If you look closely the tick’s head may be embedded under the kitten’s skin. Warning: do not squeeze the body of the tick. If you do, the diseases inside its body may be spilled over and transmitted into the kitten. Always keep that in mind when removing ticks on kittens.

Secure the tweezers around the tick. Pull it out. You must use steady force when puling ticks out. Check if you have removed the tick’s head or it remains stuck on the kitten. If the head is missing, apply some alcohol on the area you pulled it out of.

Most of the time, the head will fall off on its own. In a few cases, infection may set in. Apply some ointment just to be sure. You can find these skin ointments for cats in pet stores. Keep an eye on the kitten; you don’t want it to lick the ointment off.

How to Throw Away the Ticks

After you have removed all the ticks, flush them down the toilet. Or you can put them in a trash bag and throw them in the garbage can.

Tips

If the kitten develops a red bump or discharges where the tick was taken off, contact your vet. This could be a sign of a tick infection.

Ticks on kittens can take a long time to remove especially when they are numerous. To avoid infection, you can apply topical tick medications. These are applied every month and work as preventive medicine. Just be certain the treatment is for kittens.

There are hundreds of different species of ticks found all over the world and a good number of these are common house pests. They can infest your dogs, cats, your lawn, your home and they can also bite you!

You should know that there ticks that are main vectors for a number of diseases that could be life-threatening if the condition worsens. This is why it is always a good idea to always be on guard against these pests so you can protect your pets, your home and your family from possible infestation.

Tick control includes working on the environment as well as on the hosts. If you have several pets and you find one of them has ticks it is very unlikely that the others haven’t been infested as well.

Tick Control Measures on the Environment

To work on the outdoors of your home, there are several types of products that you can use. What you want to work on are your garden or your yard and then the area surrounding your house.

Since ticks love bushy areas, it is recommended that you keep your grass well-trimmed and you should also keep a considerable gap between your lawn and your house, leaving at least a few feet free of grass and plants within the perimeters of your home.

Fogging, tick sprays, powders and granules are also some of the most common solutions to tick problems in yards. If you do not wish to do the treatment yourself, you can always hire professional pest control companies to work on the your yard.

Your environment also includes the interiors of your homes. Treat carpets and couches with sprays or foggers.

Tick Control Measures on the Hosts

For your pets, there are specific products that are good for dogs and there are those that are good for cats only. Be careful not to interchange the products since tick products for dogs can be fatal to cats and vice-versa.

You can begin by bathing your pets using shampoos that contain chemicals that can kill ticks. If you do not wish to use chemically-infused products, you can use natural remedies for bathing your pet.

For instance, you can thoroughly rub your dog with used coffee grounds prior to giving it a bath. Simply rub the coffee grounds all over the dog, ensuring that you rub through the coat to reach the skin.

After which, you may proceed to give your dog a bath using regular dog shampoo. Coffee grounds have been known to repel ticks and fleas.

There are several ways of removing ticks in carpets. It’s true that ticks can’t stay on the carpet forever because they need to find a host. But while on the carpet, they can bite you or your pet.

Vacuum Thoroughly

The first step is to vacuum the carpet as thoroughly as possible. Vacuuming the carpets weekly is ideal. If there is an infestation, vacuum the carpet everyday. You have to use disposable bags. Throw the used bags in a garbage can that isn’t inside your house.

Use Diatomaceous Earth (DE)

Diatomaceous earth can be sprayed on the carpet to kill ticks. These are usually used for removing fleas, but they can also work on ticks. Besides DE, you can also use salt. Spray a liberal amount of salt on the carpet and leave it there overnight if possible.

When you vacuum the next day, you will see the ticks are dead. If you are going to spray DE, put a face mask on so you don’t inhale the dust. You can also wear goggles to keep the dust away from your eyes.

Carpet and Rug Shampoos

These are also effective in removing ticks in carpets. These products vary, so follow the instructions on how to use them.

Treating Your Pet for Ticks

Many products are available for getting rid of ticks. First make sure that the product is made specifically for your pet. If you have a cat, get a cat tick remover. Don’t use one meant for dogs. Follow the instructions on how to apply it.

Apply the medication as often as necessary. Popular treatments include spot-on products, pills, tick shampoos and powders. Tick collars are also still available.

Wash the Pet Bedding

Wash the bedding in hot water. Do the same for other linen that your pet has come into contact with. You should also wash your pet’s toys. If there are too many ticks, throw them away.

Tips

If there are only a few ticks, you can remove them manually off your pet. Get hold of a pair of tweezers and grab the tick by the head. Pull it straight out. Don’t twist the tick; its body might snap off and leave the head in the animal.

Removing ticks in carpets will be quicker if there aren’t too many of them. You can keep their presence to a minimum by grooming your pet. Maintaining a clean environment will also keep those ticks away.

Ticks on carpets can be as troublesome as fleas, but there ways to remove them. In fact, many of the techniques used to remove fleas on carpets work for ticks as well.

Salt or Diatomaceous Earth

Sprinkle generous amounts of salt on the carpet. Make sure to sprinkle several at the corners. Leave the salt on the carpet for several hours before vacuuming it. The salt will dehydrate the fleas and kill them.

You will see the dead fleas when you vacuum the carpet the following morning. Some people like to mix salt with baking soda, but salt alone will be fine.

If you don’t want to use salt, try diatomaceous earth instead. Sprinkle the fine dust on the carpet. Vacuum the carpet after a few hours.

Steam Cleaning and Rug Shampoos

Steam cleaning carpets will remove ticks on carpet. If some ticks remain, sprinkle some flea powder on the carpet. Vacuum it after a few hours. This ought to remove any remaining ticks. Rug shampoos also work well. They can remove not just ticks but also fleas and other insects infesting the carpet.

Wash with Hot Water

You can also wash the carpet in hot water. This will kill the ticks. This method can also be used to remove fleas.

Clean the Rest of the House

If the ticks came from your pet, every piece of furniture it has come into contact with may have ticks. To eliminate this problem, you have to clean the whole house. For tiled floors, use bleach to kill the ticks’ eggs and larvae.

The eggs and larvae will transform into ticks when they mature. Don’t give the ticks a chance to re-infest your carpet and pet again.

Vacuum the furniture, including curtains and the upholstery. Remove the cushions from the chairs and vacuum it. Vacuum the areas under furniture. Remember to throw away the vacuum bag after using it. Some like to put flea collars in the vacuum bags so it will kill the ticks. If you decide to do this, use only natural flea collars.

Tips and Warnings

Many tick sprays and powders are available. Read the product description before proceeding. Don’t use the sprays on your carpet until your pet has been removed from it.

Ticks on carpets can be difficult to remove if the infestation is heavy. For this reason, you should apply the treatment as soon as the first signs of ticks appear on your pet.

Setting up a tick trap can be a little involved, but the following structure is very effective. The materials provided below are for two traps.

Required Tools and Materials

Dry ice
Ice tongs or heavy duty gloves
Screwdriver
Eight screws
Bristle paint brush
Can of Tanglefoot Pest Barrier or Insect Trap Coating
Two large Styrofoam coolers
Knife
One sheet (4′x8 ‘) ¼” plywood, halved

Step 1

Slice four holes in the cooler. The holes should be centered on every side. It should be at the bottom of the cooler. An inch up will be fine. Make the holes ½” to ¾”. Don’t make it too big.

Step 2

Slice the plywood in half. Attach the cooler to the middle of the plywood pieces using the screws. The screws should be placed close to the corners on the cooler’s insides. The open end must be up.

Step 3

Put the two 4 x 4s over shrubs or just set it on the ground. For this tick trap to work, the cooler side must be up. Of course you should set this on the area infested by the ticks. If the infested area is the yard, set the trap by the periphery.

Step 4

Put the dry ice on the cooler. Put your gloves on or use the ice tongs to move the ice from the cooler to the cooler on your trap. Or you can utilize two coolers to move the ice on your trap.

Step 5

Fasten the lid. Get the brush and paint the trap coating. Make it about 2 inches wide. Paint about an inch away from the plywood’s edge. This has to surround the whole board’s perimeter. Once this is done, the trap is set.

Tips and Warnings

Make sure to read the warnings on the dry ice before using it. Replace the dry ice when it has been used up. You can make it last by putting some cotton balls inside the hole. You should also apply more coating if it wears off.

Don’t let your skin make contact with the dry ice. Always wear goggles to protect your eyes when handling dry ice. To ensure there’s no contact, wear long sleeves and pants. Take your time when moving the dry ice.

Once you learn how to make a tick trap, you will realize that it is also useful for dealing with other bugs and insects. If you have a large yard, just make several of these.

Tick foggers are used to kill ticks inside the house. These are among the most potent tick control products available, and they are also capable of killing fleas.

How to Use a Fogger

Read the product instructions before using them. Because they are made by different manufacturers, they may operate in different ways. The information below however, should give you an idea of how they work.

Step 1

Turn off gas valves, pilot lights, and all electrical appliances. Turn off any open flames. Cover any exposed food or drink. Cover all
dishes, utensils and any equipment that is used to handle food.

Step 2

Get the vacuum cleaner out. Vacuum all the furniture, including the upholstered ones. Vacuum the baseboards and the basement. Vacuum under the bed, tables and chairs. After you are done, remove the vacuum bag and throw it in a trash can outside your house.

Step 3

If you haven’t done so already, remove all the people and animals inside the house. Close all the windows. Get some newspapers and cover the floors. Cover as much of the furniture as you can.

Step 4

Get the tick foggers out. Hold it at arm’s length. Make sure the nozzle is not pointing at your face. Press your finger on the can’s finger. This will lock in. Set the canister in the desired location.

To get the best results, set the canister on a piece of furniture. A table 30 inches high will be sufficient. It is also a good idea to set the canister in the center of the room. Place newspapers under the canister to protect the table.

Step 5

Repeat the process for the other rooms. For heavy tick infestations, one canister per room is ideal. Read the capacity of the canister so you will know for sure. When the foggers are set, leave the house.

Step 6

Come back to the house after the time specified on the canister. Open all the windows. Take all the canisters and throw them in the trash. Remove all the newspapers. Vacuum the house. Clean the furniture until the smell and residues are gone. Wash linen and clothing thoroughly. The pet beddings must be cleaned too.

The best way to learn how to use a tick fogger is to just go ahead and try it. The canisters can also be used in yards. The technique is usually the same. But just to be sure, read the instructions.