Tick Control in a House

Ticks Found across the United States, ticks can be so small they are barely visible or large enough to be intimidating to remove. These eight-legged parasites feed on blood and often hitch a ride into a home on the family pet. Once they have eaten their fill, ticks drop off your pet inside your home, where they breed and lay eggs.

The next time the ticks need a meal, they might bite you or one of your family members.IssuesYou can't ignore ticks inside your home. Tick bites don't drain you of serious amounts of blood, but they can become infected. Worse, they can spread diseases like Lyme disease. Waiting ticks out doesn't work because a tick can survive going a year without feeding on blood.

A female tick can lay 5,000 eggs during her lifetime, so your tick problem can become much worse if you do not handle it right away.RemovalTicks are usually concentrated in areas where your pets sleep and play. Vacuum those areas thoroughly and daily. Make sure to pay special attention to areas where carpets meet walls and any nearby furniture. While you work, wear white socks. This will make it easy to spot any ticks that crawl on you.

Wash your pets with tick-killing shampoo. Sprinkle diatomaceous earth into cracks and crevices of your home. This naturally occurring powder kills ticks on contact.ConsiderationsTo keep ticks out of your home in the first place, check your pets before letting them back inside. Comb their fur and feel their skin with your fingers to check for the tell-tale bump of a feeding tick. Place a few drops of palmarosa essential oil on your pet's fabric collar to create a naturally tick-repellent collar. Remember when bathing your pet to use shampoo specially formulated for dogs or cats; using the type for wrong species can make your pet seriously ill.


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