| By :
Stewart Wrighter
It is unfortunate that our pets will often bring us problems that we did not foresee. For example, with the brown dog tick, they really do not mind if it is canine blood that they feed on, or human blood! Dogs are always running around in the long grasses in parks and lanes etc and this is where the tick gains access to its food supply. As the dog passes, it jumps on board and starts to feed not long after. It can also attach to a deer, rabbit or human and it really does not differentiate as long as there is a good source of blood to hand. Once the female is transported indoors, it lays its eggs in any crack or crevice available and this is where infestation begins. In just a few weeks these eggs hatch into larvae and they then all come out at once looking for blood. But here is where this eating machine gets clever. These tiny insects can last up to about eight months without feeding and this then makes them totally difficult to eradicate. Just when everyone thinks that they have been banished forever, out they pop and feed on the nearest blood available, no matter what it belongs to. But the problem with the brown dog tick is that it carries all kinds of unmentionables to humans and this is where people get really scared of them. Apart from diseases like Rocky Mountain spotted fever, sites where ticks have taken residence can also cause bacterial infections along with rare occurrences of blood poisoning. Of course, everyone knows that this is highly dangerous to people but particularly to those whose immune systems are already compromised. Around the home, these insects are a terrible thing to get rid of. Experts themselves have a hard enough job treating the place so the avid do-it-yourself expert has little chance of being successful. It is better to call in the expert who will probably set up a regular treatment plan so that infestation can be kept to a minimum. In the meantime, it may be necessary to clear away any vegetation from around the property to cut down access for the ticks and inspect dogs, and probably cats, regularly to make sure they have not picked up a tick from outside. On animals the ticks normally attach themselves around the face and ears so these areas should be checked out carefully. Once the ticks come out of their larvae stage, they tend to like the spaces between the toes so dogs and cats should also have this area looked at. With properties that area likely to be open to wild animals, like raccoons and such, it may be a good idea to get animal experts in to trap them and release them somewhere else. But the property could also use some secure fencing put up too to keep them off the property for the foreseeable future. With country properties though, having ticks is probably inevitable and a regular watch should be kept on animals and humans alike.
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