Of the ticks found in the south-eastern United States, the brown dog and American dog ticks are the most troublesome. The brown dog tick rarely bites humans, but infestations are frequently found on dogs and in the home.

The brown dog tick is not known to transmit diseases to humans but may transmit disease among dogs. The adult female tick lays a mass of 1000 to 3000 eggs after engorging on a dog's blood. These eggs are often found in cracks on the roof of kennels or high on the walls or ceilings of buildings. In the house, eggs are laid around baseboards, window and door casings, curtains, furniture and edges of rugs. The egg-laying females are often seen going up walls to lay eggs. The eggs hatch in 19 to 60 days into a six-legged, small seed tick. The seed tick takes a blood meal from dogs when they are available. The larvae are so small they won't be noticed on the dog unless a number are together.

The seed tick remains attached for three to six days, turns bluish in color, and then drops to the floor. After dropping from the host, the seed tick hides for six to 23 days before molting into an eight-legged, reddish-brown nymph. Pesticidal control of ticks may require treatment of both the pet and the infested area. If a heavy tick infestation occurs it is necessary to treat pets, home and yard at the same time. Brown dog tick infestations of homes and yards are frequently difficult to control. Insecticides should be applied inside the house carefully as light spot treatments to areas where ticks are known to be hiding. Special effort should be given in treating areas frequented by pets.

Applications at two to four week intervals may be necessary to eliminate the ticks. Pets should be kept off treated surfaces until the latter are dry. If you suspect you have ticks call us immediatly to schedule a free consultation with one of our technician experts!