Ticks are small spider-like insects (arachnids)
that bite to fasten themselves on to the skin
and feed on blood. These tiny creatures do
not have wings to fly and they cannot jump.
They are ground dwelling pests that can hide
in tall grasses, plants and cracks in wood.
They always wait patiently for a host to walk
by, which very well could be your pet. As your
pet strolls through the grass, a tick climbs on
its body and scurries to a dark spot, such as
the point where the legs and body meet,
between the toes, and in the ears, to feed on
your pet’s blood.
Can ticks transmit diseases?
Ticks have the potential to carry and
transmit a remarkable array of pathogens,
including bacteria, spirochetes, rickettsie,
protozoa, viruses and nematodes. A single bite
can transmit multiple pathogens which can
cause disease.
The group of disease that can be transmitted
by ticks are called ‘Tick-borne diseases’. A
few examples include; Babesiosis, also known
as tick fever, Erlichiosis, Tick paralysis,
Anaplasmosis and more, to mention but a few.
Some symptoms of these diseases include
fever, lethargy, lameness, weakness, anaemia,
joint swelling, paralysis and death.
However, please ensure that you do not crush
ticks. When you crush ticks, they will multiply.
The mechanism for this is simple. Ticks like
every other insect and animal, have internal
organs. Some of these organs make up their
reproductive system, which contains hundreds
of eggs at different stages of development.
When you crush ticks, you rupture their
bodies and spill out their digestive system
which contains the blood that is visibly seen.
The reproductive system which contains
hundreds of eggs will spill out too. These eggs
that cannot be seen with the naked eyes, will
remain in the surrounding environment, and
under favourable conditions hatch into
hundreds of ticks that will re-infest the
environment.
This explains why it seems that the more we
kill ticks, the more they multiply. I will
suggest that after the tick is removed, you
can throw them in a bowl of water. They will
ultimately drown in the water and die.
How to control ticks
Controlling ticks can be a challenging and
daunting task. However, to successfully
control any parasite, a wholistic interplay of
the three phases of disease control must be
put in place. This concept ensures that the
control measures must include the host
(organism that harbours the parasite), the
agent (the organism that causes the disease)
and the environment (factors that make the
disease thrive in the environment. These
factors include the cracks where they hide,
the shrubs and grasses where they creep
unto, and so on).
Effective control strategies cannot be
targeted at the host alone because if you
control the ticks on your pet and the
environment is still infested, in a matter of
time, the reservoir of these parasites in your
environment will ultimately be a source of re-
infestation on your pet.
Another factor to consider when you want to
effectively control any parasite is knowledge
of their life-cycle. When you see ticks on any
pet, there are also tick eggs that are
present. It takes about 13-28 days for the
eggs to hatch. These eggs are very tiny and
not visible to the naked eyes. Also, the shell
of these eggs makes them resistant to the
chemical agents that are used to control
ticks.
This is the reason why you can use acaricides
(any drug or formulation used for killing
insects) to successfully get rid of ticks, only
to find out that the ticks resurface on the
body of the same pet a few weeks later.
To achieve a successful control of ticks using
acaricides, it is advisable that the procedure
be repeated at weekly intervals for three to
four weeks. This will ensure that the adult
ticks are controlled and eggs that hatch
within the four weeks interval of control can
be effectively taken care of. Prophylactic use
of tick control sprays and solutions can also
be employed. Common active ingredients in
these sprays include pyrethroids, amitraz,
fipronil and so on. Fipronil has a very good
residual effect.
Care should be taken when using acaricides as
these chemical substances can be very
harmful to you and your pet if ingested, hence
the need to cover your pet’s mouth with a
mouth guard before the application of these
acaricides on its body.
Feeding bowls, drinking bowls, leftover food,
beddings, treats and toys should be removed
before the acaricide is used on the animal or
in the environment. In addition to this, make
sure that all pesticide residues are kept out
of the reach of children and pets. Do not
carelessly dump leftover acaricides where
they could contaminate the soil or drinking
water.
In case your pet ingests the acaricide,
activated charcoal administered orally can be
a good first aid.
Can ticks on my pets bite humans?
Don’t be scared. Species of ticks that affect
pets are not the same as that of humans. This
is because they have different mouth parts
that are suited for the specie of animals that
the plague. However, some people may
experience allergic reaction to tick bite.
Have a stress-free weekend.

HAVING PROBLEM WITH TICKS??GET RID OF THEM https://k9dogcare./2015/10/30/having-problem-with-ticks-get-rid-of-them