Has anyone tried this for ticks?

[Tamar]

Hi all

Before I buy it, I wanted to know if anyone of you has tried Diatomaceous earth in their yard and on their pets to control the bountiful crop of Ticks MO has to offer us yearly

Check out this link
http://www.commonsensecare.com/diatomaceous-earth.html

I am tempted to order a HUGE supply, but thought I would ask around for effectiveness.

Thanks for reading, and thanks for any input.
I had a reaction to a tick bit that started to look like a bullseye, but it ended up being a huge rash all around the bite and it was very itchy. It's almost cleared up now, for which I am very thankful! Turns out it was just a reaction to the bite. Why is it that they all itch so bad for so long after you get a bite? Is there anything one can put on a bite, other than alcohol to stop the bites from itching? Some seem to itch for weeks on end!

Blessings to all,
Tamar

[woodspirit]

The biggest problem with DT or silicon dioxide, is breathing it. It isn't a poison but it is deadly to ingest in your lungs. The smaller the particles are, the more dangerous they are in your lungs. The way that you would have to apply it is by dusting the area of concern and the winds would put you at risk. Most ticks that I'm familiar with start out their lives on rodents, like mice, chipmunks and squirrels. Then they develop into a larger stage and are generally found on the ends of branches and tall grasses waiting for somethingwarm to go by. I found that spraying cottonballs with Pyrethrin or resmethrin and then placing them in hollow tubes is effective to control them. Take pvc and cut it into six inch pieces. Then place the treated cotton in them and place them in wood piles and rock piles or anywhere else that rodents like. They take the treated cotton and build it into their nests which kill the small larval stage of ticks and also other bugs like fleas. You are killing them when they are most vulnerable. The pvc is reusable and if you want to paint them green, they are less noticeable. Keep your grass mowed, and eliminate areas that rodents frequent too. I would try everything that is out there to control them. They can't survive without blood. They get that from mammals. They also are found in numbers in the leaf litter in the woods.

[BCR]

You don't mention if you have pets. What decreased the ticks around our house are the following measures:

Keep the grass mowed/trimmed.

Wear pants/socks/shoes. Wear a hat if going into low overhanging shrubs.

Check your body head to toe after working outside. Have a friend help

Treat dogs with Frontline Plus (yeah, we tried herbal and many other remedies..this stuff works for us and I buy it online to save $)

Keep deer/rabbits/coons out of the yard.

It took a few years of following the above measures, but I can truly say our tick sitings have decreased incredibly.

[cindyc]

I have heard catnip works... Is that true? We are SERIOUSLY over run here. We do much of what is in the above post and still find ourselves daily pulling ticks off of the kids!

[Jenn]

Originally Posted by Tamar

I had a reaction to a tick bit that started to look like a bullseye, but it ended up being a huge rash all around the bite and it was very itchy. It's almost cleared up now, for which I am very thankful! Turns out it was just a reaction to the bite.
Tamar

So your test for Lyme disease was negative??

[Linda H]

Walmart, feed stores and garden centers carries huge bags of stuff which is supposed to kill the ticks.I think you just sprinkle it around your yard. I haven't bought it because I'm afraid of killing my frogs and other good guys. I'm curious if anyone here has tried it and had any luck.

Oh days that I remember I spray my shoes and pant legs with repellent and I have pretty good luck. I use front line on my dogs but I still make them stand outside the door so i can look for any ticks that might of hopped on. Quite often I find them.

[Dink]

Ive heard putting out lime helps.

[MTNwomanAR]

I use DE sometimes, as it DOES work, but not as effectively as the 'chemicals', so it's more what kind of damage are you willing to do? If you used it, and maybe had some guineas and/or chickens, the combo would probably take care of things.....but if you do have dogs, and they are like mine, they don't just stay where you put the DE! I like the DE because it isn't a chemical...but I have to admit that I spray my yard.....as I don't like ticks....also, as one poster said, it is very dangerous to inhale, use a mask, or put it on when no wind is blowing....You can also dust your animals with it, and put in your carpet, but again, you'd have the dust problem.........

[woodspirit]

I've heard that guinea fowl eat them like candy.

[WisJim]

If you try DE, make sure it is the kind for insect control, not for pool filters, as the processing is different, and the DE used in pool filters doesn't have the sharp edges that damages insects.