[1shotwade]

I hope y'all are going through the same thing We are here in Indiana!My 2 dogs are flea and tick magnets! I found a product that actually works on them and used it up to maybe Nov or Dec last year and had planned on using it through the winter 'cause they seem to have fleas late into the winter.I just realized that I haven't used it at all this year! That's GREAT!!
This is the first year in human history that dogs haven't had this problem! I can only blame it on the nasty cold winter we just went through.Last year every time I stepped out the door I had to check for ticks. I found 16 one day just on me after working out side. It was like that all summer,dogs included! And fleas! Nasty little buggers!
This year I have found maybe a half dozen on me and about the same on the dogs and they have not had a flea problem at all this year.I have also noticed there are much less mosquitos this year! I can actually live with that!
What has your experience been?


Wade

 

[Roadking]

Don't even think we had summer this year. Bugs were down here as well.

Matt

 

[CurtisWilliams]

This has been the lightest tick and flea season here since I moved in. But coming into fall, we have more skeeters than we had all spring and summer. And an infestation of crickets. I work in a cooler and am finding them in there. Go figure!

Peace,
Curtis

 

[Nimrod]

The ticks were way down this year. They were bad in the spring, as usual, but have not had many since. The chickens do help keep them down in the yard.

The only way any of my dogs got fleas was from other dogs. He doesn't have much contact with other dogs so no problem.

The mosquito population seems to vary with the rainfall. There are lots a few weeks after rain, not many after a dry spell.

There have been fewer nats this summer which i think is due to the cold winter.

 

[eruehr]

I was thinking just the opposit here in NE Ohio! Ticks were out of this world and the flies on the cows were terrible! I had HOPED the cold winter would have cut back on them! I sat down to milk the cow out in the pasture a few mornings back and had so many flea bites within the ten minutes or so I was there that my forearms swelled up! I didn't see any on the cow - they were jumping out of the grass to get to me. I can't imagine what kind of winter we'd have to have to really knock them down a peg or two!

 

[sisterpine]

Wow, I hate those biting flies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is like they dig a hole and then drink your blood...gross.

We are new to the higher desert so are being totally freaked out by the number of scorpions and centipedes, the latter of course, does not chase after and bite humans. Some times it seems like the scorpions do LOL. Have not seen any ticks this year and neither dogs nor goats have been treated in any way. We have had an unusually wet monsoon season and the mosquitos have formed fighter squadrons'. There are some flies out by the goat barn but they do not seem to be the biting kind thank goodness. Over all it has been a pretty mild summer for flora and fauna here in the high desert. I think we have seen three little snakes and one was a bull snake.

 

[bja105]

No fleas for us this year. Tics didn't seem as bad as usual, but my five year old son was just diagnosed with Lyme. Flies were bad on the cattle and horses, maybe because of all the rain.

 

[light rain]

Haven't seen a flea and ticks here on our property have been down about 90%. I imagine it was the relentless cold. But I also started taking MSM and wondered if it repelled them because it was sulfur. We are getting a small wave of ticks now before real cold weather but not like in years past. Dislike fleas and hate ticks.

 

[1shotwade]

No fleas for us this year. Tics didn't seem as bad as usual, but my five year old son was just diagnosed with Lyme. Flies were bad on the cattle and horses, maybe because of all the rain.

FYI, my brother had lyme and had a non-stop continual headache for a year and a half! If your son complains about something take him seriously.I hope he doesn't have to go through things like that!


Wade

 

[handymama]

Stupid fleas were awful here in TN this summer. I could watch em jumping on my legs in the yard all summer. Only seen one tick this year. It got on my daughter at the playground at her school.

 

[unregistered41671]

I found a product that actually works on them and used it up to maybe Nov or Dec last year and had planned on using it through the winter 'cause they seem to have fleas late into the winter


Wade

Can you say what the product is?

 

[Forcast]

Can you say what the product is?

YES please tell us what you found that worked cause all the stuff I spend big money on didnt do much if anything.

 

[Harry Chickpea]

Ticks were down, fire ants were down, chiggers were up, but the real thing I noticed this year was a MAJOR increase in the numbers of preying mantis. They were almost as thick as grasshoppers in a couple places.

 

[ChristieAcres]

We don't have that many mosquitoes due to a happy dragonfly population, also my nephew was right about our natural springs not being a real issue for them. The sunshine would make the shallow water too hot. No issues with fleas or any other bugs. Now that it is cooler, hardly a mosquito to be found. Perfect weather for bbq's, meals outside, and campfires.

 

[Dixie Bee Acres]

Ticks were thick here in spring. My wifes little dog has fleas, everything we have tried comes back with zero results. Nothing seems to work. What did you find that works?

 

[1shotwade]

OK! so here's tha deal.I know I'm going to loose some of you with this but it is what I am doing.
To start with I have never had access to a lot of money. That being said,I have always had to make do or find another way.I think this is more about "what" I do rather than what I do it with.
Walmart has "Hartz ultra guard". That's what I use.Now knowing how easy it is to get sued leads me to believe the companys leave a lot of room between their recommendations and the actual facts of what and how and how much of their product to use.So I got looking at all the options and found this stuff for dogs 61 to 150 pounds and it is $5 as opposed to other products being $15 and they both have the exact amount of the same ingredients so that's a no brainer!
Now understand my dogs are not close to that size so I'm figuring if I give the doseage for the larger dog I will still stay within the safety factor for the dogs and that's what i do.(I know,lost some of you right there)
Another factor is the length of time between doses. Recommended time is monthly and again to keep from getting sued that's got to be overkill and besides if the dogs still got fleas you are still buying the product. I apply every 3 weeks 'cause i noticed that's about the time line the dogs are back to scratching.
The last thingis that you "MUST" apply year round. I've always been "a tightwad!" but that's just dumb in this case.I used to does the last time in Sept/Oct depending on how the dogs were doing and come March/April they are back to scratching.
Bottom line here is to over medicate with the cheaper product,by a larger does,more often year round! So far there has been no ill effects to following this plan so I'm keeping it up. Hope this helps!


Wade

 

[1shotwade]

Hey! It's been 24 hours and nobody has sad boo! Don't shun me y'all! You wanted to know and I even forewarned you I would loose some of you with this.Just didn't expect to loose you all.I feel like I've been banished or something!LOL

Wade

 

[billinwv]

I would never use Hartz or Sergeants products. Most important thing is to treat the environment. Bonide granules in a five foot area around home and treat all shaded areas at the hottest time of day. This will give you a barrier even if pets wander far and wide. Treat home with a product that contains IGR(insect growth regulator). Siphotrol by Vetkem is good. Will kill fleas, eggs, and larvae for 7 months. Ovitrol spray every two weeks for pets. It's not systemic and has good repellent properties. You can't put a spot-on product on your pet and expect it to wipe out a flea infestation. Good housekeeping practices are important also. Vacuum often.

 

[Awnry Abe]

Ticks are ridiculous in the woods this year. But light everywhere else.
Fleas were heavy in August. But gone now. (?!) Maybe because I have more dogs now.
Mites bloom every hear in late July. But are gone now.
Mosquitos were light this year, I thought, given all the rain.
Wasps were the heaviest ever.
Grasshoppers were stupid thick.
I thought chiggers were light until I checked cows last night....grrrr.

 

[Cindy in PA]

Ticks were bad in Spring & should be back soon. Haven't had fleas in 30 years. Nothing on my two this year except Alzoo spray in the spring. Lost a dog to cancer last year & one today, so will never put monthly stuff on the pup. I used Frontline for years & then I figured it wasn't worth it, as the dogs would have ticks in 2-3 weeks & I hated the stuff anyway. The same with Advantix. Would never use an internal pill. If the pup gets fleas, I will deal at the time. My other pup has no more worries, unfortunately.