Dog Tick

Ticks, resilient acarids, sport bodies adorned with protective plates.

The engorged female seeks refuge in a crevice and, depending on temperature, lays anywhere from 1000 to 2000 eggs in a span of 3 to 30 days. Following egg-laying, the female succumbs. The eggs may hatch in as little as 19 days in warm conditions, though their incubation period may extend to nearly 5 months.

The seed tick can endure about 2 months without sustenance. When a dog is available, they attach and engorge over 3-7 days. Once satiated, they detach and seek hiding spots in crevices. Within 6 to 20 days, they molt into eight-legged nymphs. Nymphs can survive without food for approximately 2-5 months in warm weather and, in certain cases, up to 5 months. Upon encountering dogs, they attach and feed for 4-10 days before detaching, hiding, and molting into adult males and females. They, in turn, seek another dog to feed on, thus completing the cycle.

Habit and Habitat:

• Unengorged adults may be found concealed in cracks or crawling on walls or floors near dogs’ resting places.
• While they may attach to various parts of a dog’s body, they exhibit a particular affinity for the ears.
• Occasionally, they’re mistaken for bed bugs, but they’re smaller than adult bed bugs and aren’t associated with human sleeping areas.
• Engorged females may be discovered in crevices behind window casings and baseboards, yet they often ascend, potentially winding up behind pictures, picture moldings, or in crevices.
• Egg clusters are typically located where the females settle.
• Clusters of seed ticks may be observed where eggs are laid or crawling along floors and walls.
• Unfed and engorged nymphs are commonly found near dogs’ sleeping spots and, naturally, on the dogs themselves.
• They favor warm, dry climates, which are often provided by the interiors of homes.
• They are most active and abundant during the summer months.

Control Measures:

• Thorough eradication necessitates simultaneous treatment of both the dog and the household.
• The former requires the client’s involvement with the assistance of a veterinarian.
• House treatment must be comprehensive, involving intensive inspection and 2-3 treatments in succession for both the dog and the premises to achieve desired results.

Any area frequented by dogs poses a potential source of trouble; hence, basements, kennels, porches, and outhouses should all be meticulously examined and attended to.

When spraying homes, special attention should be given to areas around windows, doors, baseboards, moldings, and openings around window-cord pulleys. Tick eggs are typically laid higher on walls, and when they hatch, the young ticks tend to move downward toward hiding spots. Thus, particular emphasis on these areas, as well as folds in curtains and drapes, is crucial.