Ticks everywhere help!!! Please

[Sebi_143]

Originally Posted by butterflyalj

I cannot imagine how stressed you are especially when you have a child in the house! I worry a lot about my lil Max but I worry ten times more when it comes to my son! I have never had this problem but I have been an apartment manager for almost 10 years. The monthly pest control is only for the common bug such as roaches, spiders, etc. but will do nothing for ticks, fleas, and bed bugs. And some apartment companies will not have the inside sprayed every month, instead spraying the outside areas and only the inside every 3 month's. The bugs that are not your common household bugs will be considered something that you brought in to the apartment and will be at your expense to have their pest control company to treat the problem, which is very expensive since these kinds of bugs are very hard to get rid of and takes a lot more than just spraying a pesticide. The other problem that you may face is if these ticks travel to the units next to you and infest them because you will then be responsible for the cost of treating those apartments as well. I've seen one flea treatment cost over $500 for 1 apartment. BUT this can all be avoided if you can treat the problem and get rid of it before management finds out. If you can not find anything over the counter that would work, you may want to call around to some local pest control companies to get quotes. I've seen pest control companies charge corporate companies more because they can get away with it but there are honest ones out there that will give discounts to corporate accounts. You just never know. Most residents think that going to management immediately to request pest control to come do an extra spray for these kinds of bugs is the easier and cheapest option since pest control is included with the rent they pay but that is definitely not the case. Read up on your lease contract concerning pest control. I hope my information helped some with your situation. I'm sorry that I can not recommend anything specific to get rid of them.

Wow...thank you SOOO much! I had no idea that could cost so much and be at my expense since I thought it's included in our monthly rent but, like you said it's not the "common" bug. Thinking about it though..how can they prove that the ticks did not come from their property or maybe the last people living in our apartment may have had an animal with ticks? They could very well be the cause of this! I'm just assuming it came from the BF's parents because that's where he stayed the week prior to finding them and since there were so many I jumped to the fact that there must be dozens of ticks in their yard....ahhh who knows! This is so frustrating.

Do you think I would be able to have a pest control company come out on my own?? Or would they need consent from the office?

[snowcrustracer]

Is there any chance that your boyfriend is bringing them into the apartment on his clothes?

[snowcrustracer]

Just wanted to add:


As far as I know ticks do not breed in dry climates they like being in a wet, dark, leafy-mucky environment. I live in tick country and I've never heard of a home being infested with ticks...never. Fleas yes, bed bugs yes, but never ticks. Many folks treat there yards which can be infested but that's about it.

[butterflyalj]

Originally Posted by Sebi_143

Wow...thank you SOOO much! I had no idea that could cost so much and be at my expense since I thought it's included in our monthly rent but, like you said it's not the "common" bug. Thinking about it though..how can they prove that the ticks did not come from their property or maybe the last people living in our apartment may have had an animal with ticks? They could very well be the cause of this! I'm just assuming it came from the BF's parents because that's where he stayed the week prior to finding them and since there were so many I jumped to the fact that there must be dozens of ticks in their yard....ahhh who knows! This is so frustrating.

Do you think I would be able to have a pest control company come out on my own?? Or would they need consent from the office?

That's a good question because it could very well come from a different apartment. I have never had an issue with not knowing which apartment the problem started with fleas and I never had to deal with ticks but I do know about bed bugs that infested 2 apartments. Pest control was able to tell where the infestation began. I think it had something to do with the stages of growth but don't quote me on that because my memory seems to be more focused on how horrible and gross they were! You may can find a more reliable answer to that question on Google or just by calling any pest control company and they can tell you for sure. As far as our policy on other companies besides who we use, if we knew about it, it was ok as long as it was an actual pest control company instead of some individual spraying over the counter remedies. Then our company would come in to inspect to make sure everything was fine. And the other company didn't need our permission. But Florida laws or the companies rules may be different in having to get permission. If I were you, I would definitely research the laws because apartment companies like to try to do things their way instead of the ways of the law! And definitely read your lease. If you don't have a copy, the company is to give you a copy with no questions asked and no explanations needed. Let me know if you have any other questions. I'll answer them to the best of my knowledge and hopefully keep you from being blindsided by the apartment company! I know most of their sneaky ways!

[gracielove]

I live in New York State and we have ticks that have a 4 stage life cycle. At each stage they look like little tiny spiders when they are not attached to an animal. They get a little bigger as they advance through the stages. They are very hard and it is difficult to squash one like you could a flea. They also have sticky feet so they are hard to shake off if one gets on you. Most ticks have 3 to 4 stages of life. There are hard ticks but some areas also have soft ticks.

It is unlikely that a tick could advance to it's next stage in the cycle inside a home. You might want to go to the CDC website or do a search on the life cycle of the ticks in your area. It is the deer tick that carries Lyme disease. It must be there are not many deer in your area and that is why the vet is not concerned about Lyme.

Some areas do get infested with ticks and spring and fall are usually the worst time of year for them. I keep Gracie out of the areas I know have ticks near our home. We have them mostly in areas where there is tall grass and weeds. It is probably different in other regions. It is my cats that tend to pick up ticks because we live in a wooded area and we have some fields in some parts. I tried using Frontline Plus on the cats but it does not stop the ticks from latching on to them. I still pull fully engorged ticks off them during the worst part of the tick season. I started flea combing them at the door when they come in so I can get any loose ticks off them before they get inside.

I also flea comb Gracie after a walk just to make sure. This time of year we have leaves on the ground and anything can be on them. Maybe try using flea comb or doing a really close check when ever you bring your little guy inside. The flea comb works best.

[Lovetodream88]

Originally Posted by Sebi_143

Well we live in a apartment complex and we live on the 3rd floor all we have is our patio/balcony so I don't think the little bit of grass downstairs is that big of an issue and supposedly pest control sprays weekly according to the front office...guess I should have mentioned I live in a apartment! I'm so used to just saying house! The ticks originally came from my boyfriends parents yard and Sebi is no longer aloud over there..I just can't risk it.

bloodwork... I asked the vet about this and he said it was unnecessary and went on to explain how lyme disease is unlikely and just to keep an eye on the bites. Since they have not gone away and continue to get on him I think I will have to go ahead and take him back to the vet and ask for bloodwork.

I would because there is other things they can get from ticks and if he is tiny I would worry about possible anemia. I am so sorry you are having this problem I am doing the icky wiggy dance just thinking about that many ticks.

[maggiefromnj]

I would bring one to the vet if you find more....they can't live long without a host and I doubt they live long period. If you are still finding them they must be breeding, and would need a host to do that. They may not be ticks,or they may still be on your dog. They can dig so far in that they are hard to spot. The vet can check, but a short haircut might be in order if they really are ticks.

[nanahas3]

We live in Missouri, I think ticks originated here lol, I have never heard of them infesting a house, although I am sure it is possible. If they don't latch on to a blood carrying mammal I would think they would eventually die as they have to have blood to feed them. I am no expert on them by any means but living here unless it is a deer tick I have learned not to fear them so much. I am originally from Washington where we never see ticks like they are here. They will infest yards here and so they sell crystals to put on the yard to kill them. If you use these do not let your pets walk on the yard for a few days.

[Sebi_143]

Originally Posted by maggiefromnj

I would bring one to the vet if you find more....they can't live long without a host and I doubt they live long period. If you are still finding them they must be breeding, and would need a host to do that. They may not be ticks,or they may still be on your dog. They can dig so far in that they are hard to spot. The vet can check, but a short haircut might be in order if they really are ticks.

That is my plan...If I find another it is going straight to the vet! Should I keep it alive or does that matter? (ugh this makes me sick to my stomach) And Sebi will be getting his hair cut super short again in just a few weeks. His hair has gotten so long lately because he had hip surgery about a month ago and he is so wiggly that I didn't want the groomer to accidently hurt him.

[Sebi_143]

Originally Posted by butterflyalj

That's a good question because it could very well come from a different apartment. I have never had an issue with not knowing which apartment the problem started with fleas and I never had to deal with ticks but I do know about bed bugs that infested 2 apartments. Pest control was able to tell where the infestation began. I think it had something to do with the stages of growth but don't quote me on that because my memory seems to be more focused on how horrible and gross they were! You may can find a more reliable answer to that question on Google or just by calling any pest control company and they can tell you for sure. As far as our policy on other companies besides who we use, if we knew about it, it was ok as long as it was an actual pest control company instead of some individual spraying over the counter remedies. Then our company would come in to inspect to make sure everything was fine. And the other company didn't need our permission. But Florida laws or the companies rules may be different in having to get permission. If I were you, I would definitely research the laws because apartment companies like to try to do things their way instead of the ways of the law! And definitely read your lease. If you don't have a copy, the company is to give you a copy with no questions asked and no explanations needed. Let me know if you have any other questions. I'll answer them to the best of my knowledge and hopefully keep you from being blindsided by the apartment company! I know most of their sneaky ways!

I do have a copy of my lease somewhere..I'll just have to go digging for it. We pay an extra 15.00 monthly fee and we also put a 250.00 deposit for him I'd hope that counts for something. I did find a review online about my apartment complex and it was some woman complaining about ticks!! (shocking huh) So maybe this is an ongoing issue with this place. I'll prob be back with more questions once I find my lease lol...thanks for all your help!

[gracielove]

If you find a loose one you might want to keep it alive in a jar or something. If you find one that is stuck to his skin then pull it out and put it in something. Do you have one of those tick pulling devices? You slide it over the tick and twist a couple of times and the tick comes out head and all. Sometimes when you pull them out with tweezers the head stays in the skin and can cause an infection.

If they are ticks then it could be the outside of the building has an infestation and people and pets are bringing them inside. They should treat the area. They are sticky little pests and can easily hitch a ride.

[Lovetodream88]

Originally Posted by Sebi_143

That is my plan...If I find another it is going straight to the vet! Should I keep it alive or does that matter? (ugh this makes me sick to my stomach) And Sebi will be getting his hair cut super short again in just a few weeks. His hair has gotten so long lately because he had hip surgery about a month ago and he is so wiggly that I didn't want the groomer to accidently hurt him.

Awww poor little guy had hip surgery and was a buffet for ticks that really sucks.

[oliver44]

oh gross, i can only imagine your stress, sorry!! i live in the northeast & tics have been on the rise since our winter weather has been warmer. so i would think in florida there is never an off season. i highly recommend advantix 2, it repels & kills the larve & adult tics (think i got that right??), anyway, i just treated my dogs today & it's in the 20's. they need to be outside you just need to treat them monthly & talk to your vet about the lyme vaccine. good luck, it will be ok

[oliver44]

oh sorry i just realized it's not just your pup but your house, wish i had an answer, will at least send a prayer, can't hurt, good luck