How to Get Rid of House Ticks

If you have ticks in your home they are probably the brown tick which is the type that you will usually find on your dog or cat. Once they enter your home on your dog or cat you have the possibility of an infestation.

If you think you have a tick infestation in your home, you may have a big job on your hands to get rid of them. Brown ticks can be very difficult to eradicate once they have set up camp.

The first thing you need to do is clean up everything. Remove all clutter from your home. Pick up anything on the floor. Dirty clothes and linens should be put straight into the washing machine and washed on the hottest setting allowed for the fabric. Do not put clothing or linens into the hamper as you will contaminate the hamper and everything else in it.

Now you need to clean thoroughly. Vacuum and mop all areas of the house and clean all countertops and other surfaces.

Once you have prepared your home, you can start the process of getting rid of the ticks. You will need to approach this with a couple of different products.

First, you need to dust the entire home with boric acid and a botanical pesticide such as something from EcoSmart. Lightly dust all areas of the home, concentrating on any animal bedding and favorite sleeping spots. This will kill the eggs and the larva stage.

The adults are tough to attack and that is what you will work on next. You will need to use a few different products. Michael Piacenza suggests something with a pyrethrin base. This is a very safe and fast acting pesticide. You will also need a product with a growth inhibitor such as Precor.

Now you need to spray the entire home with this. Make sure you spray the baseboards, legs of tables and chairs and furniture. You will need to turn over the chairs, couches, ottomans and anything else you can in order to spray the underside also.

If you have a tick infestation, you will also want to treat your yard to be sure your pets will not continue to carry ticks into your home and re-infest it.