American Dog Tick Prevention

The bite of the American dog tick is known to be the transmitter of disease because of the bacteria this tick carries. American dog tick bites can cause itching, Rocky Mountain Spotted fever, and, in some cases, tick paralysis. Although these ticks are normally found on dogs, they will attack larger animals, for example, horses, cattle, and even humans. The American dog tick can be found mostly over North America, for the most part in areas with little or no tree cover such as scrubland, trails, dog parks, walkways, grassy fields with low vegetation, sidewalks, weeds, leaf litter, wooded areas, shrubs, pens, and areas near home building.

American Dog Tick Identification

The Adult American dog tick is oval and flat in shape, has 8 legs, the males are about 3.6 mm long, while the females are typically 5 mm long and are slightly larger. They are typically brown to reddish-brown, with gray/silver markings on their scutum.

American Dog Tick Lifecycle

The female American tick will drop from the host (animal) and look for a suitable place to lay her eggs, such as leaf litter. Over the next 14-32 days, she will lay as many as 6,500 eggs and then die. The eggs typically hatch in about 36-57 days, during which time the larvae emerge and seek out small hosts, such as mice. Although Engorgement often requires 6 days, the larvae can survive up to 584 days unfed. After the larvae are fed sufficiently, they will drop off of the host and look for a place to molt into nymphs. This process will take about 24 days. Depending on the climate, the lifecycle of the American dog tick can take anywhere from 3 months to more than 1 year. In the northern United States, the American dog tick lifecycle can last for about two years.

How to Scout for American Dog Tick

Use a white T-shirt, tie a string around one end of the T-shirt and drag it through the grass and weeds. This movement will get the attention of the ticks causing them to become excited. This excitement will cause the ticks to cling to the T-shirt.

Examine the number of ticks that are attached to your T-shirt by counting. Ticks will also seek to attach to you, therefore, when performing this test, wear a pair of long pants and a long-sleeved shirt, use an insect repellent, and also tuck your pants into your socks.

How to Control American Dog Tick Naturally

Because American dog ticks are most active from April to early August, it’s best to take preventive measures to keep them at bay.

• During tick season, overgrown grass should be kept cut at the proper mowing height, or a bit shorter, this effort will help to discourage the American dog tick by eliminating places to hide.
• Keeping your yard weed-free as much as possible will reduce hiding places for ticks, along with other yard pests and rodents.
• Shrubs should be cut back.
• Don’t allow domestic pets to roam into wooded areas.
• Ground cover should be kept thin.
• Low-lying ornamental plants should be cut back as well.
• Don’t allow leaf litter to remain on the ground, remove leaf litter and place it in your compost bin or properly dispose of.
• As best as you can, discourage wildlife from entering your property.

Controlling American Dog Tick with Insecticides

Outdoor treatments involve directing granule and liquid products for American dog tick control in areas where tall grassy, weedy, and wooded areas meet manicured lawns. Liquid treatments should be allowed to soak into mulched areas, leaf litter, and grass thatch.

Take Care of Your Dog

• Inspect your dog each night to ensure there are no ticks that are present.
• Make sure that your dog is treated with products that are labeled for tick control.
• If after the application of tick treatments, the problem persists, contact your veterinarian.

Additional information

• It is not necessary to treat indoors for these pests.
• It is best to deal with ticks during early spring to control and reduce their population.

Conclusion

The American dog tick can and will present health issues, therefore, we must do all that we can to keep our animals, homes, and yards free of these pests. Following this guide by taking these preventive measures will reduce the risk of their presence and growing into a population that can become a healthy risk.