Yes, yard tick control helps protect dogs by cutting down the number of ticks they encounter. It works best alongside vet-prescribed preventive treatments for the dog.
Dogs are low to the ground and covered in fur. They spend a lot of time investigating the places where ticks like to wait (leaves, tall grass, fence lines, etc.). That’s not a good combination. That means a dog can pick up more ticks in five minutes than one would ever think possible.
Yard treatment helps reduce the problem before it has a chance to reach the dog. Ticks concentrate in specific areas, mostly shaded and humid ones. Ticks wait in these areas, such as those where lawn meets woods, with their legs outstretched for anything warm that passes by. This is called questing. Barrier treatment knocks them down so they don’t do that and it keeps working for about three weeks at a time. Fewer ticks means fewer tick bites. That means much lower odds of Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, or any other kind of tick-borne illness.
Yard treatment can’t follow your dog to the park or trail. It won’t be much help if they get into the neighbor’s untreated yard. But luckily, that’s where vets can help. Oral or topical tick preventatives travel with your animal wherever they go. Paired with yard treatment, this helps greatly reduce your dog’s risk of falling ill.
Even with yard treatment and preventatives, it’s still a good idea to do regular tick checks. Run your fingers through the coat after walks in brushy areas, especially around the ears, neck, armpits, and between toes. Remove any attached tick promptly with fine-tipped tweezers, straight up and out. This helps because ticks need to be attached a long time (24-48 hours) before transmitting most diseases. The sooner you remove ticks, the better.
If your dog keeps coming in carrying passengers, Mosquito Squad of Princeton can help. Mosquito Squad treats the zones where ticks quest, helping protect your pets and family with up to 90% reduction in pest activity on a recurring 21-day cycle.
