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Lyme Disease
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Posted 1/11/2018 4:00 PM (GMT 0)
I usually give our dog a break from flea/tick prevention in winter. This week we are having some unusually milder temps.

Do ticks go dormant in winter? What temps can make them surface and does it have to be higher temps for a period of days?

I want to make sure the dog doesn't get infected so I don't get infected again!
Posted 1/11/2018 4:07 PM (GMT 0)
I had to googled this the year I first got bit.

/www.terminix.com/pest-control/ticks/facts/ticks-in-winter/
Posted 1/11/2018 4:53 PM (GMT 0)
I think in my area I'm okay skipping dec, jan, feb. Some people here skip nov - mar but I'm too nervous! I'd like to give him a little break from the chemicals though. I space out the heartgard more in the winter months too.

Last year I had him vaccinated for lyme, but not this year after I read about it.
Posted 1/11/2018 5:00 PM (GMT 0)
In the cold states, tick will "winter" on larger outdoor animals (deer, moose) the whole season- its warmer than leaf fodder.

The "hostless" ticks dont come out to look for a host till its at least 35-40F though.
Posted 1/11/2018 5:37 PM (GMT 0)
It's 55 today (very unusual) but back to low 20s tomorrow. So that's what made me start thinking about this.
Posted 1/11/2018 6:21 PM (GMT 0)
I think the northern deer and moose get them in the winters from rummaging under the snow into the leafy ground cover -where the ticks normally winter.

I personally have never seen a tick above the snow cover in weeds/plant life while snowshoeing in wilderness areas- I have intentionally looked while out there. Above 40F I no longer venture off trail into weedy areas on foot.

Friends in Texas see ticks 40-50F in their rural, yet manicured lawn.
Posted 1/11/2018 7:31 PM (GMT 0)
Just something to consider.

In the winter, even though the Temps are low,the sun is strong.

Picture the sun beating down on trees,brush, the ground that isn't covered with snow or ice.

There is a chance that ticks could be active.
Posted 1/11/2018 8:18 PM (GMT 0)
I tried researching this a little bit after asking the question. If ground is snow covered - there isn't a problem. If leaves are cleaned up and grass short, unlikely to be a problem below freezing. Anything above freezing (in midwest) could result in some activity.

I'm also considering having my yard treated in the summer since we are by the woods. I hate all those chemicals though. The dog doesn't spend a lot of time outside but he does love to roll in the grass and run through the woods.
Posted 1/11/2018 11:01 PM (GMT 0)
We treat our lawn with Ecosmart. It's a natural tick repellent. I haven't seen any ticks on the lawn so it must be working. It smells really strong like peppermint though. There are a whole bunch of natural tick repellents. Most of them have peppermint oil, cedar oil, or garlic.

My cat is very scared of anything in a spray bottle, so I don't spray her with tick repellent; I just keep her inside most of the time.
Posted 1/12/2018 4:01 AM (GMT 0)

Notime4lyme said...
We treat our lawn with Ecosmart. It's a natural tick repellent. I haven't seen any ticks on the lawn so it must be working. It smells really strong like peppermint though. There are a whole bunch of natural tick repellents. Most of them have peppermint oil, cedar oil, or garlic.

My cat is very scared of anything in a spray bottle, so I don't spray her with tick repellent; I just keep her inside most of the time.

Our kitty is indoors only cat. Our winters are fairly mild...just drop below freezing now and then.

But, I've only ever seen one tick...and it was the summer after I was bit. (or I should say the summer after my symptoms started...never saw evidence of a bite )
Posted 1/12/2018 10:08 AM (GMT 0)
A friend of mine from Connecticut sent me this yesterday. It was taken from a study by the state biologists about Ticks in the winter.


Our state biologists have determined that our ticks go into a survival mode during cold weather burying themselves under the forest floor i.e. the leaves and etc. When it snows, that insulation protects them from open ground. The deer harvest by cars or hunters has shown that when there is little to no snow, the deer are carrying the ticks but not as abundantly as when temp above 24 degrees.


I still believe that on a sunny day the earths surface heats up and could bring a tick out of dormancy if there is no snow cover or ice etc.
Posted 1/12/2018 2:54 PM (GMT 0)
It was very warm yesterday and I kept him away from leaves and woods. Today the ground is frozen again. I think the break from chemicals is good, but I'm not going to skip more than 3 months and I'll be careful on those warm days.

I use a natural lawn care service. I'll see if they carry that Ecosmart. I have heard of garlic and olive oil for mosquitos.
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