Need advice on tick situation

[BrukeyBrooke]

Where in WA are you?

Sorry, busy week. I’m never moving again. Ha ha! We are in Olympia now, on the SW outskirts near Capitol Forest

 

[BrukeyBrooke]

Get some guinea.

Our new bug guy said the same thing! Do you have guinea?

 

[addctd2plnts]

I think chickens are much better at eating up bugs. But let’s hope my ducks get a taste for them. I asked my new neighbor, and he said they’ve all had tick issues, people and animas. Great - that would’ve been good information before we bought this house.

Welcome to the country..... Ticks like shady areas and groundcover or taller grass. Sunlight is the best natural killer of them. I noticed a huge reduction in them when I got rid of the big trees near the house and that let the sun shine on the grass more. Then we hired a person to cut the grass and pastures around the house weekly, except in July when it's 100 degrees here. Some years when we have a lot of rain, it's really bad. I usually keep a spray bottle of Adams Flea and tick spray by the door and if we are going for a walk in the woods I spritz them down before we go. You just have to be in the habit of going over your dogs and picking any off before they attach. I always have a plastic cup with soapy water to put the ticks in. There is a granular all purpose lawn bug killer that helps. I believe this is it, but check the label for ticks to make sure it covers them: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Spectracide-Triazicide-Insect-Killer-For-Lawns-Granules-10-lbs/16630888?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&adid=22222222222017003412&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=e&wl1=s&wl2=c&wl3=10355143305&wl4=pla-1103056826298&wl5=&wl6=&wl7=&wl10=Walmart&wl11=Online&wl12=16630888_0&wl14=lawn bug killer&veh=sem&msclkid=78e1121e34701ecfce5d704e68695230&gclid=78e1121e34701ecfce5d704e68695230&gclsrc=3p.ds I'm sure everyone will go nuts saying not to use pesticides, but ticks carry serious diseases for dogs and humans. Treating the areas the dogs are in most frequently really helps. You'd have to read the label if you have poultry in the same areas...

 

[Percheron chick]

I did. I got a box of keets from the PO that were mislabeled and buyer would not take them. Would of taken another 2 days in transit and they would of probably been dead. So the breeder put out an APB here on BYC and the PO was only 2 miles from my work.
Started with the 10. Raised and sold keets for about 3 years. Has a Cochin that would step in and hatch keets. Less wild initially but once out they would revert to their roots. Slowly over time owls picked them off one by one as they insisted on roosting in the rafters of the barn. Last one lasted about 5 years with the chickens. They did well with grasshopper. I don't have a tick problem. Replaced them with geese.
They aren't chickens and more wild. They can be comedy relief and decent egg producers but their greatest features are bug control and dashing good looks.

 

[BrukeyBrooke]

Welcome to the country..... Ticks like shady areas and groundcover or taller grass. Sunlight is the best natural killer of them. I noticed a huge reduction in them when I got rid of the big trees near the house and that let the sun shine on the grass more. Then we hired a person to cut the grass and pastures around the house weekly, except in July when it's 100 degrees here. Some years when we have a lot of rain, it's really bad. I usually keep a spray bottle of Adams Flea and tick spray by the door and if we are going for a walk in the woods I spritz them down before we go. You just have to be in the habit of going over your dogs and picking any off before they attach. I always have a plastic cup with soapy water to put the ticks in. There is a granular all purpose lawn bug killer that helps. I believe this is it, but check the label for ticks to make sure it covers them: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Spectracide-Triazicide-Insect-Killer-For-Lawns-Granules-10-lbs/16630888?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&adid=22222222222017003412&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=e&wl1=s&wl2=c&wl3=10355143305&wl4=pla-1103056826298&wl5=&wl6=&wl7=&wl10=Walmart&wl11=Online&wl12=16630888_0&wl14=lawn bug killer&veh=sem&msclkid=78e1121e34701ecfce5d704e68695230&gclid=78e1121e34701ecfce5d704e68695230&gclsrc=3p.ds I'm sure everyone will go nuts saying not to use pesticides, but ticks carry serious diseases for dogs and humans. Treating the areas the dogs are in most frequently really helps. You'd have to read the label if you have poultry in the same areas...

I appreciate this info. We’re doing a Home Depot trip this morning, and I will take a look. I’m all for natural stuff too, but sometimes you have to attack the problem to get it under control. And I agree - since they carry diseases, I’m not messing around with ticks. We got my outdoor dog on Bravecta this week, and our other dog goes in two weeks. He has a tick collar for now, and we spray all of us down when we hike in the woods. My neighbor said they have all been on antibiotics from ticks.

 

[BrukeyBrooke]

I did. I got a box of keets from the PO that were mislabeled and buyer would not take them. Would of taken another 2 days in transit and they would of probably been dead. So the breeder put out an APB here on BYC and the PO was only 2 miles from my work.
Started with the 10. Raised and sold keets for about 3 years. Has a Cochin that would step in and hatch keets. Less wild initially but once out they would revert to their roots. Slowly over time owls picked them off one by one as they insisted on roosting in the rafters of the barn. Last one lasted about 5 years with the chickens. They did well with grasshopper. I don't have a tick problem. Replaced them with geese.
They aren't chickens and more wild. They can be comedy relief and decent egg producers but their greatest features are bug control and dashing good looks.

We have two geese coming in a couple of weeks for guarding and I have talked my husband into Guinea now too - I’m pretty sure he thinks I’m a crazy bird lady. My only dilemma is how many to get and whether I can house them with my ducks. Metzer will let me get as few as 6, and I have a credit there for unfulfilled geese last year. Or I can get a variety of colors but a minimum of 15 or 20 from other online hatcheries.

 

[Percheron chick]

You really want a minimum of 6 to start. I would go with 10 to cover any loses. Ducks would probably be better than chickens. No squabbling over roosting space. That was the source of drama for me. The chickens would go to roost first then the guineas would come in and stir the pot. They always wanted the highest roost.
I would invest in a good incubator and set yourself up to sell keets next year. Sounds like everyone in the neighborhood needs some. "But honey, we'll make some $$ off of guineas..."

 

[BrukeyBrooke]

Thanks so much for the advice! Much appreciated! Should be a noisy area soon!