New (old) way to control ticks

[ross]

I have possum , keep grass short & 20-30 banty mixed chickens free range in summer free run in barn over winter . Never had a tick in the 23 years we've lived here . Chickens tho not as good as Guinea do eat ticks ( found them in crop ) but seeing they scratch more than pick & also don't wander as mush as Guineas they aren't guite as lethal on um .I throw corn out at times at far edges of our 2 acres plus in the edge of the 400 acre bush behind us to keep chickens travelling . No app for this even Guineas arn't perfect & need replacement at time . All part of country/ farm living . Luck

[Happy]

I may curse myself saying this but I've never had a tick on me. My lab has never had a tick. The beagle has had a few over the years but I don't think she got them from around here. Given the number of times I've wandered through a meadow or woodlot or wheat field or along the Nottawasaga river I'm surprised I can say that I've never been bitten (that I know of). So that leads me to ask if ticks like a certain type of soil or grasses. There's a lot of clay around me. My yard is clay and sand. All of the fields around me are tiled. Just curious.

[41714049]

Unsure... I have sandy loam... all fields around me tilled, and my neighbour's dogs (only stay in their yard) had several ticks each last year.

[baronrenfrew]

I may curse myself saying this but I've never had a tick on me. My lab has never had a tick. The beagle has had a few over the years but I don't think she got them from around here. Given the number of times I've wandered through a meadow or woodlot or wheat field or along the Nottawasaga river I'm surprised I can say that I've never been bitten (that I know of). So that leads me to ask if ticks like a certain type of soil or grasses. There's a lot of clay around me. My yard is clay and sand. All of the fields around me are tiled. Just curious.

Wow! That's an interesting question! My property (this side of the creek) is clay and we've only had ticks on the dog when we go through the woods (62 acres pasture, 138 forest)

[WLLady]

As bad as it sounds... I really hope someone finds a recessive gene somewhere in Guinea Fowl for mute birds LOL.

I am totally with you there!!!!!

We live on sand and have a clay section....the ticks are way worse in the early spring on the sand but disappear fast i think cause it dries out. The clay part then supplies us with ticks over the main sunmer and into the fall when the sand starts up again after the wet fall starts....we even found ticks in december this year. They dont like dry...dries em out....but cant say i have noticed any difference except timing between clay and sand. They really dont like short grass but here they will fall out of the trees onto your head. Great. Now i feel all itchy crawly.....!!! Oh and my chickens dont even see the ticks....i had one on my hand and presented it and it got looked at and left alone. Sigh. Found a tick walking on a turkey so i think theyre hopeless as tick control too. But show them a mouse or snake and get out of the way!!

Sorry bout the tick/lymes rant....but i am a genetics/molecular biologist .....sigh i cant help it.

[Brebis]

Happy you are quite a bit north of many of us and it might be that they haven’t got there yet! We used to live just south of you and I can’t remember having to worry about them either but here in Prince Edward County there are lots...we can also grow a lot of things on PEC I could never dream of growing up there!

[ross]

Never be sorry bout the truth Kathy . But the truth does spoil a good conspiracy theory . Lol

[Happy]

Happy you are quite a bit north of many of us and it might be that they haven’t got there yet! We used to live just south of you and I can’t remember having to worry about them either but here in Prince Edward County there are lots...we can also grow a lot of things on PEC I could never dream of growing up there!

Well I know they're here because I know a local vet and she's seeing tons of them. Hubby lived in Bracebridge prior to moving here and they've got them there. Maybe I'm too bitter to bite lol.

[kenya]

Never had ticks here when we were kids and spent tons of time in the bush, dogs never had any either. I think with the changes in the insecticides the farmers are allowed to use that's the difference, the ticks are surviving now. We are on clay and a rich loam as well, conservation area behind us. Not loaded with ticks but both my husband and brother have had lyme disease. Tried guineas but they were quickly eaten so just keep grass cut and bushes trimmed, chickens freerange a bit around the house.

[baronrenfrew]

WLlady, Al, Ross, and all others..please post your opinions and facts. all long as we can disagree and be civil then discourse is good. Often both sides can be right and the truth can be murky. Only when we question established "truths" can we advance and learn/discover new things.
Kathy, your rants are well informed and us blokes need to hear them, so no need to apologize. In fact I agree with you and yet you did not disprove my rant (in this case).