Knox
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Okay, housemouse, what could we be doing for our gardens (and garden-wanna-be's) in zone 4 right now?
Also, any inexpensive ideas on stopping dogs from digging up everything, everywhere in my yard? (they push through, jump over, dig under fences)
and getting rid of tent caterpillars? I'm seeing them everywhere along the road now, especially in fruit trees! my poor crabapple tree!
:waitasec:
and do we have a tick problem! we put stuff on the dogs, but the ticks drop off before they die. And even though I vacuum every day, we still find them on the rugs and sometimes the couch!
I know chickens are great for this, but the dogs'd probably kill them, if they didn't take off first. :chicken:
I'm thankfully looking forward to lots of ideas from everyone!
Angelzgram ... I personally don't have a problem with ticks at my house unless we take the dogs hiking in the scrub oak (we look them over before we get back in the truck, lol). But we do have fleas. I add cider vinegar with a titch of blackstrap molasses to their water and sprinkle brewers yeast on their food 3x week. I stopped buying Frontline a year ago and we have NO fleas. Works for ticks too, see below. I also sneak in a fish oil capsule hidden in a piece of cheese once a week, such little piggy's they WOOF it down and never notice. Thier coats are shiny and healthy, helps with shedding too.
Good luck on the digging!!
Many dog owners today are looking for all natural tick prevention for their dogs. While these owners worry about the dog's tick problem, they're also concerned about the effects the tick treatments have on their dog's digestive tract, internal organs and overall health, both short and long term. They're looking for more all natural products to alleviate the problem. Here's a guide to treating tick bites with all natural products.
Use Several All Natural Tick Prevention Products Together
When looking at the all natural tick prevention products, keep in mind that these products will most likely have to be used in combination with each other in order to provide effective coverage. A dietary solution, combined with a topical and an environmental product, provides broad-spectrum protection while avoiding the complications that introducing chemicals into the dog's system and surroundings can bring.
There are many all natural tick prevention products out on the market and that can be made at home. The following, while not an exhaustive list, can give you an idea as to what products will work best for you and your dog.
Dietary Tick Preventatives
- Yeast - Brewer's Yeast comes in tablets and powder, with or without garlic. It's easiest to give Brewer's Yeast in tablet form, 1 tablet for every 10 pounds of weight. Tablets can be added to their food or tossed to the dog as treats. The tablets are chewable and dogs like the taste. The Brewer's Yeast makes the dog's blood acidic and repels both ticks and fleas.
- Garlic - Garlic given as a dietary supplement makes the dog less appealing to ticks too. The smell is excreted through the skin and repels both ticks and fleas. However, garlic contain sulfoxides and disulfides, which can damage red blood cells and cause anemia in dogs. If you use garlic as your tick prevention, use it sparingly.
- Apple Cider Vinegar - Apple cider vinegar adds acidity to your dog's blood, making it less appealing to ticks and fleas. Add 2 tablespoons of the apple cider vinegar to the dog's water bowl as a preventative.
- Herbal flea/tick powder or spray - There are several herbal flea and tick powders and sprays on the market utilizing various herbal combinations to prevent ticks. Apply these powders sparingly to your dog's coat.
- Herbal flea/tick collars - There are several herbal flea and tick collars on the market, but you can also make your own at home. Using a web or rope collar or even a bandana, apply several drops of essential oils (Eucalyptus, Tea Tree, Citronella, Lavender or Geranium) to the fabric and allow it to absorb. Reapply the essential oil to the collar weekly.
- Citrus repellent - Cut a lemon into quarters and put into a pint jar. Cover with boiling water and let steep overnight. Put the solution in a spray bottle and spray all over the dog, especially behind the ears, around the head, at the base of the tail and in the arm pits.
- Nematodes - Beneficial nematodes are a microscopic, worm-like organism that live in soil. They feed on tick larvae so break their life cycle and kill off the parasite.
- Diatomaceous earth - Diatomaceous earth is a non-toxic powder consisting of ground fossils, marine life and fresh water organisms. While non-toxic to humans and animals, this powder is lethal to ticks and fleas.
