Is there something that can be sprayed to control them on land?

-- Tim (tvgrealtor@earthlink.net), November 12, 1999

Answers

I live in the South where ticks and fleas are a big problem, especially if you have animals in the yard. Pine needles are said to attact ticks so if you have a lot of pine trees you will have to keep the pine straw cleared. We have used the granules, sprayed with everything on the market and even burn our yard every fall but ticks are still a problem.

-- Carol (glear@usa.net), November 12, 1999.

Get some guinea fowl. If you can stand their noise they will eat every tick and flea on the place and chase away snakes besides. Some folks call them the moonshiners watch dog.

Lumber Jack

-- Lumber Jack (johnsellis@webtv.net), November 12, 1999.

So where does one get guinea fowl?

-- peg (peg@futureandahope.com), November 13, 1999.

I tried to get some Guinea fowl a couple of years ago. They flew away before I could pick them up. I dont know how one gets them to stay around, but I think they are pretty hardy, and are not difficult to keep.

I have heard the same thing about the ticks. The Guineas consider them the snack of choice. I'd like to get some too.

gene

-- gene (ekbaker@essex1.com), November 13, 1999.

McMurray Hatchery sells guinea fowl (www.mcmurray.com). You can also call your State Dept. of Agriculture and get on the mailing list for the Market Bulletin that comes out weekly (at least it does in GA). Folks advertise all kinds of livestock, poultry, etc. in the Bulletin and guinea fowl are always in there.

-- Jill D. (jdance@mindspring.com), November 13, 1999.

Have had very good luck spreading agricultural lime (garden lime) on places infected with fleas & ticks. Not only gets rid of those, but also keeps snakes away. Spread it around your house, too. Keeps out all the little "critters".

-- Ann Jackson (PupPause@AOL.COM), November 14, 1999.

Penny Royal. It contains a chemical that eats the wax off the tick or flea's carapace. Without the wax they dry out and die quickly. Dry some penny royal and make a decoction (tea) and put it in spritzer bottles, apply a fine mist. This also keeps bugs away from garden plants and roses etc. I had some furniture that was flea infested, it took them out and kept the fleas out for months, without staining.

DO NOT DRINK THIS STUFF !! It is used for cancer chemo and will damage your kidneys. It can also induce miscarriages, one of it's uses in the Middle Ages........

-- Forrest Covington (theforrest@mindspring.com), November 15, 1999.

Free ranging chickens are a great help too.

-- Taz (Taz@aol.com), November 16, 1999.

One hint about the guinea fowl... if ya get them when they're keets (little) they'll stick around, and if ya handle them while they're young, they'll be pretty tame.

We could herd ours into a pen at night. Ours stayed so close by that I got rid of them. (They left quite a *mess* on my front porch.) They were a hoot though... they'd peck at the back kitchen door all the time... I guess they thought I was there mama.

The folks we gave them too mentioned that those were the tamest guinea hens they'd ever had... but that they sure did poop everywhere!!! (They got rid of them too!) Great *watch birds* though.

gp

-- georgia peach (thepatch@iol24.com), November 16, 1999.

I think peafowl also eat ticks. Any sturdy bird that eats a lot of insects might be a possible source of control. Does anyone know if the DE trick (nicks insect exoskeletons, followed by dehydration and death) works on ticks, too? I suspect it would, but do not know for certain.

www.y2ksafeminnesota.com

-- MinnesotaSmith (y2ksafeminnesota@hotmail.com), November 16, 1999.