How to Break an Infestation of Deer Ticks in Your Home

Not only can ticks inflict painful and irritating bites, they transmit diseases to humans and animals. Ticks are normally a problem pest outside, but some species, such as the deer tick, is found indoors as well and becomes a nuisance inside the home. Protect your family from these and all other tick-related dangers with an effective prevention program.

Instructions

1. Purchase an indoor tick pesticide. Pesticide products labeled for safe use indoors on tick populations usually include beta-cyfluthrin, bifenthrin, cyfluthrin, cypermethrin, deltamethrin and other chemical formulations as active ingredients. Take extra care to make sure that the product is labeled for safe use indoor on deer ticks.

2. Apply the pesticide as a spot treatment exactly according to the manufacturer's directions. Spray the pesticide into known tick hiding areas inside the home, such as behind baseboards, window casings, window curtains, bookcases, inside upholstered furniture and under the edges of rugs. Follow all manufacturers’ instructions concerning people vacating the home, covering furniture etc.

3. Purchase and apply a space treatment deer tick pesticide inside the home if the tick population remains. These products are used for heavy tick infestations. They typically include pyrethrins, PBO, permethrin.

References

• University of Florida IFAS Extension; Ticks; P.G. Koehler, et al; June 1991
• University of Delaware Cooperative Extension; Tick Control; Dewey M. Caron, April 2004
• Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station; Managing Ticks on Your Property; Kerby Stafford III, Ph.D.; March 2005