Dog ticks in my condo

[bkk7]

So I moving out in 9 days. I already had a problem with my landlord and so I am dealing with this on my own. These dog ticks just showed up in numbers within the past week. I killed 20 of them yesterday alone. Today, probably 10. I don't know where they are coming from. But, most of my stuff is packed up in suitcases, and some of them have come out from the piles of dirty clothes, so they are likely hiding in the suitcases as well. I don't plan to re-wash EVERYTHING before I leave because that's... well... a LOT.

So what should my plan be to deal with this? Should I deal with it now in my current condo or wait until I move into the new place? I am concerned that an exterminator wouldn't be able to kill everything because my stuff is mostly in suitcases so the alternative would be to attack the problem after I unpack in a new (larger) place.

Right now I am in a large 1 bedroom condo - about 80sqm. Modern style but still lots of places for the ticks to hide. New place is a much larger 2 bedroom townhouse or a 110sqm 2 bedroom condo. Both are modern style as well, although the townhouse is closer to greenery.

Either way, does anybody have any recommendations on companies that can treat this? And cost estimates? Because I have NO idea.

[Beetlejuice]

Very strange. Dog ticks don`t usually stray far away from dogs, because they actually feed on the blood and breed on dogs.

These pests lie dormant in long grass and then attach themselves to animals as they walk passed. Ticks will not infest a home unless there has been a dog in the premises and brought the ticks in with it or someone is keeping a dog in another condo, perhaps a neighbor, that is infested with ticks.

Are you sure these critters are ticks?

[bkk7]

Very strange. Dog ticks don`t usually stray far away from dogs, because they actually feed on the blood and breed on dogs.

These pests lie dormant in long grass and then attach themselves to animals as they walk passed. Ticks will not infest a home unless there has been a dog in the premises and brought the ticks in with it or someone is keeping a dog in another condo, perhaps a neighbor, that is infested with ticks.

Are you sure these critters are ticks?

110% sure. i've killed so many of them. i also had bed bugs years ago when i lived in NYC, so i am familiar with similar bugs. i don't know if they've bitten me, but they are a concern.

so the question is: what do i do? take care of the problem now or in 9 days at the new place?

and who should i contact to treat the problem?

[Rooo]

Post discussing moderation & reply quoting it removed.

Moved to Bangkok Forum for exterminator referral.

Edited April 21, 2015 by Rooo

[Beetlejuice]

Very strange. Dog ticks don`t usually stray far away from dogs, because they actually feed on the blood and breed on dogs.

These pests lie dormant in long grass and then attach themselves to animals as they walk passed. Ticks will not infest a home unless there has been a dog in the premises and brought the ticks in with it or someone is keeping a dog in another condo, perhaps a neighbor, that is infested with ticks.

Are you sure these critters are ticks?

110% sure. i've killed so many of them. i also had bed bugs years ago when i lived in NYC, so i am familiar with similar bugs. i don't know if they've bitten me, but they are a concern.

so the question is: what do i do? take care of the problem now or in 9 days at the new place?

and who should i contact to treat the problem?

Ticks are not bed bugs, not even similar and I am still not convinced that your problem is caused by dog ticks.

But nevertheless, firstly if you have an infestation in your clothes, than by doing nothing you maybe transferring the problem to your new residence. So my advice is; wash out all your dirty clothes and any bed sheets and blankets and once dry, seal them up in black plastic rubbish sacks. Also do the same if you find any of the bugs on your clean clothes and bed linen.

Otherwise, whatever you decide, is up to your own discretion.

[gemguy]

Make sure you do wash all your clothes in Borax and Bleach....more than once to make sure they are dead.....preferably before you move.

Even then, some of them could survive.

Cheers

Edited April 22, 2015 by gemguy

[DGS1244]

Cats also are a source for ticks but without a host for blood they will die off in a few days.With two dogs it is a constant battle to control them.

[whiteman]

Sell them to thais they will cook them and then eat them

[CatTonic]

BKK7 - I don't think it's a good idea to take them to your new place. I babysat the neighbor's dog for a few days, and ended up with dog ticks in my apartment. Based on recommendations from another thread in ThaiVisa, I had an exterminator lay a heavy spray around the apartment, but it still took three months before I saw the end of the dog ticks, and it took regular searches along the baseboards; behind pictures; headboards; curtains; etc., over which we collected over 200 dog ticks. (Clearly the neighbor's dog left at least one pregnant one!) We don't have any house pets, so they seem to survive a while without a host.

[rfukata]

I had a similar issue with Ticks in our house (single story), perhaps around the same amount as you mentioned.

We had 2 dogs outside that needed to be treated by the Vets and pretty much killed the ticks outside and inside.

The ticks were hiding in dark corners, crevasses, under rocks etc; for the interior of the house, since we had small children

we used clorox & water solution to cleanse the affected area and kept it up vigilantly.

I've notice that the ticks were more active during the rainy season when it is more damp, make sure you get the ticks before

they lay eggs and multiply.

[2fishin2]

Seriously get rid of everything you can afford to. Throw it out do not take with you, suitcases, clothes everything. Unless you want to take a chance on taking them with you to your new digs.

[AlQaholic]

There is actually a variety of dog tick that has it's entire life cycle indoors, but I have never heard of this variety in Thailand, although it is possible it is this variety you have. But in any case they should not survive long without a dog in the house.

Extermination company yes, but there is no guarantee it will solve the problem as the eggs are not killed when doing the extermination. So even though you exterminate before moving there is a very high probability you will carry the ticks over to the new abode.

Because tick extermination can be a very long process maybe a month or more, I would recommend you start right away with the extermination company, then you do the move as planned and be prepared to deal with the ticks in the new place as well.

[Eaglekott]

Try to do everything you can to get rid of them before you move, the fewer you bring to the new place the better.

[MyFriend You]

You never said, Do you have a dog?? or has a dog been in yur apartment?? as posted, these pests need a host, so at some point, either you or an animal brought them in..............if you don't kill them and their eggs, you will just relocate them to the new place - like it or not, you need to deal with it now - I'd take all the clothes and turn hem into a laundry that does them by the KG, specifi hot water, even that may not get rid of the bugs, but it will kill the eggs,

[cooked]

An adult tick can supposedly lay up to 20 000 eggs. They won't all survive of course but they can hatch out over up to three years. Members of this family (spiders, mites and so on) are notorious for the fact that it is almost impossible to chemically attack their eggs.

Follow the advice given about washing. You can then without worrying, spray the clothes with Chaindrite cockroach spray, outside of course. We occasionally spray the corners of our rooms as well as bedding, we then shut the doors and leave the house for an hour or two. We had a real infestation last year and this is the solution we came up with, as well as regularly cleaning the dogs by hand, usage of tick and flea shampoo as well as occasionally applying Bayticol. You never get rid of ticks entirely but we no longer see them going up the walls here like we regularly did before, we have 8 dogs and I would say that 6 out of the 8 are clean at any one time.

Don't worry about being bitten, the small ones sting but are harmless. The adults will stay on the job, regurgitating the remnants of their last meal into the blood stream and then feeding again. That's where you are in danger. I hate the f#$%ers.

[NickJ]

Try a herbal flea and tick shampoo...

[kkup]

If you have a dog, buy a tick collar from tesco, we have white ones that seem to work ok, but we also use frontline spray and a solution called bayticol. We live in a village and the dogs often go into the park and bring them home but with the 3 products it seems to keep them at bay.

Even if you clean the house and clothes and don't do anything to your dog they will come back.

[steven100]

Kill the bugs before you leave the current location otherwise your taking the problem into your new place.

Cost = 267 baht

3 x Cans of Baygon tick killer or Chaindrite.

Empty all your clothes from the suitcases, spray everything in site, bed linen and everything .... ( wear a paper nose & mouth mask )

Leave the place for the day ... so the spray can work. Come back after 10 hours and open windows to ' air ' the place out ... I assume you have screens on the windows so no more can enter..

do the above and you'll be fine ...

Edited April 22, 2015 by steven100

[Siamjim]

yearly we have the same problem they came in 100s from under cracks in the cement, i dont understand it... we have no pets, anyways i got some fleas and tick shampoo diluted it a bit so it can be use in a spray bottle... works great..

[evadgib]

Birds carry them too!

[steven100]

Birds carry them too!

thats why i always insist they shower before coming over ....

[2fishin2]

Birds carry them too!

While maybe true of wild birds of which is debatable, domesticated pet birds do not. Anyways, what do birds have to do with this topic?

[Wasima]

An adult tick can supposedly lay up to 20 000 eggs. They won't all survive of course but they can hatch out over up to three years. Members of this family (spiders, mites and so on) are notorious for the fact that it is almost impossible to chemically attack their eggs.

Follow the advice given about washing. You can then without worrying, spray the clothes with Chaindrite cockroach spray, outside of course. We occasionally spray the corners of our rooms as well as bedding, we then shut the doors and leave the house for an hour or two. We had a real infestation last year and this is the solution we came up with, as well as regularly cleaning the dogs by hand, usage of tick and flea shampoo as well as occasionally applying Bayticol. You never get rid of ticks entirely but we no longer see them going up the walls here like we regularly did before, we have 8 dogs and I would say that 6 out of the 8 are clean at any one time.

Don't worry about being bitten, the small ones sting but are harmless. The adults will stay on the job, regurgitating the remnants of their last meal into the blood stream and then feeding again. That's where you are in danger. I hate the f#$%ers.

After reading this, I feel like I NEED TO BE DIPPED AT A VET... just thinking about it makes my skin crawl...

[ToddinChonburi]

WOW this sounds crazy, I surely would not bring them to new place. Call the exterminator.

Back in Minnesota we have a bad problem with ticks and I have never heard of a house being infested by them.

I have also had a dog that has brought them in the house. Wake up in the middle of the night with one crawling on you.

So if they are ticks and there is that many one had to have latched on to you at night.

[ToddinChonburi]

just wondering if they are those bugs that like rice ?

[evadgib]

Birds carry them too!

While maybe true of wild birds of which is debatable, domesticated pet birds do not. Anyways, what do birds have to do with this topic?

Is your house windowless? Minahs come in all the time! I even had a bat on Monday but they're less likely to leave a calling card. Edited April 22, 2015 by evadgib

[Ace of Pop]

Dont Wind Him Up Then.

[realenglish1]

I think you need to get a Flea and Tick Collar for yourself Should do the trick

[misterphil]

You can buy some deterrent from any pet shop. Just mix it with water and squirt around the edges of your skirting boards and walls.

You then need to wash everything your taking to your new apartment. Drop it all off at a laundarette and then when its done take it to the new place. I would wash everything at least 60 degrees C, but theres not many washing machines in Thailand that are heated. When its tick season we add a kettle of boiling water to the wahing machine for our dogs bedding.

This works for us and we have a dog, should work for you if you havent.

[rak sa_ngop]

How about trying these methods.

Put all your clothes into black plastic bags and leave in the sun for as number of hours so that the heat-build up will kill off whatever they are infested with.

Or

Put all your clothes into plastic bags and leave in a (working) chest freezer for several days so that the cold will kill off whatever they are infested with.

These methods sound a lot better that saturating your clothes with nasty chemicals!