Tick FYIs: life cycles and tips for control

By Chris Keefer, Ph.D., technical services manager for Syngenta

Ticks are major nuisance pests. They are vectors for harmful illnesses like Lyme disease, and without proper prevention, they can be a detriment to public health. Customers want peace of mind from ticks, so pest management professionals must understand their biology and how to best control them. 

Ticks undergo hemimetabolous metamorphosis, which includes egg, nymph and adult stages. Depending on species, temperature and availability of a blood meal, a tick can take several weeks, months or years to develop from an egg to an adult. The typical life span for ticks is around 18 months and female ticks can lay between 20 and 10,000 eggs during their lifetime, depending on resources, habitat and species.  

Before beginning a tick treatment, communicate the following tips to customers and determine the responsible party:

Indoors:
• Remove all items from the floor to maximize the treatment area
• Clean and dry all floor surfaces prior to treatment
• Vacuum all carpets, rugs and furniture, and dispose of the vacuum bag offsite to prevent a potential resurgence 
• Wash bed linens and pet beds using a hot dryer setting
• Remove all pets like fish, reptiles, cats and dogs from the home during treatment
• Bathe dogs and cats frequently and have them treated for ticks by a veterinarian 
• On the day of treatment, apply product on the top and bottom sides of rugs and cushions
• Do not reenter the home until enough time has passed and all treatment areas are dry

Outdoors:
• Mow and weed where possible
• Clear all children and pet toys
• Remove pet bowls and clean pet beds
• Focus treatment on tick harborages, which are generally shaded, protected areas
• Because of tick questing behavior, treat vegetation up to 3 ft.
• If heavy vegetation is nearby and cannot be mowed or trimmed, confirm it is okay to treat the area

 
Additionally, explain the tick life cycle and treatment expectations to customers. For example, it is common for ticks to be present for two to three weeks after treatment based on their life cycle.

For best results, use a residual contact insecticide to control tick adults and nymphs at the time of treatment. Demand® CS insecticide with iCAP technology™ is a residual contact insecticide that is effective against ticks and is included as part of the SecureChoice℠ Tick Assurance Program, a proven 90-day outdoor treatment protocol. 

With proper education and knowledge, you can provide your customers the long-lasting tick control they want. For more information about effective tick control, visit SyngentaPMP.com/Tick or contact your local Syngenta territory manager.
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