I love the Languedoc countryside but this is getting ridiculous. The habitual dog walks are now taking in more than just scenery - this year we are going through a daily routine (several times a day) of removing ticks from ourselves, our clothes, the car, you name it - the little blighters just seem to hop aboard.
The dog seems fine - he wears his summer-season chemical collar which seems to do the trick against most of the local nasties, but we humans are not doing quite so well.
I really don’t remember going through this performance in previous years in France. Is anyone else having a tick problem this season and/or do you have any ideas what we can do to minimize it?!
Thanks Joanna.
Watch out for Limes disease with ticks, I know three people who’ve had it so it isn’t just a myth, anyone whose been ticked ought to mention it to the doctor if they start feeling tired for no particular reason…
Hi
I have just seen the posts about the tick problem We are here six years and have never seen one. Our indoor cat had one last week but when washing my poor almost seventeen year old Shihtzu i discovered several we have now sprayed both with Otello aerosol for cats and dogs and it seems to have done the job. Thank you all for the info.
Fran
I like the idea that this might all be solved by eating more garlic ;D
They problem doesn’t seem to be so bad now but this is definitely a tick year - I can’t stand them but my other half twists them round and round until they let go then crushes them… she grew up on a farm!
Scalibor definitely seems to do the trick with our hound - but they are not cheap at approx 30€ each.
Our local Beagle breeder has his dogs sprayed instead of collars or Frontline - his dogs/pups also have a tendency to ‘eat’ the collars so he says the spraying alternative is just as effective but significantly cheaper. The collars are easily stretched or snapped.
For us non-collar wearing humans it just seems that this early and warmer Spring has brought the French ticks out in abundance - c’est la vie!
Mojo has had 3 already this year, (my cat), been here 15 years and never had them before.
Even we are seeing them this year. Local paper saying it’s something to do with it being too early hot and dry.