Is it possible to have a tick infestation in your home?

Question: Is it possible to have a tick infestation in your home? My dogs have ticks despite being on monthly flea and tick medication. We have also noticed some ticks occasionally in bed, but nowhere else in the house, other than on the dogs.

Answer: Very much depends on what tick (species) you are finding on the dog ... see the descriptions below.

Ticks in the house can create some concern, but there is little chance that they will live there. Ticks brought into the house on pets or people's pants may drop off and crawl around for a time. They may be looking for a suitable host to take a blood meal. After they feed they will drop off and shed their skin to develop to the next stage. The final stage for females is the egg-laying stage, and they usually prefer to lay eggs on the soil surface.

The brown dog tick is a species that is known to lay eggs indoors and for the small nymphs (called seed ticks) to crawl around and infest small animals (house pets). These ticks can be identified by the lack of any white markings on their body.

The ticks that do not reproduce indoors, which include the American dog tick, and the lone star tick, have white markings on their back. The American dog tick has an irregular pattern of white. The lone star tick has one prominent white spot in the middle of the back (nymphs and adults have these).

If you suspect you are having tick issues, call your local Orkin Branch office. A highly trained Orkin Pest Specialist will conduct a thorough inspection and assess the extent of the problem. Based on the findings, your Orkin Pest Specialist will develop a customized, scientifically proven treatment for your home that best meets your needs.