overview
The brown dog tick, (Rhipicephalus sanguineus Latreille), is a species that can complete its entire lifecycle indoors if conditions are right. This makes brown dog ticks an important species to control. As one could imagine, infestations can quickly grow inside dog kennels and homes, so populations are not reduced when it’s cold outside. Brown dog ticks will feed on a wide variety of mammals, but dogs are their preferred host. Dogs do appear to be a necessary condition for maintaining large tick populations (Dantas- Torres 2008). Managing infestations of brown dog tick is important, as they are a vector of several pathogens that cause canine and human diseases.
- Eggs of the brown dog tick are spherical and dark brown in color.
- Larvae have 3 pairs of legs and are approximately 0.54 mm long and 0.39 mm wide.
- Nymphs have 4 pairs of legs, are reddish- brown and resemble adults just a bit smaller, approximately 1.14 to 1.30 mm in length and 0.57 to 0.66 mm in width.
- Adults are reddish-brown, 2.28 to 3.18 mm long and 1.11 to 1.68 mm wide.
Brown dog ticks have to feed between molts meaning that they take a blood meal before each successive life stage. A female dog tick can lay up to 7,000 eggs, but the average is likely closer to 4,000. Females lay their eggs and die shortly afterwards. Larvae hatch in about 6 to 21 days and seek out a host. The larvae then feed for about 5 to 15 days and leave their host for 1 to 2 weeks to develop into nymphs. These new nymphs seek out a host and feed for another 3 to 13 days, leave the host and in about 1 to 2 weeks develop into adults. While off their host and developing into subsequent life stages, the ticks will take refuge in cracks and crevices, such as behind baseboards, in furniture, along carpet edges, etc.
Management
- Pests should be treated by a professional veterinarian, and all infested pet bedding should be destroyed or laundered hot water and dried in high heat.
- Residual insecticides can be used in areas where ticks are suspected, including along baseboards, in cracks and crevices and in areas of higher vegetation on the exterior. Scion ® Insecticide with UVX™ Technology can be used to control and prevent ticks on the property. Control can be achieved at 0.33 to 0.65 fl.oz. of Scion Insecticide per 1,000 sq ft in sufficient water.
- Keep vegetation mowed low (3 inches) around the property.
- Reduce clutter inside the home, and seal cracks and crevices.
- Inspect dogs regularly when returning from outside to detect any ticks early on