An innocent walk through the woods could result in ticks hitchhiking their way back to your home. Latching onto clothing or your dog’s fur is never fun, but there’s nothing worse than finding ticks in your house. What would you do if you found ticks living in your carpet?
Most varieties of ticks can’t live inside your house. Deer ticks usually die within 24 hours since they need high humidity environments. They only lay eggs on the soil and don’t reproduce indoors. Brown dog ticks are the only ticks that can live in carpet.
The vast majority of ticks won’t be able to survive inside your home, but what if you end up with an infestation?
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Can Ticks Live In Carpet?
Most varieties of ticks can’t survive inside the house. They can scurry about for a day or two but they will eventually dry out and die. Brown dog ticks are the only species that can thrive and lay nests indoors.
So you’ve found ticks inside your house, what should you do? Is the tick on you or the dog/cat? If so, you probably won’t have to worry about an infestation.
What if you find ticks crawling in carpeting, up walls and through bedding? In this case you might have a problem with brown dog ticks. Comb through your dog and cats fur checking for ticks and check your family.
Ticks Can Lay Eggs In Carpet
Ticks can lay eggs inside your carpet after detaching from your body. Most species prefer laying eggs in soil, but brown dog ticks will lay 1000’s of eggs in the carpet, in clothes, furniture, etc. You don’t want to have all that tick larvae looking for a host inside your house.
What if you find ticks or tick eggs in your home? You can pour salt on the eggs to dry them out, but you might want to call an exterminator. Using Pet Safe Flea and Tick Spray and vacuuming everyday for a few weeks should be all you need.
Brown Dog Ticks Inside The House
The good news is Brown Dog Ticks rarely host on humans. Unfortunately, they will chew up your pup so you need to get rid of them fast. Brown dog ticks thrive indoors with easy access to blood meals.
Dog ticks are attracted to the heat and carbon dioxide coming from your house. In the spring you can see dog ticks climbing up the outside of homes looking for tiny cracks in screens and around doors. They’re hungry and looking for a host.
What if you get ticks in your home nesting in the carpet?
An innocent walk through the woods isn’t the only way to get a tick infestation. Ticks can crawl into the house through cracks and crevices or hitch a ride on the family pet.
A tick in the house might be unsettling, but you shouldn’t need an expert to get rid of them.
How to Get Rid of Ticks In Your Home
Getting rid of ticks is easier said than done. You’ll have to take a multistep approach to kill off a tick infestation. You don’t want to get a full blown infestation on your hands. Work on eliminating entry points, clean thoroughly, and use tick treatments to kill them for good.
Check Your Entire Family Including Pets
You need to pay special attention to ticks as summer approaches. Keep your grass cut short, trim back weeds and inspect your family regularly. Don’t let ticks hitchhike into your home on pets and clothing.
Try to wear clothing that covers your skin and carefully check your pets fur. Ticks like moist dark environments so make sure you check between their toes, behind/inside ears and in crevices.
Killing Ticks In The Carpet and Bedding
So you’ve found ticks crawling inside the house. You’ll want to do a full house sweep making sure you vacuum everywhere. Pay special attention to your dogs bedding areas.
Try to vacuum every nook and cranny you can find. Look for little piles of tick eggs along your baseboards and embedded in the carpeting. It looks like caviar seen in the pictures below.
Take all your bedding and throw it in the washer and dryer. Wash everything in hot water and high heat. Water above 130 degrees and a 15 minute spin cycle on high heat will kill everything.
Sealing Up Cracks
Go around your house looking for tiny cracks around windows and doors. This is the perfect time to make your house a little less drafty. Use low pressure foam insulation around windows and door frames.
Using Tick Treatments
Tick treatments will both prevent ticks from coming in the house and stop them from biting your pets. I’ve always used Frontline Plus on my dogs and cats. Pay attention to the label since regular Frontline doesn’t protect against ticks.
Use DEET Based products when hiking outdoors. I’ve been using OFF! Deep Woods Spray For Years. It’s cheap, effective and you can find it everywhere.
You might need to spray your house down with permethrin in bad infestations. JT Eaton’s Bedbug and Tick Spray is safe to use indoors and kills ticks and their eggs instantly.
Adjusting Your Outdoor Landscape
Pay attention to the landscape on the outside of your home. Cut down tall grass and move shrubs/vegetation away from the house. Get rid of vegetation, brush, weeds, and debris that attract ticks to your home.
You’re trying to create separation between your home and tick habitats.
Drying and Washing Your Clothes
Living in the countryside means you’ll eventually find ticks on your clothes. Toss them in the dryer immediately and run it for 15-20 minutes on high.
Take a shower immediately and check your body for ticks. Showering within 2 hours is a proven way to reduce your chances of catching tick borne illness. Showering can wash away ticks if they’re not embedded in your skin.
