http://news.ufl.edu/2009/09/23/tough-ticks-2/
PET OWNERS BEWARE; A CERTAIN CREEPY CRAWLER IS INFESTING HOMES ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES AND TRADITIONAL CONTROL METHODS AREN’T SLOWING IT DOWN. UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA RESEARCHERS HAVE DISCOVERED THE BROWN DOG TICK IS NOT RESPONDING TO PERMETHERIN, A PRODUCT FOUND IN MOST FLEA AND TICK PET MEDICATIONS.
Dr. Phillip Kaufman/UF entomology researcher: “What’s happened is the ticks have become more resistant to chemicals, and they are not able to control them the way they once did.”
RESEARCHERS SAY THE BROWN DOG TICK DOESN’T CARRY DISEASE; BUT IT IS A MAJOR PEST. IT RESIDES IN HOMES AND LAYS FIVE-THOUSAND EGGS AT A TIME. EXPERTS RECOMMEND PET OWNERS FOLLOW A PEST MANAGEMENT APPROACH.
Dr. Phillip Kaufman/UF entomology researcher: “In that program, we don’t regularly treat our animals with pesticides. We wait until you have the pest in place, and then treat for that pest.”
UF RESEARCHERS FOUND THIS TICK’S RESITANCE TO PERMETHERIN IN EARLY RESEARCH. THEY’RE WORKING TO DEVELOP A TEST THAT DETERMINES WHAT TICKS ARE RESISTANT TO WHAT CHEMICALS.
This bodes especially ill for those of us that swear by PERMETHRIN as a biting insect killing pesticide used extensively while hunting.
This is a topic to watch and to report widely as further research becomes known.
Also, read the following:
http://news.ufl.edu/2009/09/23/ticks/
