
Originally Posted by
brummievet
Ticks require a high humidity (>90%) to survive off a host so are not likely to set up an infestation in the home (although there are reports of Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Brown Dog Tick) infesting homes in the US. The most common tick to attach to people and pets in the UK is Ixodes Ricinus. They mate on the host (be that farm animal, hedgehog, dog, you) and then the female stays attached to suck blood before laying eggs up to 14 days later. Chances are you would spot this female before she laid any eggs anyway so you won't have an issue with them in the home.
We've been looking into what's best to repel them. They are belligerent blighters as everyone knows and our standard pet products (Fipronil and imidacloprid based) don't always seem to repel them. Seems DEET on the legs is the best thing (although OK for us we don't recommend this on pets).
In the vet world we have a real worry about the introduction of more exotic tick species due to relaxation of the PET travel scheme. If travelling abroad vets still recommend tick treatment and you should always carefully check your dog before coming back to the UK. A recent random study of pet dogs showed that 15% of them were carrying attached ticks without their owners' knowledge!