Tick control in Soweto yards

Tick control in Soweto mostly means getting rid of the brown dog tick, which breeds in kennels, wall cracks and dog sleeping spots. We treat those hiding places across the yard and buildings while your vet treats the dogs, because ticks that drop off to lay eggs will reinfest the animals within weeks if the yard is left alone.

The tick that moves in with your dog

Most ticks in the veld wait in long grass for a passing animal and then drop off somewhere far away. The brown dog tick is different. It completes its whole life cycle around the place where dogs live. After feeding, ticks drop off, climb walls and crawl into cracks, gaps under roof sheeting, the joints of a kennel or the frame of a gate, and lay thousands of eggs. When those hatch, the young ticks crawl back down to find a dog. That's why people in Soweto sometimes see ticks climbing an outside wall in a line, or sitting along a windowsill, and why the problem keeps coming back even after the dog is dipped.

Where several dogs share a yard, or dogs move between yards in a street, the population builds quickly. Warm summer months are the peak, but in sheltered spots against a sunny wall, brown dog ticks stay active for much of the year.

Ticks from the veld

Soweto has open veld, unused stands and grassed areas around schools and parks, and dogs that roam through long grass pick up other tick species too. These are more seasonal and less likely to infest the yard itself. Keeping grass short at the edge of the property and along the fence helps.

Why ticks are a serious problem

For dogs, tick bites can pass on biliary (tick bite fever), which is a common reason dogs in Gauteng end up at the vet and can be fatal if it's not treated quickly. Signs include a dog that suddenly won't eat, lies around, has pale gums or dark urine. If your dog shows those signs, go to a vet first; pest control comes second. People can also be bitten, and tick bite fever in humans is a known risk in South Africa, so ticks found on children should be removed carefully and watched.

Signs of a yard infestation

• Ticks on dogs again within days of a dip or treatment.
• Small brown ticks climbing outside walls, gate posts or the side of a kennel.
• Clusters of ticks in cracks, under window sills or where the roof sheeting meets the wall.
• Ticks found indoors on curtains, skirting boards or the dog's bed.
• Engorged grey ticks in the dog's ears, between its toes and along its neck.

How we treat ticks

1. Inspection. We find where the dogs sleep and rest, and check the walls, cracks, kennels and roof edges nearby for ticks and egg masses.
2. Treating hiding places. We apply a residual treatment to walls, cracks, kennels, the dog runs and the corners of the yard, working up to the height ticks climb.
3. Indoors where needed. If ticks are inside, we treat skirting boards, door frames and the pets' sleeping areas.
4. Animals at the vet. We don't treat the dogs ourselves. Have them treated with a registered tick product from your vet on the same day so ticks dropping off die in a treated yard.
5. Follow-up for heavy infestations, since eggs deep in cracks can hatch after the first visit.

Keep dogs, other pets and children off treated walls and ground until they've dried.

The mistake that keeps ticks coming

Treating the dogs and ignoring the yard, or treating the yard and ignoring the dogs. Either way the ticks have somewhere to survive. Another one is pulling ticks off and throwing them on the ground, where an engorged female can still lay her eggs. Drop removed ticks into a jar of surgical spirits instead.

A tip for Soweto yards

Fill the cracks in walls and paving around the dogs' sleeping area with cement or sealant, and lift the kennel off the ground on bricks. Fewer cracks and no damp space under the kennel mean far fewer places for female ticks to lay eggs.

What tick control costs

The price depends on the size of the yard, how many walls and kennels need treating, whether the house is involved, and whether a follow-up visit is needed. A small yard with one kennel is a straightforward job; a larger stand with several dogs, backyard rooms and boundary walls takes more. The starting price is on our pest control rates page, and we'll quote properly after seeing the yard.

Further reading

Ticks and fleas arrive together more often than not; see our Soweto flea control. Homes in Dobsonville have their own local page, and our Soweto pest control overview lists everything else. We also handle ticks in Johannesburg South, and tick control across Johannesburg.

Jason van Heerden runs Combat Pest Control, SAPCA registered and Department of Agriculture registered, with 25 years in the trade and service within 24 hours. Treatments come with a 3-month guarantee. Call 084 200 2700, or WhatsApp a photo of the ticks on your wall and we'll tell you what we'd do.