Tick season is here

Many of our clients have two questions about ticks. The first is, "when do I start using my tick control product?" The other is, "why do I still see ticks on my pet, I'm using a veterinary approved product?"
The answer to the first question is, do not stop using your tick product, even during the off season.  The truth is, even after this harsh winter, we probably had one month free of the threat of ticks.  That is because the tick is too stalwart an organism to significantly die off during the colder months. It has been reported that ticks can even overwinter in the norther Midwest.  In warmer winters, the tick season does not end. So, please, use tick prevention year round. 
The answer to the second question is, no tick product is a repellent.  In my experience, even monthly premise spraying will not fully prevent ticks from crawling onto your pet.  If you happen to see more ticks on your pet at certain times of the year, such as Spring and Fall, it is because there are greater tick populations in the environment at those times.  The advantage of veterinary approved tick products is that there is a 97% or better chance that once a tick has contacted your pet, it will die before it can attach to a human in the house and before it can transmit the various tick borne diseases, of which lyme is one, to your pet. 
I hope this clears up some of the most common misunderstandings about ticks and their control.  And remember, it is always a good idea to check your pet for ticks after traveling off the property to fields, woods, or other areas where you and your pet may roam this season.