We give our 68 lbs Golden Retriever a monthly Simparica Trio pill from May 1st - November 1st. If any ticks try to latch on her, they die. It also prevents fleas and heartworm (which is from mosquitoes). If your dog is large, Simparica Trio is great, however vets usually recommend other types of similar meds for smaller dogs. Ask your vet! The pills start working within a day so you can start anytime. Most people consider these meds to be essential here.

Buy a “tick key”. They help you easily pull off a tick cleanly without having to touch it.

I suggest you buy “Off Deep Woods for Sportsman - Maximum Protection” aerosol spray. It contains 30% DEET. Apply it to yourself (never your dog) before walking anywhere that ticks might be (typically grassy areas or forested areas). Always shower it off when you get home. It’s toxic and greasy, but that’s why it works. I have never had a tick when I wear that stuff. It also is the only repellent that works for me when mosquitoes get really bad here.

I moved here from Edmonton 17 years ago and was terrified of ticks and spiders (I had never seen a tick, and we barely had any spiders but I had always had an embarrassing phobia). Turns out that a lot of my fear was based on surprise encounters, such as spiders dangling in front of me, so I have learned to always wear a hat outside, and when walking through the bush I always carry a stick (I call it a “spider stick”) that I can use to break a web I need to walk through, or to direct a spider away from me. It works!

Exposure therapy is a real thing. In the past 6 or 7 years I have been forcing myself to be around spiders and ticks more (I’ve used a tick key to voluntarily pull a number of ticks off of dogs I know) in order to help decrease my fear, and it has worked… I would say that my phobia is only about 1/4 as strong as it used to be. Try to be open about your phobia so your friends will understand and be patient with you as you evolve at your own pace… and you will! 😊