Ticks leave me very unsettled...

Last year was the first year I EVER had to deal with ticks. Growing up, we always had dogs, but I do not remember ever hearing about any of them having ticks or seeing any. Then we bought our house in 2009, and got a dog in 2010. And last summer was apparently a horrible year for ticks in my neighborhood. Everyone was overrun with them. We didn't take the dog out into the backyard at all for weeks or months.

And they are back. We sprayed the yard for them last weekend and the weekend before (and for earwigs, but the earwigs just felt refreshed after a nice shower). Kali only goes outside with one of us, and only for a few minutes at a time. We come inside and immediately check her entire body. Last night, we go out, she isn't interested in going further than the patio, she walks over and says hi to the dogs next door through the chainlink, and then we come back in. We end up finding three ticks on her. Two were between her toes.

I don't think I can take this. I'm afraid to even take her outside. I think they are brown dog ticks. I don't think they carry Lyme or anything, but Lyme isn't very common here anyway. But the things just freak me out. Almost to a panic attack. I know in other areas, where ticks are common, it's not that big of a deal. Probably I am overreacting.

Oh and we almost walked into a black widow spider and her web. She was a big one. My husband Rob gladly fried her with the electric flyswatter. But she was right by the back door. I think I'm going to call a pest control professional tomorrow. Maybe they can get rid of the earwigs while they're at it, too.