Acaricide
A substance used to kill ticks or mites. A product’s exact label determines where and how it can be used.
Active ingredient
The ingredient responsible for the intended pesticide or medicine effect. Other formulation ingredients can also matter.
Adulticide
A product or ingredient aimed at adult pests. It may not control every immature life stage.
Alpha-gal syndrome
An allergy that can develop after certain tick bites and cause reactions to some mammalian products.
Antibody test
A test for an immune response. Timing and clinical context affect interpretation; it is not a direct count of organisms.
Engorged
Swollen after feeding. Appearance may help assessment but does not establish an exact attachment time.
Erythema migrans
The expanding rash associated with Lyme disease. It does not always look like a bull’s-eye.
Flea dirt
Flea waste containing digested blood, often seen as dark specks in the coat.
Host
The person or animal a parasite feeds on or lives on.
Icaridin / picaridin
Two commonly used names for the same repellent active ingredient.
Insect growth regulator (IGR)
An ingredient that interferes with insect development. Check which stages and pests the product label covers.
Integrated pest management
A coordinated approach using identification, prevention, monitoring, and appropriate control methods.
Isoxazoline
A class of medicines used in some pet parasite products. Discuss medical history and safety information with a veterinarian.
Nymph
An immature tick stage. Nymphs have eight legs and can be difficult to notice.
PCP number
A Canadian Pest Control Products registration number. It identifies a registered pest-control product; the label still governs use.
Permethrin
An insecticide used in different types of products. A clothing treatment, pet product, and premises spray are not interchangeable.
Prophylaxis
A preventive intervention. After some higher-risk tick bites, a clinician may assess whether Lyme antibiotic prophylaxis is appropriate.
Pupa
The developmental stage inside a flea cocoon before the adult emerges.
Repellent
A product intended to discourage pests from landing, crawling, or biting as described by its label.
Systemic product
A product whose active ingredient is distributed within the body. This does not automatically mean it repels ticks.
Topical
Applied to an external surface, usually the skin. Application location and method remain product-specific.
Vector
An organism, such as a tick or flea, that can transmit a pathogen.
Zoonotic
Describes an infection that can pass between animals and people, sometimes through a vector.