i don't have a problem with getting rid of ticks or fleas. i mean, what are you going to do if you or one of your family members gets head lice? i think those are pretty much in the same boat. for anyone who had ever had head lice, it's a nightmare. i had it once when i was in elementary school and i wanted to rip my head off. my mom's dogs scratch like crazy when the fleas start getting out of control.

I agree with secondbase and CristinaDawn.  In addition to the pain and suffering they cause you and your pets, they will also cause illness and shorten the lives of creatures that you adopted in good conscience and promised to take care of.  You don't want that.  Also, they're violently allergenic to humans (as are roaches, by the way) and you'll be sorry if you let them get out of control.

I don't have tick experience, as I am an inside-pet-only person (I've got a cat), and I've been lucky enough to pick them off myself before being bitten while hiking around their lurking spots.  But fleas... I've done battle with fleas.  I am convinced that the house was infested by the precious little fleabag squirrels that used to lean up against my screen doors and windows (and climb on them, putting little claw marks in all of them!)

The ONLY way to get rid of fleas is to get rid of all of them at one time, including their egg sacks in the carpet/fabrics of the home.  It's heartbreaking to have to consider treating a pet's fur with poison.  Fortunately, fleas do not like 1) eucalyptus, 2) citrus peel, 3) Borax saturating their homes.

Here's what I did.  It took me 2 massive tries, the first time I got a flea-ridden home, and 1 try the next time.  I've been lucky since then (thank goodness!)

Boil orange and lemon halves including the peel in water to cover amply for 1/2 hour.  Fish out the fruit halves, discard them, and let the liquid cool.  You can swab your pet's fur with this or "dip" them, but be advised-- you want to saturate the underfur enough to drive out or kill the fleas.  This stuff is very sticky: you will have to bathe the pet afterwards, too.  You can dilute it to make it "thinner" if it seems too syrupy.  Get as much of the pet submerged as possible (it's always easier not to do anything more drastic than sponge-bathe pets' faces), and ruffle the fur underwater to allow the fleas to let go and swim/float out.  Dab or comb away those fleas that make their way onto the unsubmerged face, ears, and snout.

Put the pet(s) in a clean carrier and take them to a non-contaminated area: a hard-surfaced room with no fabric, a friend's house (be sure you aren't taking fleas!), or a kennel.  They will be unhappy for a few hours while you are tearing apart the house, but that's okay-- so will you.

I've killed flea infestations before with borax, by sprinkling it liberally on all the carpet and then vaccuuming it back out in an hour.  Warning: it doesn't come out easily.  You'll be seeing/feeling gritty traces of it for ages.  It may not get them all on the first go (or at all).  You will have to simultaneously wash all bedding, clothing, and curtains which the fleas might have infested.  You might have to wash and/or machine dry your pillows.  You might want to run an iron (on the highest synthetic-okay setting) slowly and meticulously over all your mattresses and cushions.

The more over-the-top diligent you get about hunting them down  the first time, the less likely it is that you will have to destroy successive generations and do it again. 

Or better yet, and without all the stickiness and Borax (which isn't my favorite thing to scatter about)-- diatomaceous earth is very safe (food grade!) and lethal to fleas.  Rub it into your pet's fur, and comb the pet.  Sprinkle it into the carpet, nudge it around, and vaccuum it back out.  It will kill the fleas.  Then make sure your pets are eating brewer's yeast and garlic to repel fleas so they don't get them again (or better yet, if you can do so, keep them inside and thus away from re-infestation).

Good luck!  This is not much fun-- sorry you're having to deal with it.

im def. for getting rid of the fleas they can be miserable for pets, especially pets with allergies!Ive read alot of good things about borax, brewers yeast with garlic and essential oils....but ive also always been skeptical and not wanting to cause harm to my furry babies so i've done alot of reading online. I've read that borax isn't the safest thing to use around your pets because they lick their fur..especially cats do..and it can get into their lungs causing distress.I've also read online that garlic can cause anemia in pets..and i've read that essentials oils like orange arent safe for cats...not to mention they hate the smell of oranges...atleast my cats do anyways haha.Lately though i've been reading about diatomaceous earth so far i havent read any negative side effects..unless used as the non food grade diatomaceous earth .
http://www.diatomaceous-earth.net/whatisit.html

i havent tried it yet though thank goodness we havent had any flea problems this year.