The Lesser of Two Evils

Pesticide is a serious risk to the environment and I consider the pesticides used on domestic animals skins just as serious. When we first moved here last year and we took our new dog, Sade to the vet to be checked out, she tried to convince me to use Frontline or one of the flea and tick controllers. I told her I controlled their fleas and ticks through natural remedies such as garlic tablets and essential oils. She pointed out the fact Sade had some ticks and told me the risk of the ticks were less than the risk of the dog's health using the skin pesticides. I dismissed her, vowing not to use the stuff on my dogs. I learned, this year, though, at the beginning of tick season, that it cannot be avoided. The natural remedies don't work and my dogs became covered in ticks, and not just the big ones. We have "seed ticks" here, which are little bitty ticks that you cannot see or pick off until they fall on your floor. Once stepped on, the floor looks like a crime scene (thank goodness we were smart enough not to install carpet here and have laminate throughout the house). We quickly realized this situation is not good for the dogs, or us. So, 4 months ago now, we started trying BioSpot and when that didn't kill the ticks, I ordered over $60 worth of Advantix. That didn't work either. We finally moved to Frontline Plus yesterday and hopfeully, that will help the problem of the ticks.
I don't like applying a pesticide directly to my beloved pets, but I don't like the idea of anyone of us developing Lyme Disease or tick fever either.
We chose what we felt is the lesser of two evils. I just hope this one works.