Far too many people have been conditioned to think that the solution to a problem must come from a store and that, generally, the more it costs the more effective it will be. Then there are those that will use severla solutions at one time and will never know which one was effective and which were a waste of time and energy, not to speak of money. The first step any real organic gardener/farmer will take to prevent problems with insect pests and diseases is to try to make the soil the plants are growing in as healthy as possible which can prevent many problems. The second step is to determine in the perceived problem is bad enough that some action is really necessary, followed by the third step which is to identify the problem and seek the least toxic solution to that problem. Fourth is to stand back and observe what this action did, before doing anything else. Lastly review the process and determine if this action produced the desired results and if needed go back to step 1. What affect does Tea Tree Oil have on beneficial insects?

I know I keep referring to dogs here, sorry! One of my dogs came to me from the shelter with a raging case of resistant staph - antibiotics would only work temporarily, and the medicated shampoo didn't help much. Someone suggested TT oil (dilute it, it's very strong!) and it cleared the scabs & redness up within a few days, I was quite amazed. It still flares up once in a while, but the oil solution clears it up so quickly & I'd rather use that than antibiotics. I'm not sure about psoriasis, but it wouldn't hurt to try. Were I ever to get some sort of skin condition, I'd try it.

I did a google search tea tree oil dog paws. There were several mentions of a tea tree oil salves that are good to use. I have some at home that I am using to treat a fungal thing on my son, 5 drops to a TBS of jojoba oil. Tea Tree oil was mentioned, but never straight.My dad used the stuff straight once (nail fungus) and actually got a chemical like burn. It is commonly used in ointments but really shouldn't be used straight. If they sold this to you straight with no further instructions that person was wrong, wrong, wrong. It probably would work to keep ant off, but mix with another oil. It is rather stinky http://www.examiner.com/x-11162-Phoenix-Animal-Care-Examiner~y2009m6d24-How-to-treat-a-dogs-sore-paw Here is a link that might be useful: tea tree oil

Yes, mosquitoes become infected with heartworms when they bite an infected canine. It is not too difficult to find an infected canine though, because for some reason people like to tempt fate and not give heartworm prevention, and of course wild canines are not protected. Here's a newflash for you: mosquitoes FLY! You don't have to live near an infected dog for an infected mosquito to bite your dog. It is stupid to try to save money by not giving heartworm prevention. The average cost of treating heartworm disease is $800, depending on the size of the dog, and that is without complications. It is extremely dangerous to treat heartworms, you must keep your dog absolutely calm or a dead worm can clog an artery in your dog's lungs and kill him instantly. How many months of heartworm prevention can you buy for $800? Is it really worth risking your dog's life? There is absolutely NO PROOF that any "natural" preventatives work. NONE. Why do you think heartworm prevention is harmful? What is the basis for that? Show me the evidence. Rabies vaccines are required by law for a darn good reason- it is a human health risk, and 100% fatal in all mammals. I am a minimal vaccine person, but there is no way in heck I would ever not vaccinate for rabies.