TICKS on my Dogs and Couch! HELP!

I am writing this from a place of extreme grossed out-ness.  I have been battling ticks for the past two days and fear further infestation.  I have a small forest garden and two dogs in SE Florida.  I cannot identify the ticks.  They don't look like any of the pictures I have found.  I am looking for an organic method of control that WORKS.  When I search online, all I get are recommendations to poison my environment.  Very worried about ticks biting my children or myself that may carry Lyme Disease or other viruses and/or bacteria.  Any advice on tick management would be really reassuring. Going tick manic at the moment!   

Sheryl, have you bathed the dogs with apple cider vinegar?  There are several websites that offer similar advice.  Like this one... http://www.ehow.com/info_8487595_vinegar-kill-prevent-ticks.html

increase the amount of birds on your property, all kinds of birds. around here the wild quail do a good job at keeping tick populations down.

Quail and guinea hens are probably the most effective anti tick measures.  It will take time to get an infestation under control.

Until then, the vinegar will help clean the animals.  Find a restaurant supply store, and buy it by the gallon.  A gallon there will cost about the same as a quart in the supermarket.

loos like your ticks are out of balance and you need to bring in some tocks

Ok, apple cider vinegar for the pups.  What can I do about the house? I am not lying, I just saw one crawling on the keyboard. Thanks for the link Lolly.  Pretty sure the HOA would have COW about hens.  Do you think I could bribe my neighbors not to say anything with eggs??? 

Out of balance yes.  Stink bugs breeding and white flies too.  I'm happy to create habitat, but the habitat is coming indoors.  eeek

seriously I'd put down some DE and start vacuuming several times a day

Wormwood is the thing put it where the dogs sleep make a tea wash them whit it and plant loads of it in your garden

My advise: use all the answers given here.
Apply apple cider vinegar to your arms and legs to keep 'em off of you.
You can buy DE on Amazon.com, but it's cheaper at Azurestandard.com
Do vacuum like crazy.

Let us know how it goes....

Thanks so much, now I have one heck of an ongoing project and plenty of solutions. I got some apple cider vinegar.  I have to attract more birds. I wonder if morning doves, blue jays and mockingbirds eat ticks and/or slugs?  Brice, the DE info is a blessing!!!  This is the first time I've heard of it.  I think I'll listen to the P.W. podcast while I'm cleaning like a mad woman! Thank you, thank you, thank you.  Still grossed out but completely empowered!