I was told by my last boss, the head Vet, that BioSpot used to work pretty good, but now the fleas/ticks just bathe in it, no problems for them. Sooo, I am not sure what less expensive flea/tick prevention to suggest. Frontline is what I use, I really love it. It is abit pricey but you know, it works good here in my area so, it's worth it for me. Good luck!