Facts, Identification & Control
Latin Name
Family Ixodidae (describes most common ticks)
Appearance
Ticks vary in color by species. Adult ticks can be smaller than a sunflower seed (over 1 cm long if engorged with blood), while tick larvae can be less than 1 mm. Common problem ticks include the American dog tick, deer or blacklegged tick and lone star tick.
Behavior, Diet & Habits
Often found near wooded and highly vegetated areas. Some species require moisture to survive.
Females and males of most species feed on blood of mammals, birds and reptiles.
Reproduction
There are four stages in a tick’s lifecycle – egg, larval, nymphal and adult. Ticks have only six legs during their larval stage and eight legs during their nymphal and adult stages. They consume blood meals during all stages. Pathogens, or organisms that cause diseases in the animals they infect, can be passed through the stages of a tick’s life cycle.
Signs of a Tick Infestation
Tick signs usually are the ticks themselves. Secondary signs can include medical symptoms from diseases or fluids transmitted by ticks. These can vary and are best left to a medical professional for diagnosis.
Deer Ticks
Deer Ticks and Lyme Disease in Animals
Difference Between Deer Ticks and Wood Ticks
Difference Between Deer Ticks and Western Blacklegged Ticks
American Dog Ticks
Other Types of Ticks
Tick Bites
Tick Information
Characteristics of Blacklegged Ticks
Ticks & Ilness
Lyme Disease and Other Tick Borne Diseases
Soft Ticks
Difference Between Hard Ticks and Soft Ticks
