Pest Library
TICKS
Ticks can be found year-round but are most prevalent in the warm summer months. They are parasites, and as a result, are on a continual quest for a host. If a host is not available, a tick can survive up to a year without feeding. A female tick must have a blood meal before she can lay eggs. After feeding, she drops off her host and lays thousands of eggs. A female tick lays one batch of eggs, after which she dies. A male tick also dies after reproducing.
American Dog Tick
Brown Dog Tick
Lone Star Tick
Black Legged Tick
Ticks are ectoparasites, living by feeding on the blood of mammals, birds, and sometimes reptiles and amphibians.
Lyme disease is transmitted via the bite of infected ticks, which attach to any part of the body, but often to moist or hairy areas such as the groin, armpits, and scalp.
While everyone is susceptible to tick bites, campers, hikers, and people who work in gardens and other leafy outdoor venues are at the greatest risk of tick bites. As many a suburban gardener can attest, with the expansion of the suburbs and a push to conserve wooded areas, deer and mice populations are thriving, too, providing ample blood meals for ticks. For lyme disease to be transmitted, a tick needs to feed on the host for 24-48 hours.
Lyme Disease: Symptoms and Stages
Symptoms of early-stage Lyme disease include:
- muscle and joint aches
- headache
- fever
- chills
- fatigue
- swollen lymph nodes
Another common symptom of Lyme disease is a rash (referred to as “Erythema migrans”). As many as 80% of infected people may develop a rash, and roughly 20% of the time the rash has a characteristic “bull’s-eye” appearance.
When left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system.
Later-stage symptoms may not appear until weeks or months after a tick bite occurs. They include:
- heart-rhythm irregularities
- arthritis (usually as pain and swelling in large joints, especially the knee)
- nervous system abnormalities
Permanent damage to the joints or the nervous system can develop in patients with late Lyme disease. It is rarely, if ever, fatal.
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- Avoid wooded, brushy, and grassy areas, especially in May, June, and July.
- Wear light-colored clothing so that you can see ticks that get on you.
- Wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts, and shoes that cover the entire foot.
- Tuck pant legs into socks or shoes, and tuck shirts into pants.
- Wear a hat for extra protection.
- Spray insect repellent containing DEET on clothes and uncovered skin.
- Walk in the center of trails to avoid brush and grass.
- Remove your clothing, and wash and dry them at high temperatures after being outdoors.
- Do a careful body check for ticks after outdoor activities.
Species Info
American Dog Ticks
Also known as the wood tick, the American dog tick gets its name from the fact that adult ticks prefer to feed on domestic dogs, coupled with the tick species being found only in North America. The American dog tick is a member of the hard tick family, meaning that it possesses a hard exterior shield. American dog ticks are known to harbor bacteria responsible for causing diseases in humans such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, which is spread when they suck blood from their host. Exposure to these ticks is most likely to occur during spring and early summer.
Appearance
- Size: 3/16” (5 mm) unengorged, 5/8” (15 mm) engorged
- Color: Brown with whitish to gray markings.
- Legs:Larvae have 6 legs, nymphs and adults have 8 legs.
Brown Dog Tick
The brown dog tick is named for its color and because it is found on domestic dogs. Although it is unusual for a brown dog tick to bite humans, it will do so in the absence of a canine host. If bitten, the dog tick must be removed as soon as possible.
Appearance
- Length:1/8” (3 mm) unengorged; 1/2” (12 mm) engorged.
- Color: Reddish brown, gray-blue when engorged.
- Legs: Larvae have 6 legs, nymphs and adults have 8 legs.
Lone Star Ticks
The lone star tick gets its name from the single silvery-white spot located on the female’s back. These ticks attack humans more frequently than any other tick species in the eastern and southeastern states. Lone star tick bites will occasionally result in a circular rash, and they can transmit diseases. It is essential that lone star tick removal start immediately.
Appearance
- Size:Females are 1/6-1/4” (4-6 mm) un-engorged and 1/2” (16 mm) engorged; Males are smaller
- Color: Reddish brown, becoming slate gray when engorged.
- Legs: Larvae have 6 legs, nymphs and adults have 8 legs.
- Region: West central Texas northward to northern Missouri and eastward from Maine to the southern tip of Florida
Black Legged Tick
A notorious biting arachnid, the blacklegged tick is named for its dark legs, which are in contrast to its pale body. Blacklegged ticks are sometimes called deer ticks, as they frequently feed on deer. However, deer ticks have also been known to bite humans.
Appearance
- Length: 1/8 “.
- Color:Orange-brown with dark legs.
- Legs: 8.
- Region: Found primarily in the northeastern, mid-Atlantic, southeastern and north central regions of the U.S.