Ticks

Getting to Know Ticks

Ticks are parasitic arachnids — relatives of spiders and mites — that feed on the blood of people and animals. They attach to skin to feed and can pass along harmful diseases in the process. Because a tick bite is usually painless, many people don’t realize one is attached until they spot or feel it, which makes checking yourself, your children, and your pets after time outdoors especially important, particularly in wooded, grassy, or brushy areas.

What Ticks Look Like

Ticks are oval and flat before feeding, growing rounder and swollen afterward. Their color ranges from brown, dark brown, or black to reddish-brown, and a blood-filled tick can take on a grayish or bluish tone. An unfed adult is roughly the size of an apple seed, while a nymph is closer to a poppy seed. Adults and nymphs have eight legs; larvae have six. Ticks neither jump nor fly — they crawl and latch on as a host brushes past grass or vegetation.

Common Types of Ticks

Of the nearly 90 tick species in the U.S., only a handful regularly bite humans. The American dog tick (brown with pale markings) is widespread east of the Rockies. The black-legged tick, or deer tick, is reddish-brown with dark legs and is the main carrier of Lyme disease. The brown dog tick prefers dogs and can live indoors. The Gulf Coast tick favors dense vegetation along the Gulf and East coasts. The lone star tick is recognizable by a single white spot on the female’s back, and the western black-legged tick is found along the Pacific Coast.

Life Cycle and Reproduction

Ticks pass through four stages — egg, larva, nymph, and adult — and must take a blood meal to advance from one to the next. After mating, females feed and lay thousands of eggs on the ground, where humidity supports survival. Depending on species, the full cycle can run from several months to a few years. Because they rely on high humidity, most ticks don’t survive long indoors; the brown dog tick is the notable exception, able to complete its life cycle inside if pets are present.

Where Ticks Come From

Outdoors, ticks favor tall grass, leaf litter, wooded areas, and shaded, humid spots where hosts like deer, rodents, and birds are active. They find hosts through “questing” — climbing onto grass or shrubs and reaching out their front legs to grab a passing animal or person. After feeding, they drop off to molt or lay eggs. Unlike bed bugs or fleas, ticks don’t infest beds or other indoor areas; they typically arrive on pets or clothing.

Are Ticks Dangerous?

Some ticks transmit serious illnesses, though not every bite leads to disease. The most common tick-borne diseases in the U.S. include Lyme disease (fever, fatigue, joint pain, and a rash), Rocky Mountain spotted fever (a potentially serious bacterial infection), and Ehrlichiosis (flu-like symptoms). Because disease can be transmitted during feeding, prevention and prompt removal matter. If you think a tick has bitten you, contact a medical professional, and watch for a red itchy rash, swelling, fatigue, or flu-like symptoms.

How to Check for and Avoid Ticks

After outdoor activity, inspect your body and your pets thoroughly, paying close attention to the scalp, behind the ears, underarms, and groin, and on pets the ears, neck, and between the toes. Remove any tick promptly with fine-tipped tweezers, gripping close to the skin, then clean the area. To reduce your risk, wear long sleeves and pants in grassy or wooded areas, tuck pants into socks, stick to cleared paths, and check yourself every few hours while outside. Our participating providers offer tick control treatments that create a barrier to help reduce populations around your home.