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Ticks
American dog ticks, Brown dog ticks, Black-legged (deer) ticks, and Lone Star ticks are the four most common tick species found in New England. Infestations have been on the rise here over the past few years, which is a concern for pest professionals and homeowners alike. Ticks not only cause discomfort and irritation, they are carriers of diseases such as Lyme disease and HGE (Human Granulocytic Ehrlichiosis.) Ticks cannot hop or fly and must latch on to their targets from elevated surfaces such as tall grass and overgrown vegetation, making areas on the exterior of your home susceptible to infestation.
The American dog tick, or wood tick, is typically reddish-brown with gray and silver markings on its dorsal shields. Females have a shorter shield, while males have a dorsal plate that covers most of their body. Unfed females are typically 5 mm long and are slightly larger than males, which are about 3.6 mm long. Females are normally very flat in appearance unless they are engorged with blood, in which case they can enlarge up to 15 mm long and 10 mm wide. Their mouthparts are short; once they cut into the skin with their two chelicerae, they anchor themselves with a single barbed structure called a hypostome.
What is the American Dog Tick’s Diet?
American dog ticks feed on the blood of their host. Hosts can range from small animals like mice all the way up to humans. Ticks can spread disease by feeding from an infected host and passing the bacteria to their next host. This is how they spread diseases like Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, of which they are a main carrier.
What is the American Dog Tick’s Reproductive Cycle?
Like all ticks, the American dog tick goes through three stages: larva, nymph, and adult. They require at least one blood meal per stage to grow and develop. The larva and nymph stages prefer smaller animals to feed on, such as mice, squirrels, and chipmunks. Adults usually infest and feed on larger animals like dogs, deer, and raccoons. All stages will feed on humans. An adult female tick may lay thousands of eggs. Once the eggs hatch, the larval ticks rapidly disperse and normally find a small mammal or lizard as a host.
Where does the American Dog Tick Live?
The American dog tick is usually found in the United States, east of the Rocky Mountains. It can also be found in some parts of Canada, Mexico, and the Pacific Northwest. Adult American dog ticks are most commonly found on dogs. American dog ticks prefer woods and tall, grassy areas along animal trails. From the tops of tall blades of grass, they engage in a behavior called “questing”. This is when they attach to a passing animal and latch onto it. The animal becomes their host. Adults are most active from late April through May.
The black-legged, or deer, tick (Ixodes scapularis) is named for its black legs. Its body is pale in color, and can be recognized by its small size and reddish dorsal area. Females have a shorter dorsal plate and a tear-drop shape. Males are smaller with a round dorsal plate that covers most of their body. The mouthparts of the female black-legged tick are longer than the male and longer than the American dog tick. The larval tick is no bigger than the size of the period at the end of this sentence.
What is the Black-legged Tick’s Diet?
Black-legged ticks feed on the blood of their host. Larvae tend to feed on small animals. Nymphs also feed on small animals, but sometimes on humans as well. Adult ticks tend to feed on whitetail deer and humans.
What is the Black-legged Tick’s Reproductive Cycle?
Black-legged ticks have a three-host lifecycle over the course of two years. They have a blood meal between each, with an increasingly larger host. The three feeding stages are larva, nymph, and adult. The larvae hatch in the summer and feed on mice and other small animals, including birds. A young tick can take in bacteria from an infected host and remain infected for the rest of its life. When the tick feeds again as a nymph, it can transmit this bacteria to its new host, which could potentially be a human.
Where do Black-legged Ticks Live?
Black-legged ticks live in grass and shrubs. They attach to hosts through “questing”, which means waiting for an appropriate host to pass by and then latching on. The adult female will lay 2,000-18,000 eggs on the ground. Deer are important to maintaining black-legged tick populations because they transport them to different areas. However, deer don’t actually become infected by ticks.
The adult brown dog tick is reddish-brown and lacks any ornamentation. They are 1/8 – 3/16″ in length. Larva have six legs, while nymphs and adults have eight legs. When fully fed, the body stretches and changes from reddish-brown to a more blue-gray. Females increase in size dramatically when engorged from feeding, while males only stop take small meals and don’t get as large.
What is the Brown Dog Tick Diet?
Ticks feed on the blood of their host. Brown dog ticks prefer dogs over anything else, but will also feed on other domestic animals, rodents, and rarely humans.
What is the Brown Dog Tick Reproductive Cycle?
The brown dog tick is a 3-host tick, meaning it needs three hosts to complete development, and leaves each host to develop and molt between stages. The three stages of life are larva, nymph, and adult. If a brown tick completes its lifecycle indoors and in one house, this might mean feeding on the same dog three times. Feeding and development times are usually faster at higher temperatures. The cycle can be completed in just over two months, but can take longer due to few hosts or colder temperatures. An adult female feeds on her host for about a week, then drops off to find a secluded place for egg development. Cracks and crevices are preferred places. She then lays up to 1,000-5,000 eggs over four days. After she finishes laying the eggs, she dies. The eggs hatch 2-5 weeks later. Ticks can live several months in each stage without feeding, and adults can live up to 18 months without feeding. Male ticks feed on blood as well, but for much shorter periods of time.
Where do Brown Dog Ticks Live?
Brown dog ticks are most commonly found in warmer climates. However, they can complete their entire lifecycle indoors, so they are found in colder climates as well. Usually, a dog will bring a few ticks into a home or kennel when they have been out of the house. An infestation can take place quickly. Larvae and nymphs typically attach to a dog’s back, while adult ticks usually attach to the ears and between a dog’s toes.
Lone star ticks are named for their single white spot on the backs of the adult females. The spot can vary from cream to bronze/gold and can even appear iridescent at close range. Females are about 1/4 inch long, and 1/2 inch or longer when fully engorged. Adult males have light colored patterns on the outside of their bodies.
What do Lone Star Ticks do?
Lone star ticks feed on the blood of their host. The hosts can range from small animals like chipmunks and mice, all the way up to deer and humans. Unlike the other three types of local ticks, lone star ticks have been known to move long distances in pursuit of hosts and “hunt” them.
Like the other ticks in New England, lone star ticks are three-host ticks. This means that they need to feed on a different host at each level of development in order to complete their lifecycle. The three levels are larva, nymph, and adult.
When are Lone Star Ticks a Problem?
Adult lone star ticks are most active from mid-March through late June. Nymphs are most active mid-May through late July. Larvae are most active from July through September.
Where do Lone Star Ticks Live?
Most lone star ticks are found in the southeastern United States. However, their range also extends north, and includes southern and coastal Maine. They aren’t as predominant as other species found in New England, but they are being found more than in the past. They tend to be found near rivers and streams where animals rest. They also prefer shrub undergrowth and dry, forested areas.
Why are Lone Star Ticks a Pest?
Lone star ticks spread disease in humans and animals. They are especially known for spreading alpha-gal, which causes a red meat allergy in humans.
Can you Avoid Lone Star Ticks?
If you take precautions, you can reduce the risk of contracting a tick-borne illness.
- Wear long sleeves and pants, and tuck pant legs into your socks to keep ticks from attaching to your skin.
- Use a bug repellent containing DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) on your skin (follow the label instructions) or wear clothes treated with permethrin.
- Shower and do tick checks after you’ve been outside.
- If you do find a tick attached to you, use tweezers or a tick spoon to pull it straight out of the skin (don’t leave any tick mouthparts behind).