Know Your Enemy : Tick Information

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Ticks are a group of external parasite that belong to the Arachnid class, along with spiders, mites and scorpions.  Ticks range in size from barely visible larvae to large, fully fed adults which can be as large as a small coin. Ticks can be found around the planet and can survive in temperatures below zero while others can complete their entire life cycle either indoors or outdoors, so year round protection is advised.  High season for ticks is from April to November, depending on the species.  Ticks are what are called obligate parasites, meaning they cannot survive long without your blood, so they are constantly actively hunting for their next meal.  They feed exclusively on blood, and with more than 100 million years of evolution, they have perfected the art.

 Ticks are mostly blind, but at the end of their front legs sits a tiny structure called Haller's organ. This little sensory pit detects chemicals and odors in the air and while you can wear all the mosquito repellent and deodorant that you want, you cannot hide the one major scent that ticks use to hunt you, your breath. With every exhalation, you release carbon dioxide into the air  attracting any nearby ticks' attentions.  In addition to your breath, ticks can find a host by body odors and the scent of ammonia from urine, or by sensing body heat, moisture, and vibrations. Some species can even recognize a shadow.  

There are more than 800 different types of Ticks which inhabit different parts of the world.  Some are located in wide areas across the planet, such as the Brown Dog Tick, others are confined to narrow specific areas, however except from the far north and south of our planet, each continent and region have their own unique problems with ticks.

Ticks can be divided into two main families: hard ticks (Ixodidae) and soft ticks (Argasidae).  The Tick Identification slides below feature the most prominent and dangerous ticks found in North America.

A single tick will progress through four stages of development in its lifetime; egg, larva, nymph, and adult.  After the eggs hatch, the ticks must have a blood meal at every stage to survive.   Ticks can feed on mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Most ticks prefer to have a different host animal at each stage of their life.  The lifecycle of ticks generally lasts two to three years. 

Wooded and brushy areas with high grass and leaf litter.  Different ticks species inhabit different parts of the world, however they prefer warmer humid conditions.  See the Tick Distribution Maps below to find out which types of ticks are active in your area.

Less then two millimeters in size, nymphs can bite people and remain virtually undetected. They also burrow into you or your pet's skin. Nymph ticks are actually much more likely to transmit Lyme disease or another tick-borne infection to humans than ticks at other stages.