Name: Ixodidae (Hard ticks), Argasidae (Soft ticks)

Appearance: Adult ticks measure between 1/8^th inch and ½ inch depending on if it is engorged from feeding. Immature ticks are smaller, usually around 1/16^th of an inch. Their coloring varies from species to species. Adults have eight legs, immature nymphs have only six.

Habit: Ticks are often found in wooded areas, especially areas will tall grasses and lush vegetation. They are seen more frequently in warm, humid climates or in the summer months in areas like NJ. This is because most ticks have difficulty adapting to colder temperatures and need a certain level of humidity to survive. Dense tick populations can be found in wooded areas near rivers and streams, and where large populations of wildlife exist.

Health/Damage Concerns: Ticks carry a variety of harmful diseases including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia, tick-borne meningoencephalitis, relapsing fever, babesiosis and cytauxzoonosis.

Diet: Blood-feeders; most species feed on mammals, birds, and even reptiles.

Reproduction: The life-cycle of most ticks takes place in four stages; the egg stage, larval stage, nymph (immature) and adult stage. A female tick will attach itself to a suitable host and take a blood meal. She will then release herself from the host and find a crevice near the floor to lay her eggs in. This is often a crack in a wood floor or in the gaps around molding. Adult female ticks can lay 3,000 eggs at a time in cracks and crevices around the home resulting in large infestations that appear to happen overnight. Once the eggs hatch, the larvae stay dormant until a suitable host is found. The larvae will take a blood meal and return to a hiding area to begin the transformation from larvae to nymph. Newly emerged nymphs will then seek out a host by climbing nearby objects and walls. The nymphs will then go into hiding again to molt for the last time. Once adult ticks emerge, they will again search for a host. After attaining a blood meal, the adult tick will climb up to a high area to process the food and then return to the ground afterwards. Most people do not realize they are having a problem with ticks until they are found on the family pet or seen climbing up walls after a blood meal to look for a high place to process their food.

Name: Macronyssidae (family), Dermanyssidae (family.

Appearance: Bird mites are less than 1mm in length and are almost transparent in color. They turn a brownish-red color after collecting a blood meal. Their bodies are typically an oval shape and covered in short hairs.

Habit: Bird mites are often found in homes where birds frequently visit or nest. They can be brought in-doors on peoples clothing, pets, or just by wandering in on their own. They are capable of moving quickly for their size and are known to infest homes rapidly due to their frequent breeding. Bird mites will often stay with one particular host for as long as possible, only migrating after the host has died or a nest site has become unusable and the birds populating the area have travelled in search of a new nesting site. When this happens, thousands of mites may travel in search of a new host, often moving in-doors to find a blood meal. Bird mites cannot survive for longer than 10 days without finding a food source. They are most active at night, and on humid or overcast days.

Health/Damage Concerns: Due to their very small size and nearly transparent color, a bird mite infestation may go unnoticed until a large infestation has occurred. Populations are known to grow quickly, and bites from bird mites can cause irritated welts that last much longer than the mosquito bites for which they are commonly mistaken.

Diet: Blood from birds and other animals.

Reproduction: Bird mites reproduce at an alarmingly quick rate. Females generally make up to 90% of a bird mite population, and infestations can reach into the thousands if mites have a suitable host and the proper environment to survive in. Bird mites cannot complete their lifecycle on a human host, and will often perish if no other avian host is found. Once a host bird’s nest area is eradicated, problems with mites soon disappear.

Name: Collembola (Common Names: Springtail, Snowflea)

Appearance: Averaging 6mm in length, with a segmented body. Springtails are normally white, grey, or brownish in color, with tiny hairs extending off of its body. Collembola do not possess a typical breathing system like most pests. Instead they use small pours on their bodies to take in air. They also have a tail-like appendage that allows them to jump into the air when disturbed, hence their common name – springtail. These pests are often confused for fleas.

Habit: Springtails are commonly seen inhabiting loose soil in woodlands and forests, areas of vegetation and decaying plant matter, and on the surface of ponds or other calm bodies of water. In the wild, springtails are hardly noticed and don’t become a pest until they are accidently brought into a home. Like most pests, they need a food and water source for survival, and are sometimes found around the home in kitchens, bathrooms, basements, and areas where it’s damp. The unique feature of springtails is that they can withstand the changes in temperature that occur from summer to winter. The common name, snow flea, comes from the fact that they are often seen outdoors during the winter despite the cold temperature.

Health/Damage Concerns: There is some controversy surrounding the interaction of springtails and humans. There are people that believe that springtails may be a human parasite, and there are documented cases of people claiming to be “infested” by springtails. They say that they can feel them underneath their skin causing severe irritation, scratching, and paranoia. Most researchers believe these cases to be untrue and say the springtail biology would not allow them to be a parasitic creature, especially to humans. Although, the hair that springtails have on their bodies has been documented to cause skin irritations.

Diet: Decaying organic matter; mold, decaying plant matter, fungus and bacteria.

Reproduction: The process of springtail reproduction is unique and can vary from species to species. Males will often scatter sperm sacks, called spermatophores, around an area in which there are females. The females use these spermatophores to create their offspring. Some females even have the ability to lay eggs with no male interaction. Eggs hatch in as little as 3 to 5 weeks, and the springtail emerges as a nymph that looks similar to an adult. These pests also go through several molts stages in the process of becoming an adult.

Name: Trombiculidae

Appearance: Almost microscopic in size, chigger mites average 0.4mm in length and are reddish-orange in color. They are a relative of ticks.

Habit: Chigger mites thrive in areas with dense grass and vegetation. They are commonly found in woods, orchards, near lakes and streams, and anywhere there is abundant plant life and moisture. They are often seen during the late spring/early summer months when grasses and vegetation are at their peak. They have also been spotted in low grasses on golf courses, in parks, and on sports fields.

Health/Damage Concerns: The larval and nymph stages of this pest feed on skin cells, causing severe irritation for animals and humans when affected. Consult a trusted and knowledgeable physician if you are experiencing skin irritations similar to that caused by mites or fleas.

Diet: Adults feed on plant materials; larvae are parasitic and feed on the skin cells of humans and animals alike. After finding a host, the larvae will create a hole in the skin and inject a digestive enzyme that breaks down the tissue and enables them to feed on the broken down skin cells. This often causes severe irritation, swelling, itching around the affected area, and red, pimple-like rashes to form. Most irritation does not begin until 24 hours after the larvae has completed feeding making it difficult to diagnose where the irritation came from.

Reproduction: Like ticks, chigger mites go through a four-stage lifecycle; egg, larvae, nymph, and adult. Females will lay four to eight eggs in a protected area at a time, laying up to 15 eggs a day. Larvae will emerge after 6 days, and travel up high grasses and plants in search of a host. Once a suitable host is found, the larvae will feed for several days before dropping off of the host and beginning the transformation into the nymph stage. Females will continue to lay eggs until the temperature begins to drop, with most perishing by the early fall. These pests can breed and survive all year if in a favorable environment like in warmer climates or inside the home.