Facts: Ticks
Name: Ixodidae (Hard ticks), Argasidae (Soft ticks)
Appearance: Adult ticks measure between 1/8th inch and ½ inch depending on if it is engorged from feeding. Immature ticks are smaller, usually around 1/16th 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.
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