What are ticks?

Ticks are parasitic arachnids belonging to the order Ixodida. They feed on the blood of people and many animals. These small, often inconspicuous creatures can embed themselves into the skin. Ticks on people and animals can potentially transmit various diseases, making it crucial to check your body for them after spending time outdoors.

Don't let ticks take over your yard! Terminix’s professional tick control services can help protect your family and pets from these bloodsuckers. Our experienced technicians begin with a thorough exterior inspection to identify potential tick hotspots and develop a customized treatment plan that targets all tick species found in the United States in most times of the year.

What do ticks look like?

Ticks are related to mites and spiders. They are small, eight-legged arachnids that feed on the blood of animals and humans. Typical characteristics of ticks include:

• Ticks often resemble small, flat, dark brown, black, or reddish-brown spots.

• The majority of ticks have a flattened oval shape.

• Larval ticks have six legs, while nymphs and adults have eight legs when developed.

• An adult tick that has not fed is roughly the same size as an apple seed. However, when they start feeding, their bodies swell up with blood, making them several times larger and easier to spot.

Common types of ticks

Of nearly 90 tick species found in the United States, these are some of the most common types:

• American dog tick: This tick is brown with white to gray markings. It is also known as the wood tick and primarily lives east of the Rocky Mountains. It can typically be found in grassy areas and along trails.

• Black-legged tick: This tick is also referred to as the deer tick or Lyme disease tick. It is reddish-brown with black legs and is common in wooded grass areas in the northeastern, mid-Atlantic, and upper midwestern U.S.

• Brown dog tick: These reddish-brown ticks are smaller than most and can be found on dogs or in places where dogs are present, like kennels. They are present throughout the United States.

• Gulf Coast tick: This tick is light brown with silvery markings. It can be found in wooded areas with dense overgrowth in states bordering the Gulf of Mexico and the East Coast.

• Lone star tick: This tick is prevalent in wooded areas across the Eastern and Southeastern U.S. It is reddish-brown with a distinctive white spot on the back of females. They commonly feed on white-tailed deer.

• Western black-legged tick: This tick resembles the black-legged tick and can be found along the Pacific coast, especially in forested and brushy areas in California and Oregon.

Tick lifecycle and reproduction

What are ticks doing during different stages of their life cycle? A tick's lifecycle consists of four stages: egg, larvae, nymph, and adult. Blood provides essential nutrients that ticks need at various life cycle stages. To progress from one stage to another, ticks require a blood meal from a host.

While some species, such as black-legged ticks, may only live for about six months, others, like deer ticks, can survive for two to three years. Hard ticks typically mate directly on the host, ensuring immediate access to a blood meal. After mating, the female tick feeds and lays between 1,500 and 5,000 eggs in small masses, usually dropped onto the ground. These eggs take several months to hatch, marking the beginning of the larval stage when ticks seek out hosts to feed on.

Where do ticks come from? How do you get ticks?

Ticks prefer to live in outdoor areas with tall grass, dense vegetation, leaf litter, and wooded areas where they can easily find hosts like deer, rodents, and birds. They thrive in humid environments and are often found in shaded, moist areas such as forests and meadows.

What are ticks doing to increase their chances of finding a host? Ticks attach to their hosts using a process called "questing." They climb to the tips of grasses or shrubs and extend their front legs, waiting for a host to brush by. When a host passes, the tick grabs onto the host’s fur, clothing, or skin. Once attached to a human or pet, most ticks feed, then push away from their meal to molt or lay eggs.

The only way for ticks to spread to new areas is to hitch a ride on their host. Although they’re usually found outdoors, they can enter your home on pets or clothing, but they’re not typically found in beds like bed bugs or fleas.

Are ticks dangerous?

Are ticks dangerous? Many of them are. While not all bites result in illness, ticks on people can pose serious health risks. According to the CDC, ticks transmit a variety of diseases, including:

1. Lyme disease (the most common tick-borne disease in the United States)

2. Babesiosis

3. Ehrlichiosis

4. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

5. Anaplasmosis

6. Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness

7. Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever

8. Tularemia

Because of the diseases they can transmit, it's important to take precautions when spending time outdoors and to carefully check for ticks after returning indoors.

What happens if you get bitten by a tick?

If you think you were bitten by a tick, contact a medical professional right away. Signs and symptoms of a tick bite can vary depending on the tick species and whether it has transmitted any diseases. Common signs can include:

1. Red, itchy rash: A small, red bump or rash can appear at the bite site. In some cases, it may expand to form a "bull's-eye" pattern, especially with Lyme disease. However, some may not have any reaction to a bite.

2. Swelling: The area around the bite may become swollen.

3. Flu-like symptoms: Some tick-borne diseases can cause symptoms like fever, chills, headache, and muscle aches.

4. Fatigue: Feeling unusually tired or weak can be a sign of infection.

If you experience any of these symptoms or notice a tick bite, it’s essential to seek medical advice, especially if symptoms worsen or persist.

Ticks on people

Ticks on people can be a common issue in outdoor areas, so being able to spot them early is important. To check for ticks:

• Thoroughly inspect your body and your pets after spending time outdoors, especially in areas with tall grass or dense foliage.

• Begin with your scalp, as ticks can often hide there. Use a mirror or ask someone to help you check hard-to-see areas such as behind the ears, underarms, and around the groin.

• For pets, check their fur and skin, paying attention to areas where ticks might latch on.

• If you find a tick, remove it promptly with fine-tipped tweezers, gripping it as close to the skin as possible. Clean the area thoroughly with soap and water or an antiseptic.

• Flush the tick down the toilet or throw it away in a sealed bag.

• Monitor the bite area for any signs of infection or rash, and if any unusual symptoms develop or you have concerns, seek medical advice promptly.

How to help avoid tick bites

Here are a few tips ways that can help you avoid tick bites:

• Wear long pants, socks, and long sleeves when entering grassy, bushy, and wooded areas.

• Tuck pants into socks or boots to create an extra barrier.

• Stick to the center of cleared paths and avoid walking through tall grass and other areas where ticks are more likely to be.

• Conduct tick checks every two to three hours while outdoors, and thoroughly check yourself, your children, and your pets when you return indoors.

Terminix tick control services provide comprehensive solutions for managing ticks. Our liquid and granular treatments create a barrier against ticks, which can help keep tick populations low. Schedule your inspection today!