In order to spread disease to a human or animal, first a tick needs to be infected with the pathogen and it needs to be attached and feeding for a certain amount of time. They are relatively slow feeders and will usually feed for 3-5 days at a time. Host immunity and grooming activity may affect mortality.īlacklegged Deer ticks feed on blood by inserting their mouth parts into the skin of a host animal such as a mouse, dog, bird, or even human. Due to their low probability of finding a host, starvation is a major mortality factor of ticks. Temperature and humidity have the greatest overall impact on tick survival. Density-independent factors causing tick mortality include a range of adverse climatic and microclimate conditions. Tick death is caused by density-dependent factors such as parasites, pathogens, and predators, all of which appear to have little impact on tick populations. Beginning in May, engorged adult females typically lay between 1000 to 3000 eggs on the forest floor at the site where they detached from their hosts. Adult female ticks feed for five to seven days while the male tick feeds only sparingly, if at all.Īdult ticks feed on large mammals, primarily upon white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus). In a similar manner, engorged nymphs detach and drop to the forest floor where they molt into the adult stage, which becomes active in October.Īdult ticks remain active through the winter on days when the ground and ambient temperatures are above freezing. In May, larvae molt into nymphs, which feed on a number of hosts for three to four days. Peak larval activity occurs in August, when larvae attach and feed on a wide range of mammals and birds, primarily on white-footed mice ( Peromyscus leucopus).Īfter feeding for three to five days, engorged larvae drop from the host to the ground where they overwinter. In June and July, eggs deposited earlier in the spring hatch into tiny six-legged larvae. The American dog tick transmits Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia.Ixodes scapularis is a three-host tick each mobile stage feeds on a different host animal. The immature stages feed on small mammals. Dogs are one of the preferred hosts of adult American dog ticks but they will feed on other medium to large mammals including humans. They can be distinguished from deer ticks by their size and the presence of off-white colored markings on their backs. American Dog Tick ( Dermacentor variabilis)Īdult American dog ticks are brown and are almost 1/4 inch long. Lone Star ticks will feed on most mammals. The Lone Star tick does not transmit Lyme disease. Tularemia and Ehrlichiosis are transmitted by this species. Reddish-brown Lone Star nymphs are approximately 1/16 inch long. ![]() Both males and females are reddish brown in color and between 1/8 and 1/4 inch long, but male Lone Star ticks do not have the spot. It gets its common name from a characteristic white or yellowish spot on the middle of the back of the adult female Lone Star tick. The Lone Star tick is the most commonly found tick in Fairfax County. Blacklegged ticks can spread Lyme disease, anaplasmosis and Powassan virus. Adult blacklegged ticks prefer to feed on white-tailed deer although they will feed on a variety of mammals and birds. Blacklegged tick nymphs are approximately 1/16 inch long and will feed on humans, other mammals or birds. Male blacklegged ticks, which are dark brown in color, are slightly shorter in length. Unfed female blacklegged ticks have a reddish body and a dark brown area located behind the head. Tick Identification and Tick-borne Diseases in Virginia Poster Blacklegged or Deer Tick ( Ixodes scapularis) There are the three tick species commonly found in Fairfax County that can spread disease to humans.
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