The Life Cycle of Ticks

Ticks are a nuisance, and they can carry a number of diseases. In order to understand the best way to treat and prevent ticks, it is important to understand the life cycle of ticks. Ticks have four different stages and can live up to three years. At each stage, the tick will need to consume blood in order to continue to develop.

Eggs

The tick life cycle begins as eggs. A Female will lay up to 4000 eggs at time. Some ticks will lay of all their eggs at once, while others lay them is several smaller batches. The eggs are usually laid in the spring and will hatch at some point during the late spring and early summer.

Larvae

When the ticks first hatch they are referred to as larvae. These are very small ticks and may be difficult to see if they attach themselves to you. Tick larvae only have six legs instead of the eight that the adults have. The larvae will need to feed on blood so that they can mature. If they cannot find a host they will eventually die. Larvae are also known as seed ticks, and most people will not notice them unless they find several in a group.

Nymph

A nymph occurs after the first feeding and molting of the tick larvae. A nymph will have eight legs like an adult tick, but it is still much smaller than the adults. Some species of ticks will look for larger hosts as they get bigger, while others will stick to the same host throughout their life cycle. However, ticks are opportunists and may feed on your or your pet at any stage. Once the nymphs feed, they will molt their shell and grow. Some ticks will only do this once, while other ticks will need to do it several times—they must feed before each molting. Many ticks will not mature into nymphs until the fall.

Adult

Once ticks reach adulthood—often by the spring following their hatching, they will need to feed and then mate. The female ticks tend to feed more in part so they have more protein for laying their eggs. After laying the eggs, the female tick will die and then the cycle begins again.

Ticks will contract a disease if they attach to a host that already have it. They will pass it on to their next host when they bit and their saliva mixes with the blood of the host. It is best to prevent ticks from maturing. The experts at Mosquito Tek can apply a treatment to your yard that will eliminate the ticks at any stage. It is possible to enjoy time in your yard without worrying about bug repellent for you and your family members. This spray can also help protect your pets from contracting ticks in your yard. Contact Mosquito Tek to learn more about tick treatments available for your yard.

Find out about the 3 Ticks in Virginia and the Diseases They Cause

Comments

Can Tick Bites Really Cause an Allergy to Meat?

In the past few years there have been increasing reports of people developing allergies to meat after being bitten by a tick. This is formerly called an Alpha Gel allergy. Researchers in Virginia were among the first to discover it through clinical trials for a medication. Some patients were having a reaction to one component in the medication and would have similar allergic reactions to red meat or meat from mammals. Some people even have reactions to dairy products. What Tick Causes the Allergic Reaction? The Lone Star tick is the only tick that is currently known to spread the allergy to meat. The ticks are common in areas with high deer populations, since the Lone Star tick prefers to feed on the deer. You can identify a tick by looking at its back for a white dot in the center. If you find a tick attached to you, you will need to remove it right away, and then watch for symptoms. How Can I Tell if I Have an Allergy to Meat? The symptoms for the meat allergy will build over time....

Will the East Asian Tick Spread to the Arlington Area This Year?

The East Asian tick has made the news in the last few days because it is a new tick species that was identified as being in the United States this year. It was first identified last fall, but efforts were made to eradicate it. Unfortunately, scientists have determined that those efforts did not work, and the species has been established in New Jersey. Why Are People Concerned About the East Asian Tick? It is an extremely invasive species that originated in Asia. When it first spread to Australia it causes significant problems for farmers there. The ticks are often found around farms animals, but they can also be found on large animals like deer. The East Asian tick does carry the SFTS virus, which is a new virus that was first discovered in 2009. It has potential for serious complications and scientists worry about a potential outbreak. How Does the East Asian Tick Spread? The experts are not sure how the East Asian tick made its way to the United States. However, once it is...

Bee Safety and Mosquito Control

As the weather warms up and insect activity increases, both outdoor enthusiasts and casual lawn-goers alike are faced with similar challenges: how to manage mosquito populations without harming beneficial insects in the process. Protecting bees and other pollinators doesn’t require sacrificing your summer to the indoors, or risking discomfort and disease from feeding mosquitoes. Through incorporating preventative measures and the responsible application of products, it is possible to take your yard back from mosquitoes without dangerously impacting your local pollinators. The Importance of Protecting Pollinators The global decline in pollinator species -- both in diversity and population -- is widespread cause for concern. Insect pollinators play an essential role in the reproduction of many wild and food crop plant species, and bees in particular contribute to the success of the world’s most important human food crops. However, wild and domestic bee numbers have been droppi...

Mosquito Tek

Search This Blog