Tick

Scientific Name: Ixodida

Order & Family: Order: Ixodida; Families include Ixodidae (hard ticks) and Argasidae (soft ticks)

Size: 3mm to 5mm (unfed), can swell significantly larger after a blood meal.

Tick

Natural Habitat

Tall grass, brushy areas, and wooded regions where they wait for hosts to pass by.

Diet & Feeding

Hematophagous; they feed exclusively on the blood of mammals, birds, and sometimes reptiles.

Behavior Patterns

They exhibit 'questing' behavior by clinging to vegetation and reaching out with their front legs to latch onto a host. They undergo a four-stage life cycle: egg, larva, nymph, and adult.

Risks & Benefits

Risks include the transmission of pathogens such as Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and several other bacterial or viral infections. They offer no direct benefit to humans and are considered parasitic pests.

Identified on: 1/14/2026