Black-legged Tick (Deer Tick)

Wooded areas, tall grass, and brushy locations with high humidity.

Blood from mammals (including humans, deer, and rodents), birds, and reptiles.

Four-stage life cycle (egg, larva, nymph, adult). They practice questing, where they wait on vegetation to latch onto passing hosts.

Primary vector for Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, and babesiosis. They provide no direct benefit to humans and are considered a major public health risk.