Tick

Scientific Name: Ixodida (Order)

Order & Family: Ixodida (Order), Ixodidae (Hard ticks) or Argasidae (Soft ticks) (Family)

Size: Unfed adults typically 2-6 mm, engorged females can be up to 10-15 mm.

Tick

Natural Habitat

Wooded areas, tall grass, shrubs, animal nests and burrows. They latch onto hosts passing by.

Diet & Feeding

Blood of mammals, birds, and sometimes reptiles and amphibians, feeding for several hours to days.

Behavior Patterns

Questing (waiting on vegetation for a host), slow-moving, can attach firmly to hosts. They go through four life stages: egg, larva, nymph, and adult. Each active stage requires a blood meal.

Risks & Benefits

Risks: Can transmit various diseases to humans and animals, including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, and Powassan virus. Benefits: Play a role in the food chain for some predators, but generally considered pests due to disease transmission.

Identified on: 10/29/2025