Black-legged Tick (Deer Tick)

Wooded areas, brushy fields, and leaf litter where host animals are common

Hematophagous; feeds exclusively on the blood of mammals, birds, and sometimes reptiles

Includes 'questing' by climbing to the tips of grass or leaves to wait for a host. The life cycle typically takes two years and includes four stages: egg, larva, nymph, and adult.

Major health risk as a primary vector for Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, and babesiosis in humans and pets. Provides a food source for some birds and reptiles within the ecosystem.