Hard Tick (Nymph/Adult stage)

Wooded areas, tall grasses, leaf litter, and shrubs where they wait for hosts.

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

They exhibit 'questing' behavior, waiting on the tips of vegetation to latch onto passing hosts. They undergo four life stages: egg, larva, nymph, and adult.

Significant risk as vectors for diseases such as Lyme disease, Anaplasmosis, and Babesiosis. If found embedded in skin, it should be removed carefully with tweezers and the area monitored for a rash.