Black-legged Tick (Deer Tick)

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

Blood from mammals, birds, and reptiles

Wait on vegetation to latch onto a passing host (questing); they go through four life stages: egg, larva, nymph, and adult

Primary vector of Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, and babesiosis; they provide no significant benefits to humans