WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO LEARN ABOUT TICKS?
Ticks
are disease transmitting external parasites to birds, reptiles, and
mammals. Ticks are vectors because they spread diseases when they feed on
a healthy animal after feeding on an infected animal. Often the bacteria
or virus causing the disease requires time to develop inside the tick before it
can effectively infect another animal. Ticks are ideal vectors because
they feed once per stage and often will drop off the host before they molt
giving the disease time to multiply and develop in the tick. In order to
avoid this it is important to understand how ticks act as vectors.
Ticks
will feed from several days to weeks. Remaining
attached on a moving animal requires some special adaptations.
First, their mouthparts have backward pointing serrations that act as
anchors. Second, ticks secrete a
cement-like substance in their saliva that reinforces
the anchor. The “cement”
dissolves when the tick is full of blood and ready to drop off the host. 
When
ticks need to find a suitable host, they exhibit a
behavior called questing. Ticks will wait on brush for chemical and thermal cues from passing animals. Once
the tick perceives these cues it
climbs to the top of a leaf and holds on with six legs while the remaining two
reach out to grab the animal. Once it grabs hold it sinks its mouthparts
in and begins to feed.
TICK LIFE CYCLE
LARVAE: Larvae only have six legs, but they are still able to attach themselves to a suitable host to feed. Often larvae will feed from reptiles and small rodents. After the larvae get their first meal they fall off of the host and molt into nymphs.
NYMPH:
The nymphs will attach themselves to new hosts to feed again.
Once they have accomplished this, they will fall off their hosts to molt
for the last time becoming adults.
AVOID BEING A HOST
Ticks prefer moist, shaded environments much like people do. If you are out walking along trails try to avoid brushing up against vegetation. Wear light colored clothing so that it is easier to see that may have gotten on you. By pulling your socks out over your pants and tucking in your shirt, you close off routes to your bare skin. Lastly, apply an insect repellant containing DEET and check yourself often for ticks. It takes at least 36 hours before a feeding tick can transmit Lyme disease so it is very important to check yourself often.
If you have moist shady areas in your yard you can reduce the number of ticks by cleaning up leaf litter and pruning to allow more light to reach the ground. Since ticks in their early stages feed on smaller animals such as rodents and lizards, removing suitable habitat for these animals also will diminish the number of ticks in your yard.
HOW
TO REMOVE A TICK
Tick bites are often so painless that people don't even know that the ticks are there. If you find a tick attached to you it is important that you remove it correctly. Lyme disease is stored in the midgut so if you squeeze the tick you could push it into you. Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to your skin as possible and pull it straight off. DO NOT twist the tick off or use kerosene, petroleum jelly, matches or other products to remove the tick. It is common for the mouthparts to remain in your skin. If this happens apply antiseptic to the area and watch for any changes in that area. Consult your doctor if changes do occur. It is normal to have some redness at the site of the tick bite.
For more information on Lyme Disease click here.
For More Information:
(530) 365-3768
The information in this web page is also available in a brochure.