Ticks
The most common type of tick in upstate New York is the deer tick, also known as the blacklegged tick. These bloodsucking hitchhikers are 1/8’’ long with dark brown to black oval shaped bodies. These wingless insects have eight legs and prefer to live in tall grass, shrubs, and leaf piles. They will hold onto grass or leaves with their third and fourth pair of legs and use their other legs to grab onto a nearby host. Ticks primarily live off the blood of deer or other mammals, such as mice or rabbits, but can live for a long period of time without food or water depending on what stage of their life they are in (egg, larva, nymph, adult). These hitchhikers will grasp onto skin, insert their barbed feeding tube, and suck on blood slowly as they feast. Within the feeding process, ticks secrete small amounts of saliva that could potentially pick up pathogens from their host.
Are ticks hazardous to humans and pets?
Yes, to some degree. Since ticks are susceptible to transmitting pathogens, they can be harmful to humans and pets if you or your pet become a host. Ticks will secrete small amounts of saliva with anesthetic properties before burrowing under the skin. Since anesthetic properties are secreted, you may not even know if you are a host. The most common disease that could be spread through ticks in upstate New York is Lyme Disease. Tick bites are often, but not always, identified by the “bullseye rash”. If you or your pet have been bitten by a tick, please consult with a doctor or veterinarian.
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Pest Info