External Parasites - Ticks
Ticks are eight legged creatures that are more closely related to spiders than they are to six legged insects such as fleas or mosquitoes. All ticks survive by feeding on the blood of host animals. These hosts can be dogs, cats, other four legged animals, birds, reptiles, or humans. The most common ticks that infest us or our pets in our part of southern Indiana are the American Dog Tick (field tick), the Brown Dog Tick, and the Black Legged Tick (one of the species called the deer tick). There are minor differences in each of their life cycles but, in general, the cycle consists of four stages:
- Egg---After mating on the host animal the female
will drop off and lay her eggs. The egg then hatches into a larva.
- Larva---The larva is a six legged organism that must
find a host on which to feed. The larva then matures into a nymph.
- Nymph---The nymph has eight legs but no visible external
male of female parts. The nymph must find its food source in order to
mature into the adult.
- Adult---Although the immature forms may be found
on ourselves or our pets, it is the adult tick that we’re most
familiar with.
Each of these life stages must wait for an appropriate host to brush against it in order to be able to attach itself and continue the life cycle. Some species spend its entire life cycle on just one host. Others require more than one host to finish its life cycle. The entire life cycle may take just a few days or a couple of years depending on the particular species. In all instances, the male tick dies after mating and the female tick dies after laying her eggs. (A schematic of a tick having a “two hosts” life cycle is shown below.)
Two Host Tick Lifecycle
http://entomology.ucdavis.edu/faculty/rbkimsey/tickbio.html
Ticks may spread diseases to humans and animals. Lyme disease gets the
most publicity now and a vaccine is available for dogs that are considered
to be at risk for exposure to this disease. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever,
Babesiosis and Ehrlichiosis are other diseases that can be spread to dogs
as well as to humans by the bite of an infected tick. In each instance,
the tick must have been attached and feeding for a time before any disease
can be transmitted. The problem is that there is disagreement as to exactly
how long this period is and that each organism may have its own time clock.
The bottom line is that avoidance of tick bites --- rather we’re
speaking of our pets or ourselves --- is the best way to prevent infection
from any of the tick-borne diseases. Our page (Compare Topical Flea and
Tick Products) addresses products that can be used for tick control as
well as flea control. Along with those products, there is a tick collar
(the Preventic collar) that can be used for tick control. This collar
CANNOT be used on cats and has no effect on fleas although it is quite
effective in controlling ticks. Even with the best anti-tick products
being used, daily “tick checks” are still an important part
of tick control.
The following links can be accessed to find more useful information regarding the individual diseases and about individual tick species.
Tick Talk --- How much do you know about ticks, Lyme Disease, Etc.?
What's the Difference? | Fleas | Flea & Tick Products