Ticks

Ticks are blood-feeding arachnids that pose the greatest vector-borne disease threat in the United States. The CDC estimates that approximately 476,000 Americans are diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease each year, making it the most common vector-borne illness in the country. Beyond Lyme, ticks transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, Powassan virus, and alpha-gal syndrome (red meat allergy).

The most medically significant species include the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis, also called the deer tick), which transmits Lyme disease and is found throughout the eastern and north-central U.S.; the American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis), which transmits Rocky Mountain spotted fever and is found east of the Rocky Mountains; the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum), which is aggressive, found throughout the Southeast and expanding northward, and linked to alpha-gal syndrome; and the brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus), the only species that can complete its entire lifecycle indoors.

Tick lifecycles span 2-3 years across four stages: egg, larva, nymph, and adult. Nymphal ticks, barely the size of a poppy seed, are responsible for the majority of Lyme disease transmissions because they are extremely difficult to detect on the body. A tick must typically be attached for 36-48 hours to transmit the Lyme disease bacterium (Borrelia burgdorferi), which is why prompt daily tick checks are so important.

Ticks do not jump or fly — they use a behavior called questing, where they climb to the tips of grass blades and low vegetation and extend their front legs to latch onto passing hosts. They are most commonly encountered along woodland edges, in tall grass, leaf litter, and overgrown areas.

For residential properties, professional tick control focuses on perimeter treatments along woodland borders, targeted applications in shaded and moist areas, and habitat modification. Reducing leaf litter, maintaining mowed borders between yards and wooded areas, and creating gravel or wood chip barriers can significantly reduce tick populations on a property.