Where Do Ticks Live? Uncovering Their Habitats and Hideouts

Ticks are small, blood-sucking arachnids that can be found in various regions across the world. They inhabit areas with high vegetation, such as forests and grasslands, where they can easily latch onto passing animals and humans. Learning about where ticks live helps you know how to avoid them and protect yourself from the diseases they can transmit.

In the United States, ticks are particularly prevalent in the coastal areas along the Atlantic coast and the Gulf of Mexico Regions Where Ticks Live. Different species of ticks live in different regions, each transmitting various illnesses to humans and animals, such as Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and tularemia. Some ticks prefer to feed on birds and small rodents, while others latch onto larger mammals like deer and other wildlife.

Understanding the habitats of ticks and the risks they pose is crucial for your safety and well-being. When venturing into areas where ticks are known to live, take preventive measures like wearing protective clothing, using tick repellent, and regularly checking yourself and your pets for ticks. By being informed and prepared, you can minimize your chances of contracting tick-borne diseases.

Life Cycle of Ticks

Egg Stage

During the egg stage, female ticks lay their eggs on the ground. These eggs are usually found in clusters and can number in the thousands. The eggs eventually hatch into larvae, which are tiny, six-legged creatures.

Larva Stage

The larva stage is the first active stage of a tick’s life. During this time, the larvae search for a host – usually a small mammal or bird – to feed on blood. Once they find a suitable host, they attach themselves and engorge on blood. After feeding, they drop off the host and molt to become nymphs.

Nymph Stage

The nymph stage is a crucial stage in a tick’s life cycle. The tick’s size increases, and it becomes an eight-legged creature more similar in appearance to an adult tick. Nymphs typically look for larger hosts, such as humans and larger animals. Once they have successfully fed, they detach from their host, drop to the ground, and molt again, transforming into adult ticks.

Adult Stage

As adults, ticks continue to search for hosts to feed on for their final blood meal. This time, they may choose even larger hosts like deer or humans. Female ticks require this final meal to produce eggs and start the cycle again, while males may also feed but primarily search for a female to mate with. After feeding and mating, the adult ticks die, completing their life cycle.

Remember to watch out for ticks when you’re outdoors, as they can transmit various diseases during their feeding process. By knowing the stages of their life cycle, you can better understand how to protect yourself and your pets from these tiny but dangerous creatures.

Tick Habitats

Wooded Areas

Ticks thrive in wooded areas because of the abundance of shade and moisture. These environments offer the perfect conditions for them to survive. For instance:

• Ticks can be found on the ground
• They might also be found on trees and shrubs

Grassy Areas

In addition to wooded areas, ticks also live in grassy areas. Here, they can easily latch onto passing animals and humans. Some characteristics of grassy tick habitats are:

• Ticks often hide in tall grass
• They can be found in fields and meadows

Leaf Piles

Ticks find leaf piles to be an ideal habitat due to the moisture and shelter they provide. Keep in mind:

• Ticks can be found beneath leaf litter in wooded areas
• Regularly clearing leaves from your backyard can help reduce tick populations

Home Backyard

Unfortunately, ticks can be found in home backyards as well. This is especially true if your property borders wooded or grassy areas. To minimize the risk of tick encounters, consider:

• Keeping your grass mowed short
• Removing leaf piles and debris regularly

Tick Hosts

Birds and Mammals

Ticks can find a host on various birds and mammals. For instance, they often latch onto deer and rodents in their natural habitats. These creatures then inadvertently spread ticks to new locations.

Pets and Humans

Ticks are also common among household pets, such as dogs and cats. When your pets roam outdoors, they can pick up ticks, which may lead to possible bites and tick-borne diseases for both pets and humans. Taking precautions, like regularly checking your pets for ticks, helps reduce the risk.

Reptiles and Amphibians

Although not as common, ticks can also be found on reptiles and amphibians like lizards. These cold-blooded creatures can carry ticks, but the risk of tick-borne diseases in humans from these hosts is lower compared to warm-blooded animals like mammals and birds.

Behaviour of Ticks

Feeding Habits

Ticks are parasites that feed on the blood of their hosts. Their feeding process can take from 10 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the tick species and its stage of life. As they feed, they can transmit various pathogens that cause diseases such as Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

1. Locating hosts: Ticks find their hosts by detecting carbon dioxide exhaled by animals, like you and your pets.
2. Attachment: Once they find a host, ticks will climb onto it and search for a suitable feeding spot, usually in warmer, thinner-skinned areas.
3. Biting and feeding: Ticks will use their specialized mouthparts to cut into the skin and insert a feeding tube to draw blood.

Questing Behaviour

Questing is the behaviour ticks exhibit when they actively search for a host. Here’s how it works:

• Positioning: Ticks will wait on the tips of grasses or leaves with their front legs outstretched.
• Climbing: When a potential host brushes against them, ticks will quickly climb onto it.
• Hunting: They then move around the host in search of a feeding site.

Overall, ticks are highly reliant on their questing behaviour to find a host and obtain the blood they need to survive.

Survival in Winter

Ticks can be quite resilient, even in winter. Some species can tolerate cold temperatures and remain active during this time, while others will enter a state of dormancy. Here are a few key points:

• Active species: In milder winter temperatures, some tick species can still be active and questing for hosts.
• Dormant species: Other tick species may enter a state of dormancy – this protects them from harsh winter conditions.
• Safety measures: It’s essential to remain vigilant during winter months, as there is still a potential risk of tick exposure, especially in warmer areas.

In conclusion, understanding the behaviour of ticks can help raise awareness on their feeding habits, questing behaviour, and survival strategies, ultimately helping you protect yourself and your pets from tick-borne diseases.

Types of Ticks

Blacklegged Tick

The Blacklegged Tick, often referred to as the “deer tick,” is a significant carrier of Lyme Disease. They are commonly found in the Eastern U.S. People often identify these ticks by their dark brown or black color and resemblance to a small watermelon seed.

• Main concerns: Lyme Disease transmission
• Distribution: primarily in the Eastern U.S.

Lone Star Tick

The Lone Star Tick also poses a threat to human health. One notable characteristic is the single white spot on the backs of female ticks. They’re prevalent in the southeastern U.S. but are also expanding their range. They transmit diseases like Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness (STARI) and Ehrlichiosis.

• Main concerns: STARI and Ehrlichiosis transmission
• Distribution: predominantly in the southeastern U.S.

Brown Dog Tick

The Brown Dog Tick is found worldwide but mainly in the southwestern U.S. and along the U.S.-Mexico border. These ticks mainly infest dogs, but they may also bite humans. They transmit harmful diseases like Rocky Mountain spotted fever to their hosts.

• Main concerns: Rocky Mountain spotted fever transmission
• Distribution: worldwide, with higher prevalence in the southwestern U.S. and U.S.-Mexico border area

Comparison Table

Understanding the differences between these tick species is crucial to stay informed and protect yourself from tick-borne diseases when spending time outdoors.

Ticks and Diseases

Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. When infected ticks bite you, they transmit the bacteria through their saliva. Common symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and a skin rash. To reduce your risk, protect yourself from tick bites.

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

This is a potentially fatal disease caused by the bacterium Rickettsia rickettsii. Transmission occurs through the bite of infected ticks. Symptoms include fever, headache, and rash. Prompt treatment with doxycycline can improve your chances of recovery. Learn more about Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

Ehrlichiosis

Ehrlichiosis results from infection by the Ehrlichia bacteria. Ticks transmit the pathogen when they bite you. Symptoms include headache, fever, and fatigue. Timely antibiotic treatment is essential to prevent complications. Discover more about ehrlichiosis.

Anaplasmosis

Anaplasmosis is caused by the bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Infected ticks can transfer the bacteria during a bite. Flu-like symptoms are common, and early treatment with antibiotics is crucial. Find out more about anaplasmosis.

Babesiosis

This disease is caused by microscopic parasites that infect red blood cells. Infected ticks transmit the parasite when they bite. Symptoms include fever, chills, and fatigue. Treatment options involve a combination of medications. Learn more about babesiosis.

Colorado Tick Fever

Colorado tick fever is a viral disease transmitted by infected ticks. Symptoms include fever, headache, and muscle aches. There is no specific treatment, but most people recover on their own. Discover more about Colorado tick fever.

Heartland Virus

This is a rare but potentially severe disease caused by the Heartland virus. Ticks transmit the virus during a bite. Symptoms include fever, fatigue, and muscle aches. Supportive care is the primary treatment approach. Find out more about the Heartland virus.

Powassan Virus

The Powassan virus causes a rare and potentially fatal disease, with transmission occurring through infected tick bites. Signs include fever, vomiting, and seizures. There is no specific treatment, and severe cases can lead to long-term neurological issues. Learn more about the Powassan virus.

Bourbon Virus

The Bourbon virus is a rare and potentially serious illness transmitted by infected ticks. Symptoms include fever, headache, and rash. Currently, no specific treatment exists for Bourbon virus; supportive care is provided. Discover more about the Bourbon virus.

Tick Prevention

Protective Clothing

To prevent tick bites, wear light-colored clothing that covers most of your body. This helps you spot ticks easily and reduces the chances of them reaching your skin. Remember to:

• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
• Tuck your pants into your socks for added protection.

Use of Permethrin

Permethrin is your friend when it comes to tick prevention. Consider using products with permethrin to keep ticks away, such as:

• Permethrin-treated clothing
• Insect repellents containing permethrin for your gear

Remember, always follow instructions on permethrin products to ensure safe and effective use.

By following these precautions, you can significantly reduce your risk of encountering ticks while enjoying outdoor activities.

Reader Emails

Over the years, our website, whatsthatbug.com has received hundreds of letters and some interesting images asking us about these insects. Scroll down to have a look at some of them.

Letter 1 – Tick bites woman on Breast

Subject: unknown bug
Location: Virginia
May 27, 2014 4:39 am
So I’ve been having some trouble recently with bugs- bed bugs, spiders, even a centipede or two. However this is a new one.
I was getting ready to take a shower and noticed a black object on my breast and when I looked down I noticed a black thing attacked to my breast. Flicking didn’t get it off, so I had to grab a washrag and scrub it off. It fell into the sink and started to move around, which is when I grabbed the picture. It was small, eight legs but no pincers as far as I could tell.
It did leave a bite on the skin, not deep and it doesn’t appear to have caused any damage.
Signature: freaked out

Dear freaked out,
At the risk of adding to your anxiety, we need to inform you that you were being parasitized by a Tick.  Ticks are blood suckers, and when their preferred host is not available, many species will feed off the blood of humans.  On a positive note, you managed to dislodge this Tick relatively quickly, and there is always a danger when removing a Tick that the head will remain embedded in the skin and cause an infection.  Also, the damage caused by Ticks is often delayed.  Ticks are known vectors for many diseases, including Lyme Disease.  See the CDC website for more information on Lyme Disease.  You may have encountered this Tick while hiking in fields or woods where they lie waiting for hosts like deer, or you may have had it transferred by a pet like a cat or dog that goes outdoors.

Letter 2 – Pigeon Tick from India

Subject: What bug is it
Location: India
January 31, 2017 2:03 pm
Please if you can help me identify it.
I was cool till I found one in my bedroom. Killed it.
In few hours I found around 4 of them.
Tried to crush them, they don’t die easily.
Signature: Naman Trivedi

Dear Naman,
This is a Tick and we located this image of a Pigeon Tick from India in our own archives and it looks like your individual.  Though Pigeon Ticks feed on the blood of birds, they might bite humans if their preferred hosts are not available.  Do you have pigeons nesting on your roof?  Once the fledgelings leave the nest, the Ticks may migrate away from the nest and into your bedroom searching for food.

Perfect.
I stay on the top floor where we have a lot of pigeons nesting which I shooed away last week. A lot of cleaning yet to be done.
Your help means a lot.
Found around 3 of them in my bedroom. I had something itching while sleeping. Thought would be a bed bug but I could not find any.
Also in the process of killing them, these tick did not die easily. They had blood stored and even after rupturing the same the front half survived for long. And that created a panic attack.
Thanks and regards.
Also would want to know what can be used to disinfect them ?
Naman Trivedi

Hi again Naman,
We provide neither medical advice nor extermination advice.

Letter 3 – Tick Bites

Seed Tick Aftermath
Location: Kirksville, MO
August 21, 2011 10:46 am
Hi again, Daniel.
I have no problem at all with images being cropped/rotated to fit the site, and thank you for the compliments. I discovered, however, that there was a great deal more on the trail than the cannibal flies. On my drive home from the trail, my ankles started itching terribly. Once I was out of the car, I rolled my socks down to discover that my ankles were crawling with seed ticks! Needless to say, all of my clothes wound up in the laundry post haste, and my shoes were promptly treated with some permethrin based spray (which I admittedly should have done -before- the hike!). I discovered that a safety razor works really well in removing the pinhead-sized pests, but I wasn’t able to get them off quickly enough to save my ankles – my left one caught the worst of it!
A note to any hikers with ticks in the area, make sure you treat your clothing before going out, because a tick doesn’t have to transmit a pathogen to leave an unwanted ’gift’ behind!
Signature: EB

Dear EB,
We were not aware of the term Seed Ticks to describe larval Ticks, though that seems a perfect name.  We researched the name and found a very descriptive blog posting on Mayaland as well as this informative page on the Flea and Tick Control website.  Thanks so much for your warning to our readership as well as your personal tips.

Letter 4 – Pigeon Tick from India

Subject: What type of insect is this? Please help!!!!
Location: India
May 22, 2014 9:56 am
Does anyone know what kind of household insect is this?
I really dont know from where it is coming and how to get rid of this lot.
Thanks
Signature: email

Our Automated Response
Thank you for submitting your identification request.
Please understand that we have a very small staff that does this as a labor of love. We cannot answer all submissions (not by a long shot). But we’ll do the best we can!

I found out its a Pigeon Tick. Can you help me getting rid of it? Any
spray? etc
I live in India
Thanks

Thanks for letting us know that you have identified this Pigeon Tick.  According to Rentokil India:  “Pigeons are the principal host but other bird species may also be fed upon. Humans may also be bitten.”  We do not provide extermination advice.

Letter 5 – Tick found on Scrotum

Subject:  Found on scrotum
Geographic location of the bug:  Pennsylvania
Date: 08/04/2018
Time: 09:38 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Please identify this for me
How you want your letter signed:  Andrew

Dear Andrew,
When we read the subject line, we really thought we were going to find an image of a Crab Louse.  We feel for the man who discovered this well fed Tick.  According to BugGuide:  “External parasites of reptiles, birds, and mammals; larvae, nymphs, and adults feed on blood” and “Important vectors of agents of humans & animal disease throughout the world. Ticks transmit the widest variety of pathogens of any blood-sucking arthropod, including bacteria, rickettsiae, protozoa, and viruses. Some currently important human diseases in the US caused by tick-borne pathogens include Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia, and tick-borne relapsing fever.”

Letter 6 – Tick: Marked with Paint???

Tick with partial lime green coloring.
August 7, 2009
Hi Bugman, Thanks for your site, I’ve been enjoying it many years now.
I live in Iron River, (Upper Peninsula) MI. There are so many ticks here that I use a lint roller/remover to take them from my clothing. I have learned to identify them but this little guy has colors I’ve never seen. Is it a new species or just a mutation?
Thank and keep up the good work.
Boyd, Iron River MI
Iron River MI USA

Dear Boyd,
The coloration on your photo looks suspiciously like paint, and we know that scientists sometimes mark insects with paint to identify them if they are recaptured.  We decided to do a web search of “tick green paint” and came up with a hit, but sadly, the hit is for an online article on Veterinary Parasitology:  Co-feeding studies of ticks infected with Anaplasma marginale that the reader needs to subscribe to.  We did manage to copy this sentence from the brief description in the web search description:  “Infected and uninfected ticks, marked with different colors of model rocket spray paint (infected ticks, red and uninfected ticks, green;”  If this pertains to your Tick, it is nice to know it is not infected.  Here is the only portion of the article available in the search:  “Katherine M. Kocan,  and José de la Fuente
Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
Received 26 June 2002;  revised 26 November 2002;  accepted 8 January 2003. ; Available online 8 February 2003.
Abstract
Ticks often cluster at preferred feeding sites on hosts, and the co-feeding of ticks at the same site has been shown to increase feeding success and the transmission of some pathogens. While the major route of infection of ticks with pathogens is via the bloodmeal during feeding on a parasitemic host, non-systemic transmission of viruses and spirochetes has been shown to occur from infected to uninfected ticks at common feeding sites on uninfected hosts. In this research, two separate studies were done using the tick-borne rickettsial pathogen of cattle, Anaplasma marginale. In one study we tested whether A. marginale could be transmitted non-systemically from infected to uninfected Dermacentor variabilis males while co-feeding on rabbits. Infection of ticks was determined by allowing them to transmission feed on susceptible cattle and by DNA probe and microscopy studies on salivary glands. In the second study, we tested whether the co-feeding of male and female ticks on parasitemic cattle would increase the acquisition and development of A. marginale in males. A. marginale infections in salivary glands were determined by quantitative PCR after the ticks were allowed to transmission feed on susceptible cattle. Non-systemic transmission of A. marginale did not occur from infected and uninfected ticks that fed at the same site on rabbits and, therefore, does not appear to be a means of A. marginale transmission. A. marginale infections in male ticks were not increased while co-feeding with females. Thus, co-feeding of adult Dermacentor spp. does not appear to influence the dynamics of A. marginale transmission.”
Perhaps you can find out if there is a study in your area by contacting authorities, universities or research centers.

Update:  August 10, 2009
Daniel, Thanks for your research, I’ve also done a little.  Here is a site where someone else is talking about a lime green tick.
I have the tele number of the Michigan State Extension Service and I’m going to give them a call tomorrow.  Maybe they will be able to put me in touch with the big cheese of ticks.
I put the lime green tick in a jar and thought I had lost the jar….but…I have it and would be happy to send it to you for identification.  I live in the woods about 6 miles from the closest town so I doubt that any experiments are taking place in my area.
Thanks again,
Dick Boyd
Iron River MI

Thanks for your offer Dick, but we do not want your Tick.  We doubt that we have the necessary skills to give an exact identification.  If you find out any additional information, please let us know.

Letter 7 – Tick from Costa Rica

Subject: Bug stick on my leg returning from costa rica
Location: Guanacaste, Costa Rica
December 31, 2012 3:22 pm
I returned from costa rica yesterday, and that bug was stick hard to my leg.
Mesuring about half of a centimeter.
We did a lot of hiking in the guanacaste region. Just want to ensure that it is not dangerous.
Thanks a lot
Signature: email

This is a Tick.  Ticks are blood suckers that are known to spread pathogens.  Some Ticks are disease vectors like the Deer Ticks of North America that spread Lyme Disease.  You might want to seek professional help if you experience any unusual symptoms.

Letter 8 – Tick or Mite from Tasmania

Unknown Tasmanian Tick
Location: Tasmania, Australia
February 1, 2011 8:47 am
Hello, I found this in my house, and was at first very puzzled by it. Looking at it now I think it must be some sort of tick, but I hope it’s not dangerous. I would be very grateful if you could help me. Thank you.
Signature: Joseph Vince

Dear Joseph,
You are correct.  This is a Tick.  Ticks are blood suckers and there are many blood born pathogens, so Ticks are vectors for many viral diseases.  We cannot say for certain that this Tick is dangerous, but we would urge you to use caution where Ticks are concerned.

Letter 9 – Soft Tick

Bugs naturally
Hi,
I found your site (great!) while looking for a picture of a bug that I found today. It was actually on my dog, not embedded, but just in his fur. I thought maybe it was an engorged tick, but if it is, I’ve never seen one like this before. It is very soft and squishy, and a gray color. The dents you see in it are the ones that I put in it when I brushed it off the dog. Do you happen to know what it is?
Thanks for your help.
Jo Sheehan

Hi Jo,
There are Hard Ticks, Family Ixodidae, and there are Soft Ticks, Family Argasidae. Dog Ticks are Hard Ticks. You have found a Soft Tick. I don’t know the species, but Soft Ticks can be just as troublesome. Now, this is just a guess, but there is someting in a tagline at the end of your email mentioning llamas. Soft Ticks like the Spinose Ear Tick, Otobius megnini are large, up to 1/3 inch, and constricted in the middle with pockmarks. They are pests of livestock and horses. This would include llamas. They feast primarily in the ears. Your specimen looks well fed.

Letter 10 – Tick, but what species???

Is this a carios kelleyi? (Bat tick?)
Location: Central Wisconsin
April 2, 2011 10:45 am
I did some research online with these photos I took of this bug in our closet. I’v never seen anything like it! We live in Wisconsin, and I don’t know if this bug is native to here, or where it came from? I took some shots at different angles. It wasn’t moving very fast, so it was easy to do. Please let me know what this crab/tick-like bug is, so that I can finally sleep at night! Thank you!
Signature: The Beckers

Dear Beckers,
We agree that this is a Tick, but we are not confident trying to identify the species.  While we acknowledge that it does resemble the Bat Tick images posted on BugGuide, we believe it looks even more like this unidentified Tick posted to BugGuide, interestingly also from Wisconsin.  Perhaps one of our readers will be able to provide additional information.

Thanks for the response. I agree it looks like the unidentified bug from wisconsin. I know for a fact that we have bats in our attic, near to where I found this bug, so thats why I assumed it was a bat tick. And maybe it’s a species of bat tick. Are bat ticks harmful to humans, do you know?
Thanks for the help!

Thanks for writing back.  Harmful is relative.  We believe that most Ticks, which feed on the blood of a relatively specific host, will bite and feed off of the blood of an alternate food source if the primary food is unavailable.  Since you have bats, it now seems that a Bat Tick is a likely contender.  We suspect that a hungry Bat Tick might bite a human if no bats can be found.  We believe that most people would consider that to be harmful.  We do not know if Bat Ticks carry any secondary pathogens like Lyme Disease which is carried by the Deer Tick.  We believe that all people would consider that to be harmful.  Perhaps a true expert, or an amateur who can point us to any respectable links online, will write in with any additional information.
P.S.  We decided to feature your posting.

That’s great that you decided to feature my posting! Hopefully we’ll get some answers from others who have hopefully seen this tick as well.
Thanks for the information- hopefully it was an isolated tick, and the others are hanging out on the bats in our attic….bats that are unreachable since it’s about 1-2 feet of attic space…don’t really know how we are going to get rid of those!
Thanks again

Update on Bats in the Attic
April 5, 2011
Hi Daniel,
I am wondering about the bat tick, and the bats in the attic.  Bats in colder climates usually only inhabit attics during the summer, and go to caves, mines, etc. for the winter to hibernate.  Are the bats in the attic right now?  If not, now is the perfect time for the Becker’s to exclude the bats.  They can put a bat house up near when the bats come and go from in the summer time, then close up the hole/area in the attic where they are getting in (as long as they are sure there are no bats in the attic).  More information on bat houses, bats, and exclusions can be found at www.batcon.org (Bat Conservation International). …
Thanks, Liz

Letter 11 – Tick Larva

Yes, what is THIS bug?
Hello bugman,
Thank you for your wonderful site for people who want to find out what bug they found. I’ve been searching your site in the past month trying to identify the bug we encountered, but no success. After the caught bugs spent a few weeks in a container in the fridge, I was able to put them under a microscope and take some pictures. The last one was caught before it sucked blood. They are about the size of a pinhead, about 1/2 mm. See: http://www.vandeven.us/bug Click on the pics for enlargement. What do you think….? My friend thinks she got this bug while visiting a friend, countryside of Virginia. They were sitting outside in a two-seater swing with cushions that remain outside. They have lots of birds that they feed, and two outside cats. Something itched her ankles and they got up and left. She had a few bites in the two days, but by the time the week was over she had some 200 bites all over, mostly on her ankles, further on legs, waist, groin, and on her sides between armpit and waist. She found a few bugs, but not the 50 or 100 that you would think would cause all those bites. We thought they were chiggers or bedbugs, and we did all that was recommended to get rid of those. But now that I have seen them under the microscope, I see they are neither. They must be some mite, bird mites, maybe??? I hope you can help us resolve this mystery of “the week of 200 bites.”
Thanks,
Lianne
Williamsburg VA

Ed. Note: Before we had a chance to answer, Lianne wrote back.
Dr. Barry OConnor replies
Hi Bugman,
I wrote you earlier today about an unidentified bug. I kept searching and found Dr. Barry OConnor mentioned on your site. So I went ahead and sent him my pics and story. Below is his reply. I still don’t understand how my friend could have over 200 bites and find only 4 lone start ticks, but I do think Dr. OConnor is right about the tick. So maybe there was another coincidence that we just never will find out… Thanks, and all the best with your site!
Lianne

Hi Lianne – Your photos are of larval ticks. Although the specimens are damaged, in your area, the most likely species to bite people in this stage is the “lone star tick”, Amblyomma americanum. These are very common in the eastern USA, and the bites are hard to prevent. The bites themselves are painless, but one can develop an allergic reaction after some time that would cause itching. One should do a “tick check” daily after walking in tick-infested areas and remove any that are found. The larvae, sometimes called “seed ticks” are small, but they should still be removed carefully to be sure the mouthparts are not left in the skin. You can’t really rule out chiggers as the cause of most of the bites, especially if they were very “itchy.” The pattern you described would be consistent with chiggers, which should be common as well in your area. Chiggers are quite a bit smaller than larval ticks, and their bite fairly quickly causes the “itchy” immune response. People tend to scratch off the actual chigger before they really get the itch, but by then the damage is done! Lone star ticks only have the “star” in the adult female stage; the white area seen in ventral view in these larvae is the excretory product, guanine, stored in the gut. I hope this helps! All the best! – Barry

Wow Lianne,
Thanks for the fabulous images, marvelous information, and expert opinion.

Letter 12 – No Exterminator needed to eliminate Beggar Ticks

Subject: What kind of bug is this?
Location: Wisconsin
May 9, 2014 8:21 pm
I was cleaning my bed yesterday and found these on my mattress but under my fitted sheet. But here’s the kicker, they were only in ONE spot and about a hand full of them. I’ve been searching endless hours as to what these are. It is hard and ‘sturdy’, It was not moving it anything like that. Not sure if they are seeds or what they are. I have 2 cats and one of my cat cuddles with me every night under the covers. So pretty sure it’s not a rodent. And my cats are strictly indoor cats, they are NOT allowed in the basement or outside…
Signature: Christina

Our Automated Response:
Thank you for submitting your identification request.
Please understand that we have a very small staff that does this as a labor of love. We cannot answer all submissions (not by a long shot). But we’ll do the best we can!

I really hope you can tell me what it is. I’m really creeped out and ready to call an exterminator, found 2 centipedes in my living room tonight.
Christina

Hi Christina,
Though they are called Beggar Ticks, there is no need to call the exterminator.  Beggar Ticks are seeds of the composite wildflowers in the genus Bidens  that have a very unique means of being transported.  According to Brian Johnson on Microscopy UK:  “The seed of a Beggar-Tick may not be beautiful, but I can attest from personal experience that it is very efficient.  Considerable force is required to remove one from a sock or pant leg.  Even shoe-laces are not immune! “.   There is a very nice image of Beggar Ticks on the Field Guide to Noxious and other Selected Weeds of British Columbia.

Thank you very much! I still don’t know how they got under my sheet. But I feel much better now. Thank you again!! There is a water retention pond in our back yard, so unfortunately we do get some creepy crawlers but I try to keep the house closed up as best as I can. But they do on occasion come up from basement (house is from 1907 but everything BUT the basement has been gutted and redone).
Thanks again and have a great day!

Letter 13 – Possible Tick from Hawaii

Subject:  round bug with “eye”
Geographic location of the bug:  Honolulu in an industrial area
Date: 07/31/2019
Time: 11:53 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  This bug landed on my leg at work while i was eating lunch outside.   There is a canal nearby about and 1/8 of a mile. I was startled and it almost appeared as if the “eye blinked” i could not see any legs on it……i have NO CLUE what this is…….it was moving i just don’t know WHAT was moving……the entire bug seemed to move……i am unsure if it flew away or what…….i grabbed my camera and got this shot  ……THANKS TONS
How you want your letter signed:  Tony Seymour

Dear Tony,
Your image is lacking significant detail, and our best guess on this is that you encountered a Tick.

GREETINGS DANIEL!!!
Wow…..thanks a lot for getting back from yesterday so quickly.
That picture of a tick looks about right……I just didn’t see any legs on mine…..but that is the closest to an explanation as I need.
I was using an old flip phone to take the photo……..
Thanks.
Sincerely,
Tony Seymour

Letter 14 – Possibly Lone Star Tick

Subject:  Weird bug in georgia
Geographic location of the bug:  Middle Georgia us
Date: 09/03/2017
Time: 07:56 PM EDT
I’ve never seen a bug that looks like this could you tell me what it is please
How you want your letter signed:  Melissa

Dear Melissa,
This is definitely a blood-sucking Tick, but its striped legs seem unusual, so we attempted to try a species identification for you.  We started our identification with the Protect Yourself from Ticks page on the UGA Extension site where it states:  “Ticks are one of the most important groups of arthropods in Georgia due to their disease transmitting capabilities. In Georgia, ticks are known to transmit several diseases, with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Lyme disease being the most common. Tularemia is a long-recognized disease also transmitted by ticks, as are the more recently recognized diseases Anaplasmosis, Human Ehrlichiosis (pronounced err-lick-e-o-sis) and Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness (STARI). Ticks can also cause infections if their mouthparts break off when they are removed from the skin and can leave persistent welts resulting from reactions to their saliva. If tick populations are high in recreation and camping areas, participation may drop off, causing monetary loss to the leisure industry. Costs to control ticks in yards and homes and on pets and people can also be significant.”  The site further elaborates:  “Three tick species are most commonly associated with humans in Georgia: the Lone Star tick(Amblyomma americanum), American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis) and black-legged tick(Ixodes scapularis).  The Lone Star tick has unusually long mouthparts. The female has a single white spot in the middle of her back, while the white markings on the male are diffuse. Common hosts include large animals such as livestock, dogs, deer and humans as well as smaller animals such as birds and rodents. Lone Star ticks are particularly common in brushy, bottomland areas where deer are prevalent.”  Because of the “single white spot in the middle of her back” we believe your tick is a female Lone Star Tick, but we might be wrong.  The Georgia Department of Health also recognizes the same three common Ticks in Georgia, and states:  “Lone Star Tick (Amblyomma americanum) Most common tick in Georgia.  Transmits the bacteria that cause human monocytic ehrlichiosis (HME) and southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI).”  Despite that information, the striped legs still have our curious.   We did locate images of striped legged Lone Star Ticks including this BugGuide image and this BugGuide image.

Letter 15 – Tick found in Bed

Subject: Found Bug
Location: Tennessee
May 31, 2013 12:51 am
This bug crawled onto my bed …. it was very flat and small
Tried to crush it between my fingers but couldn’t
Tried to crush it with paper but that didn’t work either
Used a sharp edge to crush it I hurt it but it didn’t die so I burned it
Signature: trini

Dear trini,
Do you have a dog or a cat that goes outside and then jumps on the bed to sleep?  This is a Tick and you might want to check your pet, if you have one, to make sure these resilient blood suckers have not taken up residence on your pet’s coat.  Ticks are also vectors of diseases like Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Lyme Disease, and their potential threat should be taken seriously.  Since we will be away from the office in early June, we have postdated your submission to go live at that time.

Letter 16 – Pigeon Tick from Slovenia

unknown creature concave bug- very ugly
February 24, 2010
i found them in my place so i would like to know what are they.
cannot find any ID so please help.
quite big creatures usually transparent up to 7-8 mm big.
thanks
Lazar from Slovenia
Ljubljana

Hi Lazar,
This is a Tick, and its concave shape indicates it is hungry for blood.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
BUT HOW CAN THIS TICK BE SO BIG?? AND WHY THEY LIVE IN MY FLAT?? AND THEY ARE FAST WHILE TICKS ARE SLOW.
I KNOW WHAT ARE TICKS. I AM FROM VILLAGE AND I KNOW THIS RACES..USUALLY HUMAN AND DOG TICKS..ALL HAVE SOME KIND OF A BAG FOR A BLOOD
THIS ONE HAS NO SUCH THING AND ALSO THERE IS NO MOUTH! IF YOU TURN IT JUST PLAIN SHAPE WITHOUT STING MOUTH.
ALSO THIS ARE CREATURES TO 1 CM AND THAT IS FAAAR FAAAR TOO BIG. HUMAN TICKS I KNOW THEY ARE FROM 0,05 CM TO 0,1 CM AND I GET PLENTY OF THEM BECAUSE I GO REGULAR IN SEARCH OF MUSHROOMS AND METAL DETECTING. DOG  TICKS ARE QUITE BIGGER AND IN NORMAL SIZE THEY ARE ABOUT 0,2 CM TO 0,4 CM. WHEN THEY ARE FULL OF BLOOD I KNOW THEY ARE MASSIVE- UP TO 2 CM!! NOT GOOD IN US GRADE SO I TELL IN EUROPEAN METRIC.
I CAUGHT THIS DOG TICKS IN BOSNIA ONLY. BUT I SEE THEM INSTANTLY AND HAD NO BITES TILL NOW! BUT I PULL THEM OFTEN FROM A DOG.
SO THIS MY CREATURE IS ALREADY IN NORMAL SIZE 1 CM!!! THAT IS A SIZE OF A HALF FULL DOG TICK. AND IF THEY HAD OPPORTUNITY TO SUCK BLOOD THEY WOULD BE AT LEAST 5 CM BIG!! THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE!??
IT IS A SHAME I DIDN’T TURN IT AROUND SO I CAN SHOW YOU THAT IT IS A PLAIN SHAPE WITHOUT SEPARATION AND PLACE FOR A BLOOD BAG.
PLEASE IF YOU CAN TELL ME WHAT IS GOING ON I WOULD BE VERY HAPPY! THEY LIVE IN MY APARTMENT AND I AM NOT HAPPY!
AND I LIVE IN 4th FLOOR!!!
PLEASE TELL ME SOME GOOD NEWS BECAUSE MY ROOMMATE IS FREAKING OUT- SHE GONNA KILL ME :-S
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HELPING ME
HOPE IT IS NOT A NEW KIND BECAUSE IT IS TOO UGLY TO HAVE MY NAME!
LAZAR

Hi again Lazar,
This comment just arrived.
Daniel

Faithful Reader Karl identifies another one
I think this could be a Pigeon Tick (Argas reflexus), a common tick of central and southern Europe. They usually feed on pigeons, but if none are available they may also feed on other birds or, rarely, humans. Do you perhaps have pigeons nesting in your eaves or attic? Like most ticks, they can transmit some diseases, and apparently can cause problems for people who have an allergy to their bights. By its size I would say this one is a female.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Argas_reflexus.jpg
http://www.ambitec.de/schaedlinge/insekten/taubenzecke/index.html

THANK YOU THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
NOW I KNOW WHY I HAVE SO MUCH PROBLEMS WITH ALLERGIES!
WISH YOU ALL GOOD AND BEST REGARDS
LAZAR

Letter 17 – Ticks

I would appreciate it if you would help with the identification of the bug in the picture I sent you. It got half way into my buddy with its rear end first. Did it lay eggs in me? Should I be worried?
Please help me out!
Thanks,
Simon.

Hi Simon,
You were bitten by a Tick. Sorry I can’t tell you the exact species. They are usually picked up in grassy areas. Ticks wait for a large warm blooded mammal, like a deer or dog or human to pass by. Then they attach to the prey and suck blood. They pass on viral infections like Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. They will not lay eggs in you.

Letter 18 – Ticks

Subject: Need to identify bug(s)
Location: New Jersey
May 24, 2016 6:26 am
Thanks in advance for your time and service you provide.
My daughter went to zoo yesterday and her mom found two bugs on her scalp (partially penitrating scalp). I am worried as I have a 9th month old as well at home and wanted to isolate this incident as one time thing. You help will identifying and any recommendation would be of great help.
Signature: As per the procedure

Your daughter has Ticks.  They will not breed on her, so removing the offensive creatures should eliminate the problem.

Thank you Daniel. They are off her and we monitor her for any fever or rash. I am proactively calling on the pest terminator to examine her room to see if we have more of them.
Anyways thanks again for your prompt response. You are a great resource/help for people like me.
Thanks
Tejas

You are welcome.  Most people pick up Ticks while walking in woods and fields.

Letter 19 – Unidentified Mite, maybe? or Louse? or Tick?

Bugs galore–love your site!!
I am IM-PRESSED with your site…..as a veterinary technician and inveterate curious person, it is absolutely invaluable and beautifully done. (the American Dog Tick, if I recall correctly, is Dermacentor variabilis. The tiny black-legged one on the bottom of your tick page is most likely one of the Deer Ticks, Ixodes.) Now, here’s one for you to help me with! Found two of these guys so far after working out in the yard, and have several bites of unknown origin as well, although I have NOT seen the bug attached to me as yet. But when I itch, I scratch, and got these guys. Eight legs, long piercing mouthparts, hard bodied (‘pop’ when I smooshed him), blood-like fluid exuded when popped. Ideas, please!! My usual references are failing me….
Thanks!
Pamela Alley, RVT
Oroville, CA

Hi Pamela,
Thanks for the compliment. We have no idea what you sent in. Probably a Mite. We are also posting your letter on our Louse and Tick pages. Maybe if it is posted, someone else can identify it. The picture is awesome.

Update from Barry M. OConnor (05/23/2006)
Unidentified mite, maybe?… (10/07/05). This is a parasitic mite in the family Macronyssidae, genus Ornithonyssus. These are the most common “bird” or “rodent” mites you mention. These are similar to the Ophionyssus mentioned above in living in the nest material and feeding on the host blood. Ornithonyssus sylviarum (the Northern fowl mite), O. bursa (the tropical fowl mite) and O. bacoti (the tropical rat mite) all occur in California; the first two are parasites of a wide variety of birds, the last parasitizes rodents, commonly commensal rats. All readily bite people when the normal host is no longer around. The remedy is to locate the bird nest or get rid of the rat problem.

Reader Emails

Over the years, our website, whatsthatbug.com has received hundreds of letters and some interesting images asking us about these insects. Scroll down to have a look at some of them.

Letter 1 – Tick bites woman on Breast

Subject: unknown bug
Location: Virginia
May 27, 2014 4:39 am
So I’ve been having some trouble recently with bugs- bed bugs, spiders, even a centipede or two. However this is a new one.
I was getting ready to take a shower and noticed a black object on my breast and when I looked down I noticed a black thing attacked to my breast. Flicking didn’t get it off, so I had to grab a washrag and scrub it off. It fell into the sink and started to move around, which is when I grabbed the picture. It was small, eight legs but no pincers as far as I could tell.
It did leave a bite on the skin, not deep and it doesn’t appear to have caused any damage.
Signature: freaked out

Dear freaked out,
At the risk of adding to your anxiety, we need to inform you that you were being parasitized by a Tick.  Ticks are blood suckers, and when their preferred host is not available, many species will feed off the blood of humans.  On a positive note, you managed to dislodge this Tick relatively quickly, and there is always a danger when removing a Tick that the head will remain embedded in the skin and cause an infection.  Also, the damage caused by Ticks is often delayed.  Ticks are known vectors for many diseases, including Lyme Disease.  See the CDC website for more information on Lyme Disease.  You may have encountered this Tick while hiking in fields or woods where they lie waiting for hosts like deer, or you may have had it transferred by a pet like a cat or dog that goes outdoors.

Letter 2 – Pigeon Tick from India

Subject: What bug is it
Location: India
January 31, 2017 2:03 pm
Please if you can help me identify it.
I was cool till I found one in my bedroom. Killed it.
In few hours I found around 4 of them.
Tried to crush them, they don’t die easily.
Signature: Naman Trivedi

Dear Naman,
This is a Tick and we located this image of a Pigeon Tick from India in our own archives and it looks like your individual.  Though Pigeon Ticks feed on the blood of birds, they might bite humans if their preferred hosts are not available.  Do you have pigeons nesting on your roof?  Once the fledgelings leave the nest, the Ticks may migrate away from the nest and into your bedroom searching for food.

Perfect.
I stay on the top floor where we have a lot of pigeons nesting which I shooed away last week. A lot of cleaning yet to be done.
Your help means a lot.
Found around 3 of them in my bedroom. I had something itching while sleeping. Thought would be a bed bug but I could not find any.
Also in the process of killing them, these tick did not die easily. They had blood stored and even after rupturing the same the front half survived for long. And that created a panic attack.
Thanks and regards.
Also would want to know what can be used to disinfect them ?
Naman Trivedi

Hi again Naman,
We provide neither medical advice nor extermination advice.

Letter 3 – Tick Bites

Seed Tick Aftermath
Location: Kirksville, MO
August 21, 2011 10:46 am
Hi again, Daniel.
I have no problem at all with images being cropped/rotated to fit the site, and thank you for the compliments. I discovered, however, that there was a great deal more on the trail than the cannibal flies. On my drive home from the trail, my ankles started itching terribly. Once I was out of the car, I rolled my socks down to discover that my ankles were crawling with seed ticks! Needless to say, all of my clothes wound up in the laundry post haste, and my shoes were promptly treated with some permethrin based spray (which I admittedly should have done -before- the hike!). I discovered that a safety razor works really well in removing the pinhead-sized pests, but I wasn’t able to get them off quickly enough to save my ankles – my left one caught the worst of it!
A note to any hikers with ticks in the area, make sure you treat your clothing before going out, because a tick doesn’t have to transmit a pathogen to leave an unwanted ’gift’ behind!
Signature: EB

Dear EB,
We were not aware of the term Seed Ticks to describe larval Ticks, though that seems a perfect name.  We researched the name and found a very descriptive blog posting on Mayaland as well as this informative page on the Flea and Tick Control website.  Thanks so much for your warning to our readership as well as your personal tips.

Letter 4 – Pigeon Tick from India

Subject: What type of insect is this? Please help!!!!
Location: India
May 22, 2014 9:56 am
Does anyone know what kind of household insect is this?
I really dont know from where it is coming and how to get rid of this lot.
Thanks
Signature: email

Our Automated Response
Thank you for submitting your identification request.
Please understand that we have a very small staff that does this as a labor of love. We cannot answer all submissions (not by a long shot). But we’ll do the best we can!

I found out its a Pigeon Tick. Can you help me getting rid of it? Any
spray? etc
I live in India
Thanks

Thanks for letting us know that you have identified this Pigeon Tick.  According to Rentokil India:  “Pigeons are the principal host but other bird species may also be fed upon. Humans may also be bitten.”  We do not provide extermination advice.

Letter 5 – Tick found on Scrotum

Subject:  Found on scrotum
Geographic location of the bug:  Pennsylvania
Date: 08/04/2018
Time: 09:38 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Please identify this for me
How you want your letter signed:  Andrew

Dear Andrew,
When we read the subject line, we really thought we were going to find an image of a Crab Louse.  We feel for the man who discovered this well fed Tick.  According to BugGuide:  “External parasites of reptiles, birds, and mammals; larvae, nymphs, and adults feed on blood” and “Important vectors of agents of humans & animal disease throughout the world. Ticks transmit the widest variety of pathogens of any blood-sucking arthropod, including bacteria, rickettsiae, protozoa, and viruses. Some currently important human diseases in the US caused by tick-borne pathogens include Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia, and tick-borne relapsing fever.”

Letter 6 – Tick: Marked with Paint???

Tick with partial lime green coloring.
August 7, 2009
Hi Bugman, Thanks for your site, I’ve been enjoying it many years now.
I live in Iron River, (Upper Peninsula) MI. There are so many ticks here that I use a lint roller/remover to take them from my clothing. I have learned to identify them but this little guy has colors I’ve never seen. Is it a new species or just a mutation?
Thank and keep up the good work.
Boyd, Iron River MI
Iron River MI USA

Dear Boyd,
The coloration on your photo looks suspiciously like paint, and we know that scientists sometimes mark insects with paint to identify them if they are recaptured.  We decided to do a web search of “tick green paint” and came up with a hit, but sadly, the hit is for an online article on Veterinary Parasitology:  Co-feeding studies of ticks infected with Anaplasma marginale that the reader needs to subscribe to.  We did manage to copy this sentence from the brief description in the web search description:  “Infected and uninfected ticks, marked with different colors of model rocket spray paint (infected ticks, red and uninfected ticks, green;”  If this pertains to your Tick, it is nice to know it is not infected.  Here is the only portion of the article available in the search:  “Katherine M. Kocan,  and José de la Fuente
Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
Received 26 June 2002;  revised 26 November 2002;  accepted 8 January 2003. ; Available online 8 February 2003.
Abstract
Ticks often cluster at preferred feeding sites on hosts, and the co-feeding of ticks at the same site has been shown to increase feeding success and the transmission of some pathogens. While the major route of infection of ticks with pathogens is via the bloodmeal during feeding on a parasitemic host, non-systemic transmission of viruses and spirochetes has been shown to occur from infected to uninfected ticks at common feeding sites on uninfected hosts. In this research, two separate studies were done using the tick-borne rickettsial pathogen of cattle, Anaplasma marginale. In one study we tested whether A. marginale could be transmitted non-systemically from infected to uninfected Dermacentor variabilis males while co-feeding on rabbits. Infection of ticks was determined by allowing them to transmission feed on susceptible cattle and by DNA probe and microscopy studies on salivary glands. In the second study, we tested whether the co-feeding of male and female ticks on parasitemic cattle would increase the acquisition and development of A. marginale in males. A. marginale infections in salivary glands were determined by quantitative PCR after the ticks were allowed to transmission feed on susceptible cattle. Non-systemic transmission of A. marginale did not occur from infected and uninfected ticks that fed at the same site on rabbits and, therefore, does not appear to be a means of A. marginale transmission. A. marginale infections in male ticks were not increased while co-feeding with females. Thus, co-feeding of adult Dermacentor spp. does not appear to influence the dynamics of A. marginale transmission.”
Perhaps you can find out if there is a study in your area by contacting authorities, universities or research centers.

Update:  August 10, 2009
Daniel, Thanks for your research, I’ve also done a little.  Here is a site where someone else is talking about a lime green tick.
I have the tele number of the Michigan State Extension Service and I’m going to give them a call tomorrow.  Maybe they will be able to put me in touch with the big cheese of ticks.
I put the lime green tick in a jar and thought I had lost the jar….but…I have it and would be happy to send it to you for identification.  I live in the woods about 6 miles from the closest town so I doubt that any experiments are taking place in my area.
Thanks again,
Dick Boyd
Iron River MI

Thanks for your offer Dick, but we do not want your Tick.  We doubt that we have the necessary skills to give an exact identification.  If you find out any additional information, please let us know.

Letter 7 – Tick from Costa Rica

Subject: Bug stick on my leg returning from costa rica
Location: Guanacaste, Costa Rica
December 31, 2012 3:22 pm
I returned from costa rica yesterday, and that bug was stick hard to my leg.
Mesuring about half of a centimeter.
We did a lot of hiking in the guanacaste region. Just want to ensure that it is not dangerous.
Thanks a lot
Signature: email

This is a Tick.  Ticks are blood suckers that are known to spread pathogens.  Some Ticks are disease vectors like the Deer Ticks of North America that spread Lyme Disease.  You might want to seek professional help if you experience any unusual symptoms.

Letter 8 – Tick or Mite from Tasmania

Unknown Tasmanian Tick
Location: Tasmania, Australia
February 1, 2011 8:47 am
Hello, I found this in my house, and was at first very puzzled by it. Looking at it now I think it must be some sort of tick, but I hope it’s not dangerous. I would be very grateful if you could help me. Thank you.
Signature: Joseph Vince

Dear Joseph,
You are correct.  This is a Tick.  Ticks are blood suckers and there are many blood born pathogens, so Ticks are vectors for many viral diseases.  We cannot say for certain that this Tick is dangerous, but we would urge you to use caution where Ticks are concerned.

Letter 9 – Soft Tick

Bugs naturally
Hi,
I found your site (great!) while looking for a picture of a bug that I found today. It was actually on my dog, not embedded, but just in his fur. I thought maybe it was an engorged tick, but if it is, I’ve never seen one like this before. It is very soft and squishy, and a gray color. The dents you see in it are the ones that I put in it when I brushed it off the dog. Do you happen to know what it is?
Thanks for your help.
Jo Sheehan

Hi Jo,
There are Hard Ticks, Family Ixodidae, and there are Soft Ticks, Family Argasidae. Dog Ticks are Hard Ticks. You have found a Soft Tick. I don’t know the species, but Soft Ticks can be just as troublesome. Now, this is just a guess, but there is someting in a tagline at the end of your email mentioning llamas. Soft Ticks like the Spinose Ear Tick, Otobius megnini are large, up to 1/3 inch, and constricted in the middle with pockmarks. They are pests of livestock and horses. This would include llamas. They feast primarily in the ears. Your specimen looks well fed.

Letter 10 – Tick, but what species???

Is this a carios kelleyi? (Bat tick?)
Location: Central Wisconsin
April 2, 2011 10:45 am
I did some research online with these photos I took of this bug in our closet. I’v never seen anything like it! We live in Wisconsin, and I don’t know if this bug is native to here, or where it came from? I took some shots at different angles. It wasn’t moving very fast, so it was easy to do. Please let me know what this crab/tick-like bug is, so that I can finally sleep at night! Thank you!
Signature: The Beckers

Dear Beckers,
We agree that this is a Tick, but we are not confident trying to identify the species.  While we acknowledge that it does resemble the Bat Tick images posted on BugGuide, we believe it looks even more like this unidentified Tick posted to BugGuide, interestingly also from Wisconsin.  Perhaps one of our readers will be able to provide additional information.

Thanks for the response. I agree it looks like the unidentified bug from wisconsin. I know for a fact that we have bats in our attic, near to where I found this bug, so thats why I assumed it was a bat tick. And maybe it’s a species of bat tick. Are bat ticks harmful to humans, do you know?
Thanks for the help!

Thanks for writing back.  Harmful is relative.  We believe that most Ticks, which feed on the blood of a relatively specific host, will bite and feed off of the blood of an alternate food source if the primary food is unavailable.  Since you have bats, it now seems that a Bat Tick is a likely contender.  We suspect that a hungry Bat Tick might bite a human if no bats can be found.  We believe that most people would consider that to be harmful.  We do not know if Bat Ticks carry any secondary pathogens like Lyme Disease which is carried by the Deer Tick.  We believe that all people would consider that to be harmful.  Perhaps a true expert, or an amateur who can point us to any respectable links online, will write in with any additional information.
P.S.  We decided to feature your posting.

That’s great that you decided to feature my posting! Hopefully we’ll get some answers from others who have hopefully seen this tick as well.
Thanks for the information- hopefully it was an isolated tick, and the others are hanging out on the bats in our attic….bats that are unreachable since it’s about 1-2 feet of attic space…don’t really know how we are going to get rid of those!
Thanks again

Update on Bats in the Attic
April 5, 2011
Hi Daniel,
I am wondering about the bat tick, and the bats in the attic.  Bats in colder climates usually only inhabit attics during the summer, and go to caves, mines, etc. for the winter to hibernate.  Are the bats in the attic right now?  If not, now is the perfect time for the Becker’s to exclude the bats.  They can put a bat house up near when the bats come and go from in the summer time, then close up the hole/area in the attic where they are getting in (as long as they are sure there are no bats in the attic).  More information on bat houses, bats, and exclusions can be found at www.batcon.org (Bat Conservation International). …
Thanks, Liz

Letter 11 – Tick Larva

Yes, what is THIS bug?
Hello bugman,
Thank you for your wonderful site for people who want to find out what bug they found. I’ve been searching your site in the past month trying to identify the bug we encountered, but no success. After the caught bugs spent a few weeks in a container in the fridge, I was able to put them under a microscope and take some pictures. The last one was caught before it sucked blood. They are about the size of a pinhead, about 1/2 mm. See: http://www.vandeven.us/bug Click on the pics for enlargement. What do you think….? My friend thinks she got this bug while visiting a friend, countryside of Virginia. They were sitting outside in a two-seater swing with cushions that remain outside. They have lots of birds that they feed, and two outside cats. Something itched her ankles and they got up and left. She had a few bites in the two days, but by the time the week was over she had some 200 bites all over, mostly on her ankles, further on legs, waist, groin, and on her sides between armpit and waist. She found a few bugs, but not the 50 or 100 that you would think would cause all those bites. We thought they were chiggers or bedbugs, and we did all that was recommended to get rid of those. But now that I have seen them under the microscope, I see they are neither. They must be some mite, bird mites, maybe??? I hope you can help us resolve this mystery of “the week of 200 bites.”
Thanks,
Lianne
Williamsburg VA

Ed. Note: Before we had a chance to answer, Lianne wrote back.
Dr. Barry OConnor replies
Hi Bugman,
I wrote you earlier today about an unidentified bug. I kept searching and found Dr. Barry OConnor mentioned on your site. So I went ahead and sent him my pics and story. Below is his reply. I still don’t understand how my friend could have over 200 bites and find only 4 lone start ticks, but I do think Dr. OConnor is right about the tick. So maybe there was another coincidence that we just never will find out… Thanks, and all the best with your site!
Lianne

Hi Lianne – Your photos are of larval ticks. Although the specimens are damaged, in your area, the most likely species to bite people in this stage is the “lone star tick”, Amblyomma americanum. These are very common in the eastern USA, and the bites are hard to prevent. The bites themselves are painless, but one can develop an allergic reaction after some time that would cause itching. One should do a “tick check” daily after walking in tick-infested areas and remove any that are found. The larvae, sometimes called “seed ticks” are small, but they should still be removed carefully to be sure the mouthparts are not left in the skin. You can’t really rule out chiggers as the cause of most of the bites, especially if they were very “itchy.” The pattern you described would be consistent with chiggers, which should be common as well in your area. Chiggers are quite a bit smaller than larval ticks, and their bite fairly quickly causes the “itchy” immune response. People tend to scratch off the actual chigger before they really get the itch, but by then the damage is done! Lone star ticks only have the “star” in the adult female stage; the white area seen in ventral view in these larvae is the excretory product, guanine, stored in the gut. I hope this helps! All the best! – Barry

Wow Lianne,
Thanks for the fabulous images, marvelous information, and expert opinion.

Letter 12 – No Exterminator needed to eliminate Beggar Ticks

Subject: What kind of bug is this?
Location: Wisconsin
May 9, 2014 8:21 pm
I was cleaning my bed yesterday and found these on my mattress but under my fitted sheet. But here’s the kicker, they were only in ONE spot and about a hand full of them. I’ve been searching endless hours as to what these are. It is hard and ‘sturdy’, It was not moving it anything like that. Not sure if they are seeds or what they are. I have 2 cats and one of my cat cuddles with me every night under the covers. So pretty sure it’s not a rodent. And my cats are strictly indoor cats, they are NOT allowed in the basement or outside…
Signature: Christina

Our Automated Response:
Thank you for submitting your identification request.
Please understand that we have a very small staff that does this as a labor of love. We cannot answer all submissions (not by a long shot). But we’ll do the best we can!

I really hope you can tell me what it is. I’m really creeped out and ready to call an exterminator, found 2 centipedes in my living room tonight.
Christina

Hi Christina,
Though they are called Beggar Ticks, there is no need to call the exterminator.  Beggar Ticks are seeds of the composite wildflowers in the genus Bidens  that have a very unique means of being transported.  According to Brian Johnson on Microscopy UK:  “The seed of a Beggar-Tick may not be beautiful, but I can attest from personal experience that it is very efficient.  Considerable force is required to remove one from a sock or pant leg.  Even shoe-laces are not immune! “.   There is a very nice image of Beggar Ticks on the Field Guide to Noxious and other Selected Weeds of British Columbia.

Thank you very much! I still don’t know how they got under my sheet. But I feel much better now. Thank you again!! There is a water retention pond in our back yard, so unfortunately we do get some creepy crawlers but I try to keep the house closed up as best as I can. But they do on occasion come up from basement (house is from 1907 but everything BUT the basement has been gutted and redone).
Thanks again and have a great day!

Letter 13 – Possible Tick from Hawaii

Subject:  round bug with “eye”
Geographic location of the bug:  Honolulu in an industrial area
Date: 07/31/2019
Time: 11:53 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  This bug landed on my leg at work while i was eating lunch outside.   There is a canal nearby about and 1/8 of a mile. I was startled and it almost appeared as if the “eye blinked” i could not see any legs on it……i have NO CLUE what this is…….it was moving i just don’t know WHAT was moving……the entire bug seemed to move……i am unsure if it flew away or what…….i grabbed my camera and got this shot  ……THANKS TONS
How you want your letter signed:  Tony Seymour

Dear Tony,
Your image is lacking significant detail, and our best guess on this is that you encountered a Tick.

GREETINGS DANIEL!!!
Wow…..thanks a lot for getting back from yesterday so quickly.
That picture of a tick looks about right……I just didn’t see any legs on mine…..but that is the closest to an explanation as I need.
I was using an old flip phone to take the photo……..
Thanks.
Sincerely,
Tony Seymour

Letter 14 – Possibly Lone Star Tick

Subject:  Weird bug in georgia
Geographic location of the bug:  Middle Georgia us
Date: 09/03/2017
Time: 07:56 PM EDT
I’ve never seen a bug that looks like this could you tell me what it is please
How you want your letter signed:  Melissa

Dear Melissa,
This is definitely a blood-sucking Tick, but its striped legs seem unusual, so we attempted to try a species identification for you.  We started our identification with the Protect Yourself from Ticks page on the UGA Extension site where it states:  “Ticks are one of the most important groups of arthropods in Georgia due to their disease transmitting capabilities. In Georgia, ticks are known to transmit several diseases, with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Lyme disease being the most common. Tularemia is a long-recognized disease also transmitted by ticks, as are the more recently recognized diseases Anaplasmosis, Human Ehrlichiosis (pronounced err-lick-e-o-sis) and Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness (STARI). Ticks can also cause infections if their mouthparts break off when they are removed from the skin and can leave persistent welts resulting from reactions to their saliva. If tick populations are high in recreation and camping areas, participation may drop off, causing monetary loss to the leisure industry. Costs to control ticks in yards and homes and on pets and people can also be significant.”  The site further elaborates:  “Three tick species are most commonly associated with humans in Georgia: the Lone Star tick(Amblyomma americanum), American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis) and black-legged tick(Ixodes scapularis).  The Lone Star tick has unusually long mouthparts. The female has a single white spot in the middle of her back, while the white markings on the male are diffuse. Common hosts include large animals such as livestock, dogs, deer and humans as well as smaller animals such as birds and rodents. Lone Star ticks are particularly common in brushy, bottomland areas where deer are prevalent.”  Because of the “single white spot in the middle of her back” we believe your tick is a female Lone Star Tick, but we might be wrong.  The Georgia Department of Health also recognizes the same three common Ticks in Georgia, and states:  “Lone Star Tick (Amblyomma americanum) Most common tick in Georgia.  Transmits the bacteria that cause human monocytic ehrlichiosis (HME) and southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI).”  Despite that information, the striped legs still have our curious.   We did locate images of striped legged Lone Star Ticks including this BugGuide image and this BugGuide image.

Letter 15 – Tick found in Bed

Subject: Found Bug
Location: Tennessee
May 31, 2013 12:51 am
This bug crawled onto my bed …. it was very flat and small
Tried to crush it between my fingers but couldn’t
Tried to crush it with paper but that didn’t work either
Used a sharp edge to crush it I hurt it but it didn’t die so I burned it
Signature: trini

Dear trini,
Do you have a dog or a cat that goes outside and then jumps on the bed to sleep?  This is a Tick and you might want to check your pet, if you have one, to make sure these resilient blood suckers have not taken up residence on your pet’s coat.  Ticks are also vectors of diseases like Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Lyme Disease, and their potential threat should be taken seriously.  Since we will be away from the office in early June, we have postdated your submission to go live at that time.

Letter 16 – Pigeon Tick from Slovenia

unknown creature concave bug- very ugly
February 24, 2010
i found them in my place so i would like to know what are they.
cannot find any ID so please help.
quite big creatures usually transparent up to 7-8 mm big.
thanks
Lazar from Slovenia
Ljubljana

Hi Lazar,
This is a Tick, and its concave shape indicates it is hungry for blood.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
BUT HOW CAN THIS TICK BE SO BIG?? AND WHY THEY LIVE IN MY FLAT?? AND THEY ARE FAST WHILE TICKS ARE SLOW.
I KNOW WHAT ARE TICKS. I AM FROM VILLAGE AND I KNOW THIS RACES..USUALLY HUMAN AND DOG TICKS..ALL HAVE SOME KIND OF A BAG FOR A BLOOD
THIS ONE HAS NO SUCH THING AND ALSO THERE IS NO MOUTH! IF YOU TURN IT JUST PLAIN SHAPE WITHOUT STING MOUTH.
ALSO THIS ARE CREATURES TO 1 CM AND THAT IS FAAAR FAAAR TOO BIG. HUMAN TICKS I KNOW THEY ARE FROM 0,05 CM TO 0,1 CM AND I GET PLENTY OF THEM BECAUSE I GO REGULAR IN SEARCH OF MUSHROOMS AND METAL DETECTING. DOG  TICKS ARE QUITE BIGGER AND IN NORMAL SIZE THEY ARE ABOUT 0,2 CM TO 0,4 CM. WHEN THEY ARE FULL OF BLOOD I KNOW THEY ARE MASSIVE- UP TO 2 CM!! NOT GOOD IN US GRADE SO I TELL IN EUROPEAN METRIC.
I CAUGHT THIS DOG TICKS IN BOSNIA ONLY. BUT I SEE THEM INSTANTLY AND HAD NO BITES TILL NOW! BUT I PULL THEM OFTEN FROM A DOG.
SO THIS MY CREATURE IS ALREADY IN NORMAL SIZE 1 CM!!! THAT IS A SIZE OF A HALF FULL DOG TICK. AND IF THEY HAD OPPORTUNITY TO SUCK BLOOD THEY WOULD BE AT LEAST 5 CM BIG!! THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE!??
IT IS A SHAME I DIDN’T TURN IT AROUND SO I CAN SHOW YOU THAT IT IS A PLAIN SHAPE WITHOUT SEPARATION AND PLACE FOR A BLOOD BAG.
PLEASE IF YOU CAN TELL ME WHAT IS GOING ON I WOULD BE VERY HAPPY! THEY LIVE IN MY APARTMENT AND I AM NOT HAPPY!
AND I LIVE IN 4th FLOOR!!!
PLEASE TELL ME SOME GOOD NEWS BECAUSE MY ROOMMATE IS FREAKING OUT- SHE GONNA KILL ME :-S
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HELPING ME
HOPE IT IS NOT A NEW KIND BECAUSE IT IS TOO UGLY TO HAVE MY NAME!
LAZAR

Hi again Lazar,
This comment just arrived.
Daniel

Faithful Reader Karl identifies another one
I think this could be a Pigeon Tick (Argas reflexus), a common tick of central and southern Europe. They usually feed on pigeons, but if none are available they may also feed on other birds or, rarely, humans. Do you perhaps have pigeons nesting in your eaves or attic? Like most ticks, they can transmit some diseases, and apparently can cause problems for people who have an allergy to their bights. By its size I would say this one is a female.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Argas_reflexus.jpg
http://www.ambitec.de/schaedlinge/insekten/taubenzecke/index.html

THANK YOU THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
NOW I KNOW WHY I HAVE SO MUCH PROBLEMS WITH ALLERGIES!
WISH YOU ALL GOOD AND BEST REGARDS
LAZAR

Letter 17 – Ticks

I would appreciate it if you would help with the identification of the bug in the picture I sent you. It got half way into my buddy with its rear end first. Did it lay eggs in me? Should I be worried?
Please help me out!
Thanks,
Simon.

Hi Simon,
You were bitten by a Tick. Sorry I can’t tell you the exact species. They are usually picked up in grassy areas. Ticks wait for a large warm blooded mammal, like a deer or dog or human to pass by. Then they attach to the prey and suck blood. They pass on viral infections like Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. They will not lay eggs in you.

Letter 18 – Ticks

Subject: Need to identify bug(s)
Location: New Jersey
May 24, 2016 6:26 am
Thanks in advance for your time and service you provide.
My daughter went to zoo yesterday and her mom found two bugs on her scalp (partially penitrating scalp). I am worried as I have a 9th month old as well at home and wanted to isolate this incident as one time thing. You help will identifying and any recommendation would be of great help.
Signature: As per the procedure

Your daughter has Ticks.  They will not breed on her, so removing the offensive creatures should eliminate the problem.

Thank you Daniel. They are off her and we monitor her for any fever or rash. I am proactively calling on the pest terminator to examine her room to see if we have more of them.
Anyways thanks again for your prompt response. You are a great resource/help for people like me.
Thanks
Tejas

You are welcome.  Most people pick up Ticks while walking in woods and fields.

Letter 19 – Unidentified Mite, maybe? or Louse? or Tick?

Bugs galore–love your site!!
I am IM-PRESSED with your site…..as a veterinary technician and inveterate curious person, it is absolutely invaluable and beautifully done. (the American Dog Tick, if I recall correctly, is Dermacentor variabilis. The tiny black-legged one on the bottom of your tick page is most likely one of the Deer Ticks, Ixodes.) Now, here’s one for you to help me with! Found two of these guys so far after working out in the yard, and have several bites of unknown origin as well, although I have NOT seen the bug attached to me as yet. But when I itch, I scratch, and got these guys. Eight legs, long piercing mouthparts, hard bodied (‘pop’ when I smooshed him), blood-like fluid exuded when popped. Ideas, please!! My usual references are failing me….
Thanks!
Pamela Alley, RVT
Oroville, CA

Hi Pamela,
Thanks for the compliment. We have no idea what you sent in. Probably a Mite. We are also posting your letter on our Louse and Tick pages. Maybe if it is posted, someone else can identify it. The picture is awesome.

Update from Barry M. OConnor (05/23/2006)
Unidentified mite, maybe?… (10/07/05). This is a parasitic mite in the family Macronyssidae, genus Ornithonyssus. These are the most common “bird” or “rodent” mites you mention. These are similar to the Ophionyssus mentioned above in living in the nest material and feeding on the host blood. Ornithonyssus sylviarum (the Northern fowl mite), O. bursa (the tropical fowl mite) and O. bacoti (the tropical rat mite) all occur in California; the first two are parasites of a wide variety of birds, the last parasitizes rodents, commonly commensal rats. All readily bite people when the normal host is no longer around. The remedy is to locate the bird nest or get rid of the rat problem.

Reader Emails

Over the years, our website, whatsthatbug.com has received hundreds of letters and some interesting images asking us about these insects. Scroll down to have a look at some of them.