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Tick is the common name for the small arachnid
Arachnid

Arachnids are a class of Arthropod invertebrate animals in the subphylum Chelicerata. All arachnids have eight legs, but some exceptions are of some species having the first pair legs convert to sensory function and harvest mite larvae have only 3 pairs of legs....
s in superfamily Ixodoidea that, along with other mite
Mite

Mites, along with ticks, belong to the subclass Acarina and the class Arachnida. Mites are among the most diverse and successful of all the invertebrate groups....
s, constitute the Acarina
Acarina

Acarina or Acari are a taxon of arachnids that contains mites and ticks. The diversity of the Acari is extraordinary and its fossil history goes back to the at least the early Devonian era; possibly even the Ordovician....
. Ticks are ectoparasites (external parasites), living by hematophagy
Hematophagy

Hematophagy is the habit of certain animals of feeding on blood . Since blood is a fluid tissue rich in nutritious proteins and lipids that can be taken without enormous effort, hematophagy has evolution as a preferred form of feeding in many small animals such as worms and arthropods....
 on the blood
Blood

Blood is a specialized bodily fluid that delivers necessary substances to the body's Cell s ? such as nutrients and oxygen ? and transports waste products away from those same cells....
 of mammal
Mammal

Mammals are a class of vertebrate animals whose name is derived from their distinctive feature, mammary glands, with which they feed their young....
s, bird
Bird

Birds are wing, Bipedalismal, endothermic , vertebrate animals that lay egg . There are around 10,000 living species, making them the most numerous tetrapod vertebrates....
s, and occasionally reptile
Reptile

Reptiles, or members of the class Reptilia, are air-breathing, cold-blooded vertebrates that have skin covered in scale as opposed to hair or feathers....
s and amphibian
Amphibian

Amphibians , such as frogs, toads, salamanders, newts and caecilians, are cold-blooded animals that metamorphose from a juvenile, water-breathing form to an adult, air-breathing form....
s. Ticks are important vector
Vector (biology)

In epidemiology, a vector is an organism that does not cause disease itself but that transmits infection by conveying pathogens from one Host to another, serving as a transmission ....
s of a number of diseases, including Lyme disease
Lyme disease

Lyme disease, or borreliosis, is an emerging infectious disease caused by at least three species of bacteria belonging to the genus Borrelia....
 and Tick-borne meningoencephalitis
Tick-borne meningoencephalitis

Tick-borne meningoencephalitis or Tick-borne encephalitis is a tick-borne disease viral infection of the central nervous system affecting humans as well as most other mammals....
.

Young ticks have six legs, and mature ticks have eight legs. They are about the size of a sesame seed, and males are black; females have a brick-red abdomen with a black shield-like plate close to their head.

s are blood-feeding parasites that are often found in tall grass
Grass

Grass is the common word that generally describes monocotyledonous green plants. The family Poaceae are the "true grasses" and include most plants grown as grains, for pasture, and for lawns ....
 and shrubs where they will wait to attach to a passing host.






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Tick is the common name for the small arachnid
Arachnid

Arachnids are a class of Arthropod invertebrate animals in the subphylum Chelicerata. All arachnids have eight legs, but some exceptions are of some species having the first pair legs convert to sensory function and harvest mite larvae have only 3 pairs of legs....
s in superfamily Ixodoidea that, along with other mite
Mite

Mites, along with ticks, belong to the subclass Acarina and the class Arachnida. Mites are among the most diverse and successful of all the invertebrate groups....
s, constitute the Acarina
Acarina

Acarina or Acari are a taxon of arachnids that contains mites and ticks. The diversity of the Acari is extraordinary and its fossil history goes back to the at least the early Devonian era; possibly even the Ordovician....
. Ticks are ectoparasites (external parasites), living by hematophagy
Hematophagy

Hematophagy is the habit of certain animals of feeding on blood . Since blood is a fluid tissue rich in nutritious proteins and lipids that can be taken without enormous effort, hematophagy has evolution as a preferred form of feeding in many small animals such as worms and arthropods....
 on the blood
Blood

Blood is a specialized bodily fluid that delivers necessary substances to the body's Cell s ? such as nutrients and oxygen ? and transports waste products away from those same cells....
 of mammal
Mammal

Mammals are a class of vertebrate animals whose name is derived from their distinctive feature, mammary glands, with which they feed their young....
s, bird
Bird

Birds are wing, Bipedalismal, endothermic , vertebrate animals that lay egg . There are around 10,000 living species, making them the most numerous tetrapod vertebrates....
s, and occasionally reptile
Reptile

Reptiles, or members of the class Reptilia, are air-breathing, cold-blooded vertebrates that have skin covered in scale as opposed to hair or feathers....
s and amphibian
Amphibian

Amphibians , such as frogs, toads, salamanders, newts and caecilians, are cold-blooded animals that metamorphose from a juvenile, water-breathing form to an adult, air-breathing form....
s. Ticks are important vector
Vector (biology)

In epidemiology, a vector is an organism that does not cause disease itself but that transmits infection by conveying pathogens from one Host to another, serving as a transmission ....
s of a number of diseases, including Lyme disease
Lyme disease

Lyme disease, or borreliosis, is an emerging infectious disease caused by at least three species of bacteria belonging to the genus Borrelia....
 and Tick-borne meningoencephalitis
Tick-borne meningoencephalitis

Tick-borne meningoencephalitis or Tick-borne encephalitis is a tick-borne disease viral infection of the central nervous system affecting humans as well as most other mammals....
.

Young ticks have six legs, and mature ticks have eight legs. They are about the size of a sesame seed, and males are black; females have a brick-red abdomen with a black shield-like plate close to their head.

Habitats and behaviors

Ticks are blood-feeding parasites that are often found in tall grass
Grass

Grass is the common word that generally describes monocotyledonous green plants. The family Poaceae are the "true grasses" and include most plants grown as grains, for pasture, and for lawns ....
 and shrubs where they will wait to attach to a passing host. Physical contact is the only method of transportation for ticks. Ticks do not jump or fly, although they may drop from their perch and fall onto a host. Some species actively stalk the host by foot.

Changes in temperature and day length are some of the factors signaling a tick to seek a host. Ticks can detect heat emitted or carbon dioxide respired from a nearby host. They will generally drop off the animal when full, but this may take several days. In some cases, ticks will live for some time on the blood of an animal.

Ticks can be found in most wooded or forested areas throughout the world. They are especially common in areas where there are deer
Deer

Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae . A number of broadly similar animals from related families within the order even-toed ungulate are often also called deer....
 trails or horse paths.

Some of the more common diseases that can be contracted from a tick bite include: Babesiosis
Babesiosis

Babesiosis is a malaria parasitic disease caused by Babesia, a genus of protozoal piroplasms. After trypanosomes, Babesia are thought to be the second most common blood parasites of mammals and they can have a major impact on health of domestic animals in areas without severe winters....
, Ehrlichiosis
Ehrlichiosis

Ehrlichiosis is a tick-borne disease of dogs usually caused by the organism Ehrlichia canis. Ehrlichia canis is the pathogen of animals....
, Lyme disease
Lyme disease

Lyme disease, or borreliosis, is an emerging infectious disease caused by at least three species of bacteria belonging to the genus Borrelia....
, Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Rocky Mountain spotted fever is the most lethal and most frequently reported rickettsial illness in the United States. It has been diagnosed throughout the Americas....
, Southern tick-associated rash illness, Tick-borne relapsing fever, and Tularemia
Tularemia

Tularemia is a serious infectious disease caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis. A gram-negative, motility coccobacillus, the bacterium has several subspecies with varying degrees of virulence....
.

Population control


Case study of the American Deer Tick


The blacklegged or deer tick (Ixodes scapularis) is dependent on the white-tailed deer
White-tailed Deer

File:Wtdfishwild.jpgThe white-tailed deer , also known as the Virginia deer, or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to all but five states in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America, and northern portions of South America as far south as Peru....
 for successful reproduction. Larval and nymph stages (immature ticks that cannot reproduce) of the deer tick feed on birds and small mammals. The adult female tick needs a large 3 day blood meal from the deer before she can reproduce and lay her 2000 or more eggs. Deer are the primary host for the adult deer tick and are key to the reproductive success of the tick. See the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station and Connecticut Department of Public Health joint publication "Tick Management Handbook" for more details of the tick's life cycle and dependence on deer.

Numerous studies have shown that abundance and distribution of deer ticks are correlated with deer densities.

For example, when the deer population was reduced by 74% at a study site in Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport, Connecticut

Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in and the former county seat of Fairfield County, Connecticut, the city had an estimated population of 137,912 in 2006 and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area....
, the number of nymphal ticks collected at the site decreased by 92%. Furthermore, the relationship between deer abundance, tick abundance, and human cases of Lyme disease was well documented in the Mumford Cove Community in Groton, Connecticut
Groton, Connecticut

Groton is a New England town located on the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut, Connecticut, United States. The population was 39,907 at the 2000 United States Census....
, from 1996 to 2004. The deer population in Mumford Cove was reduced from about 77 deer per square mile to about 10 deer per square mile (4 deer per square kilometer) after 2 years of controlled hunting. After the initial reduction, the deer population was maintained at low levels. Reducing deer densities to 10 deer per square mile (4 deer per square kilometer) was adequate to reduce by more than 90% the risk of humans contracting Lyme disease in Mumford Cove. Deer population management must serve as the main tool in any long-term strategy to reduce human incidences of Lyme disease.

Other control measures


Also, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers advice on reducing ticks around your home.

The parasitic Ichneumon wasp
Ichneumon wasp

The Ichneumonoidea are insects classified in the hymenopteran suborder Apocrita. The superfamily is made up of the ichneumon wasps and the braconids ....
 Ixodiphagus hookeri
Ixodiphagus hookeri

The Chalcid wasp Ixodiphagus hookeri lays its eggs into ticks. It seems to utilize a Symbiosis virus to weaken the tick's immune system.Ticks from the following genera are infected:...
 has long been investigated for its potential to control tick populations. It lays its eggs into ticks; the hatching wasps kill its host.

Another "natural" form of control for ticks is the Guineafowl
Guineafowl

The guineafowl are a family of Avess in the same order as the pheasants, Turkey s and other game birds and is native to Africa....
. They consume mass quantities of ticks. Just 2 birds can clear in a single year.

Topical (drops/dust) flea/tick medicines need to be used with care. Phenothrin
Phenothrin

Phenothrin, also called sumithrin, is a synthetic pyrethroid that kills adult fleas and ticks. It has also been used to kill head lice in humans....
 (85.7%) in combination with Methopren was a popular topical flea/tick therapy for felines. Phenothrin kills adult fleas and ticks. Methoprene is an insect growth regulator that interrupts the insect's life cycle by killing the eggs. However, the EPA has made at least one manufacturer of these products withdraw some products and include strong cautionary statements on others, warning of adverse reactions.

To control ticks outdoors so they don’t get transmitted inside, you can use liquid spray using a hand sprayer or a hand spreader. Using the amount instructed on the label for liquid spray and granule. Apply the solution and granule uniformly on the entire lawn, large turfs, and other landscaped areas. Apply on bushes, wooded and shaded areas as well. If there is already a tick infestation inside the home, you can use liquid spray using a hand sprayer with a mist and pinpoint nozzle, dust using a duster and aerosol. This is very important because once a tick infested with Lyme disease is in your home. Using the amount instructed on the label, apply the liquid solution and aerosol around window/door frames, window sills, cracks and crevices, near pet areas, baseboards, corners, storage areas, closets, around utility pipes, attics and eaves, cabinets, sinks, furnaces, stoves, behind and under refrigerators, and carpets. Pay special attention to pet areas. Ticks may be on the bed and furniture, it is safe to be used on beds and furniture. After the application of liquid solution and aerosol, leave the house for about 3 hours and ventilate the house once you come back only if you sprayed the whole entire carpet, or mattress. After you come back home, steam vacuum the home thoroughly. Reapplications may be needed. If that is the case, reapply to retreat the home.

Example species

Tick Male Size Comparison (aka)
*Dermacentor variabilis
Dermacentor variabilis

Dermacentor variabilis, also known as the American dog tick or wood tick, is a species of tick that is known to carry bacteria responsible for several diseases in humans, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia ....
, the American dog
Dog

The dog is a domesticated subspecies of the Gray Wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties....
 tick, is perhaps the most well-known of the North American hard ticks. This tick does not carry Lyme disease, but can carry Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Rocky Mountain spotted fever is the most lethal and most frequently reported rickettsial illness in the United States. It has been diagnosed throughout the Americas....
.
  • Ixodes scapularis
    Ixodes scapularis

    This article is about the parasitic arachnid. For the folk-rock singer-songwriter please see Deer Tick .Ixodes scapularis, commonly known as the deer tick or blacklegged tick , and in some parts of the USA as the bear tick, is a hard-bodied tick of the eastern and northern Midwestern United States....
     (formerly Ixodes dammini), known as the black-legged tick or deer
    Deer

    Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae . A number of broadly similar animals from related families within the order even-toed ungulate are often also called deer....
     tick, is common to the eastern part of North America
    North America

    North America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost totally in the western hemisphere....
     and is known for spreading Lyme disease
    Lyme disease

    Lyme disease, or borreliosis, is an emerging infectious disease caused by at least three species of bacteria belonging to the genus Borrelia....
    .
  • Ixodes pacificus, the Western black-legged tick, lives in the western part of North America and is responsible for spreading Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever
    Rocky Mountain spotted fever

    Rocky Mountain spotted fever is the most lethal and most frequently reported rickettsial illness in the United States. It has been diagnosed throughout the Americas....
    . It tends to prefer livestock such as cows as its adult host.
Tick 2 (aka)
*Australia
Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
 tick fauna consists of approximately 75 species, the majority of which fall into the Ixodidae, hard tick, family. The most medically important tick is the Paralysis tick
Paralysis tick

The paralysis tick, Ixodes holocyclus, is one of about 75 species of Australian tick fauna and is considered the most medically important. It is found in a 20-kilometre band that follows the eastern coastline of Australia....
, Ixodes holocyclus. It is found in a 20-kilometre band that follows the eastern coastline of Australia. As this is where much of the human population resides in New South Wales
New South Wales

New South Wales is Australia's oldest and most populous States and territories of Australia, located in the south-east of the country, north of Victoria and south of Queensland....
, encounters with these parasites are relatively common. Although most cases of tick bite are uneventful, some can result in life threatening illnesses including paralysis, tick typhus
Typhus

Epidemic typhus is a form of typhus so named because the disease often causes epidemics following wars and natural disasters. The causative organism is Rickettsia prowazekii, transmitted by the human body louse ....
 and severe allergic reactions.
  • The southern cattle tick, Boophilus microplus (Canestrini), causes annual economic losses in the hundreds of millions of dollars to cattle producers throughout the world, and ranks as the most economically important tick from a global perspective. This tick also attacks sheep, horses, goats and a few related species, but cattle are the most important hosts.
  • The Lone Star tick, Amblyomma americanum
    Amblyomma americanum

    Amblyomma americanum, or lone star tick, is a species of tick in the genus Amblyomma. It is very wide-spread in the United States ranging from Texas to Iowa in the Midwest and east to the coast where it can be found as far north as Maine....
    , is part of the Ioxdidae family, classifying it as a hard tick. The adult females are distinguished by a white dot or "lone star" on its back. The adult males can also be seen with dots and white streaks on the edge of their bodies. This tick has been associated with transmission of Southern Tick Associated Rash Illness (STARI) in humans, which is a disease caused by a Borrelia
    Borrelia

    Borrelia is a genus of bacteria of the spirochete phylum. It causes borreliosis, a zoonotic, vector transmitted primarily by ticks and some by lice, depending on the species....
     sp. related to the agent that causes Lyme Disease
    Lyme disease

    Lyme disease, or borreliosis, is an emerging infectious disease caused by at least three species of bacteria belonging to the genus Borrelia....
    .


See also


  • Use of DNA in forensic entomology
    Use of DNA in forensic entomology

    Forensic entomology contains three aspects: medicocriminal entomology, urban entomology, and stored product entomology. This article focuses more on the medicocriminal aspect and how DNA is analyzed with various blood feeding insects....
     for information in using DNA to identify species.
  • for more information about ticks
  • Tick-borne meningoencephalitis
    Tick-borne meningoencephalitis

    Tick-borne meningoencephalitis or Tick-borne encephalitis is a tick-borne disease viral infection of the central nervous system affecting humans as well as most other mammals....
    , is a common viral
    Virus

    A virus is a Optical microscope#Limitations of light microscopes infectious agent that is unable to grow or reproduce outside a host cell . Viruses infect all cellular life....
     infection in some parts of Europe.


Fossil record


Fossil ticks are rare but not unknown. The oldest example is an argasid (bird) tick from Cretaceous
Cretaceous

The Cretaceous , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide, is a geologic period from circa to million years ago . In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows on the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period....
 New Jersey amber. The younger Baltic and Dominican ambers have also yielded examples; all of which can be placed in living genera.

External links

  • chapter in United States Environmental Protection Agency
    United States Environmental Protection Agency

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an List of United States federal agencies of the federal government of the United States charged to Regulation of chemicals and protect human health by safeguarding the natural environment: air, water, and land....
     and University of Florida
    University of Florida

    The University of Florida is a Public university land-grant university, sea grant colleges, Space grant colleges major research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida, in the United States....
    /Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences
    Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

    The University of Florida?s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is a federal-state-county partnership dedicated to developing knowledge in agriculture, human and natural resources, and the life sciences, and enhancing and sustaining the quality of human life by making that information accessible....
      National Public Health Pesticide Applicator Training Manual on the UF/IFAS Featured Creatures Web site