How long can a black legged tick live without a host?

The black legged tick is a tiny arachnid that is infamous for its role in transmitting Lyme disease.

The survival of a black legged tick is intricately tied to its ability to find and feed on a host. They often feed on the blood of small mammals, birds, or deer. However, these ticks can exhibit remarkable resilience, which allows them to survive for extended periods without a host.

How long can a tick survive without a host? — Can a tick survive without a host?

How long is a tick’s typical life cycle?

Under optimal conditions, a black-legged tick can complete its life cycle in about two years. They progress through various stages, which include larval, nymph, and adult life phases. The time spent at each stage is influenced by environmental factors, such as temperature and humidity. Ticks require a blood meal at each stage to molt and develop to the next life stage.

Are ticks more resilient at different stages of life?

The duration a black legged tick can survive without a host depends on its life stage. Larvae, for instance, can endure for several months without feeding, as they quest for a suitable host. Nymphs, the next developmental stage, are slightly more resilient and can survive without a host for several months as well. Adult ticks can endure for several months up to a year without a blood meal.

How do ticks survive without feeding?

During periods when a tick is not actively feeding, it enters a state of dormancy. This helps the tick conserve energy and withstand harsh environmental conditions. It’s important to note that while ticks can survive for extended periods without a host, they are most active during specific seasons, typically spring and fall when temperatures and humidity levels are conducive to their quest for a host.

The ability of black-legged ticks to survive without a host is both a testament to their adaptability and a concern for public health. Ticks can wait patiently in vegetation, known as questing, with their front legs extended, ready to latch onto a passing host. Understanding the life cycle and survival mechanisms of these ticks is crucial for developing effective strategies to mitigate the risk of tick-borne diseases.

Mitigate tick encounters with tick control measures.

Ticks can survive for various durations without a host. During each life stage, ticks exhibit different levels of resilience. Their ability to endure periods without feeding contributes to their success as vectors of diseases, emphasizing the importance of tick control measures and public awareness to reduce the risk of tick-borne illnesses.

Is Deer Overpopulation Responsible for More Deer Ticks?

When you think of a deer population, you may picture majestic creatures peacefully grazing in fields or forests.

However, there is another side to a deer population that often goes unnoticed. Deer overpopulation can cause many problems for the land where the animals reside, and for humans who come into contact with them. Overcrowded deer can lead to more ticks. In this article we will discuss what causes deer overpopulation and why it can cause more ticks.

Is deer overpopulation responsible for more deer ticks?

What is Deer Overpopulation?

Deer overpopulation is the term given to when there are more deer than the land can sustain. Too many deer can cause many problems for both deer and humans. When deer are overpopulated in a given region, they compete with other animals for food and can compete with farmers for safe pastures. Where deer are overpopulated, there can be increased risk for drivers vs. deer encounters.

Why Does Deer Overpopulation Cause More Ticks?

Deer are host to many different parasites that can infect other animals, including humans. Deer are hosts to a variety of tick species. These parasites can infect both humans and domestic animals such as cattle and horses. The deer tick is native to the Eastern United States, but has now spread westward into the Great Plains and California. It stands to reason, the more plentiful the tick hosts, the more plentiful the tick populations. If deer find their way onto your property, they can carry ticks with them.

Merrimack Tick Control Methods Don’t Include Controlling Deer Populations

There are a number of recommendations for controlling deer populations. From providing more food sources, to eliminating competitors of food sources, to eliminating deer populations with hunting. Your best bet for controlling the number of ticks on your property does not involve controlling the deer population around your home. It’s about controlling the ticks. This is because ticks feed on many other species, including the white footed mouse, the biggest spreader of Lyme infection.

At-home Merrimack tick control should be employed from April all the way through October in the Northeastern United States. This is because adult deer ticks are scrounging for their final blood meal before bedding down for winter. Tick control is deployed in two manners. One is by barrier protection spray. This method is commonly used in the springtime and summer. When autumn is afoot, tick tubes are the preferred tick control method. These tubes contain treated cotton that mice carry to their nests, which will eliminate ticks and their offspring without harming the mice. Ultimately, this level of tick control results in fewer ticks emerging in the springtime.

Dave Macchia, tick control enthusiast — Dave Macchia, Central Mass tick control enthusiast

Ticks Are Everywhere in Central Mass and They’re Out for Blood

Tick bites can be harmless, or they can infect you with diseases like Lyme disease or spotted fever.

Even though not all ticks carry infection, it’s best to try to prevent tick bites or to find them early. You would be best advised to take preventive action all year long with the one-two punch for Shrewsbury tick control.

Deer ticks are all around you! — Deer ticks are all around, looking for blood.

Many of us may have thought they die off in the winter after the first hard frost. Unfortunately, they do not. The adult black-legged deer tick, which spreads Lyme disease begins its prime feeding activity just about the time of the first freeze. The reason being is that their main host animals are deer and deer are actively moving around in the fall. If deer aren’t around, black-legged ticks will attach to people or pets anytime the weather starts getting warmer.

Exactly What Are Ticks?

Ticks are parasites that feed on warm-blooded hosts by biting them. A tick bite can infect humans and animals with bacteria, viruses and protozoans (organisms made up of one cell) that can cause diseases.

Some of these tick-borne illnesses can be very serious and may include:

Lyme disease
Tularemia
Ehrlichiosis
Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Anaplasmosis
Babesiosis

Other conditions spread by ticks include:

Colorado tick fever
Powassan virus
Southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI)
Tick paralysis
Spotted fever
Relapsing fever
Heartland virus

Why Are Ticks Such A Problem In Shrewsbury?

The biggest reason? They are so small. Ticks are typically small and difficult to see until they have been attached for some time. They feed on your blood and become larger and easier to see.

Tick species most commonly found here include:

American Dog Tick: This varmint will attach to animals including dogs, cattle, deer, raccoons and humans if given the chance.
Brown Dog Tick: These invasive pests usually attach to dogs, occasionally feeding on people and domestic cats.
Black Legged Deer Ticks: These harbingers of dread attach primarily on deer, cattle and other large animals and people. Deer Ticks are carriers of Lyme Disease transmitting it through bites. And if for no other reason than this alone, Shrewsbury tick control is an extremely smart way to protect yourself and your property.

Also read: Can you get Lyme disease in the winter?

How long does it take to get Powassan virus from a tick?

Powassan virus is a rare tick-borne illness. It is primarily spread by deer ticks.

As you might know, it takes 24 to 48 hours of attachment for a deer tick to pass Lyme infection. If an engorged deer tick is found on a person or pet, there is a chance that the tick has been attached long enough to spread Lyme bacteria. But is the same true for the much rarer Powassan virus?

How long does it take to contract Powassan virus?

How long does a tick have to be attached to pass Powassan virus?

Experts believe that Powassan virus can be contracted in only 15 minutes. In a People Magazine article dated July 30, 2022, a family speaks about their experience with this potentially fatal disease. A three-year-old in Pennsylvania fell gravely ill after his mother found a tick on him. His mother explained the tick was, “non-embedded or engorged,” and so they went on about their day without giving much thought to the tick.

Deer ticks can pass Powassan in only 15 minutes.

This family has prior experience with tick bites, as the boy’s older sister contracted Lyme disease a few years ago. The vigilant mother noted that a small red bump had formed on his skin a few days after finding the tick, but again, this was not particular cause for concern.

After two weeks passed, the boy’s daycare provider began to notice lethargy and said that he had also complained of a headache. Within a few days, a temperature of 104 spurred his parents to take him to the hospital. Due to an elevated white blood cell count, he was tested for viral and bacterial meningitis – both being ruled out. On day five of the boy’s hospital stay, an MRI confirmed a meningoencephalitis diagnosis. Within 15 hours of an IV of immunoglobulin, he woke up and began talking to his family. After spending nearly two weeks in the hospital, he was released. A few days later, doctors confirmed the Powassan virus diagnosis. Though this disease is most unfortunate, his case is one of fortune. That is because approximately 10% of sufferers with sever infection do not survive Powassan. Though his parents are hopeful about the future, there are aspects of the boy’s recovery that are yet unknown. A Facebook group about the family’s experience has been created but to raise awareness about the disease.

Hingham tick control will help you avoid ticks.

Encountering ticks can be likened to a game of Russian roulette. Why take the chance when you don’t have to? I recommend that families enlist the help of professional tick control providers to help keep ticks away from their homes. Even still, there is no tick treatment that is 100% effective. Therefore, I also recommend vigilance in performing tick checks after spending time outdoors. This is especially important for campers, hikers, gardeners, and children, who have been playing outdoors. Pets are family too – they must be checked for ticks frequently!

Is Lyme disease the worst illness spread by the deer tick?

It really depends on your definition of “worst.”

When it comes to sheer numbers, Lyme disease is by far the worst tick-borne illness. At the time of this writing, the CDC estimates that annual cases of Lyme infection in the United States lies somewhere between 300,000 and 400,000. If you have ever become infected with Lyme disease, you might say it’s the worst. If you or someone you know suffers from Chronic Lyme infection, you might assuredly believe it’s the worst. But there is another tick-born illness, which is passed by the deer tick, that is rearing its ugly head.

Is Lyme disease the worst tick-borne illness?

Powassan virus is worse in other ways.

Powassan virus disease is certainly not the worst in case numbers. Over the last decade, the United States has had about 100 confirmed cases of this tick-borne illness. However, if you or someone you know has been infected with Powassan virus, you would call it the worst. What makes it so?

Powassan symptoms are sporadic.

Symptoms of Powassan virus range from no symptoms at all to severe neurological affliction. The illness can be perplexing to medical professionals. Many patients are admitted to the hospital, where a battery of tests are run, which finally result in a confirmed case of Powassan virus disease. Symptoms can occur one week after a tick bite, or a month later. Symptoms can be vomiting, fever, loss of coordination, seizures, and even death.

No treatment, no vaccine.

Like Lyme disease, there is currently no vaccine for Powassan virus. And while Lyme disease can be treated and cured if diagnosed early, there is no treatment for Powassan. Doctors must intervene with treatment of symptoms, which can include IV fluids and respiratory support.

Powassan virus can be fatal.

Approximately 10-15% of severe cases of Powassan virus disease result in death. What’s more, those, who survive infection, are often left with lingering effects. One Barnstable Mass resident says he feels lucky to be alive after his run-in with this rare tick-borne illness.

What should you do to reduce your risk of exposure to tick-borne illnesses, like Lyme or Powassan?

Steps can be taken to reduce tick bite risks. These include very simple habits, like keeping your lawn cut short, and clearing brush, leaves, and yard waste from your property. If you are going out in nature, wear sleeves and pants to create a barrier between yourself and ticks. It is also recommended that you wear a repellent containing 20% DEET.

Central Mass tick control The CDC also recommends augmenting your tick bite protection by treating your yard for ticks. Professional tick control companies offer solutions for tick elimination. Hiring professionals to treat your property means that you will be optimally protected. This is because tick control technicians are trained to seek out high-risk areas throughout your property to ensure that they are areas of focus for treatment. Reputable companies not only offer yard sprays on a rotating schedule from spring through fall, but extend their offering with tick control tubes. Tick tubes are placed in the fall and work to control the emerging tick population in the spring.

Anaplasmosis in Dogs

The deer tick is one of the two most common ticks in Central Massachusetts. This tick is not only a spreader of Lyme disease, but also anaplasmosis.

We love to get out of doors with man’s best friend this time of year in Central Mass. Hiking, neighborhood walks, and playing in our backyards with our pets brings much joy, but it can also be dangerous if our best friends are not properly protected from ticks. One of the more common tick-borne diseases for dogs in Central Mass is anaplasmosis. What is anaplasmosis? How is it treated?

anaplasmosis in dogs

Anaplasmosis in Dogs: Signs of Infection

If your pet has experienced an anaplasmosis-infected tick bite from a deer tick, he might begin to show symptoms within one week. Though, some dogs never show symptoms at all. Common symptoms are loss of appetite, lethargy, and joint pain – very similar symptoms to Lyme disease. Less common signs of anaplasmosis might be nausea and labored breathing. There are a few clinical tests available, which can diagnose the disease, and your veterinarian will recommend the testing method that is best for your pet if anaplasmosis is suspected.

anaplasmosis in cats

Cats can contract anaplasmosis, too. Though, it is less common in cats than dogs. If your cat is infected, it will show similar symptoms to the ones mentioned above.

Your Dog Can Have Anaplasmosis and Lyme Disease at the Same Time

It is not uncommon for dogs to become infected with Lyme disease and anaplasmosis at once, because both diseases are spread by infected deer ticks. If diagnostics show co-infection, your dog will be treated more aggressively than with single-infection. The good news is, treatment is very successful, requiring only doxycycline. The length of treatment will depend on whether your dog is suffering from only anaplasmosis, or both diseases. Typical treatment is two to four weeks, and symptoms can become greatly reduced in less than two days. It is essential that you continue to administer doxycycline for the full recommended course, even when symptoms have diminished.

Prevention is Essential for Your Pet: Choose Professional Tick Control Methods

tick control Andover MA The best methods of tick-borne disease prevention for your pets are tick control barrier sprays for your yard, daily tick checks, and oral flea and tick preventatives. Though anaplasmosis is often easily treated, an ounce of prevention offers much better assurance for the health and well-being of our pets. Effective Central Mass tick control is achieved through regular barrier treatments of your yard, every couple of weeks, in the spring, summer, and fall. Tick tubes “out of season” will help greatly reduce the tick population around your home when springtime comes back around.

Also read: Can ticks cause anemia in dogs?

Central Mass Ticks: American Dog Tick vs. Deer Tick

Central Mass ticks have one thing in common. They want to feed on your blood.

What do ticks look like? The main goal of all female ticks is to get their next blood meal, grow to adulthood, and reproduce. It’s their driving force. Both the American dog tick and deer tick are common in Central Mass. We know how they are the same. How do they differ?

Central Mass tick: deer tick

Also known as the black-legged tick, this Central Mass tick is the main spreader of Lyme disease. Most Lyme cases result from the bite of a female nymph deer tick. It takes 36 to 48 hours for a deer tick to transmit Lyme disease. Nymph ticks are so small that they are often missed until they become engorged with blood. The biggest threat for a bite from a deer tick in Central Mass is springtime, summer, and fall. Though, ticks live in winter in Central Mass. According to the CDC, adult deer ticks could be out questing for their blood meal in temperatures above freezing. Deer ticks in Central Mass might also transmit Anaplasmosis, Powassan virus, and Babesiosis.

Central Mass ticks: deer tick

Central Mass tick: American dog tick

Another nasty tick common to Central Mass is the American dog tick, also known as the wood tick. This tick is not only common in our area, but is prevalent east of the Rocky Mountains. According to the CDC, the dog tick has limited populations on the Pacific coast. Adult females are the most likely to deliver a bite to their host, and they are responsible for some serious tick-borne illnesses. The American dog tick is the most common vector of Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Tularemia. Dog tick bites tend to be mostly in the spring and summer.

Central Mass ticks: American dog tick

Now is the time for Central Mass tick control.

tick control Massachusetts Warm weather has arrived. We are spending more time outdoors. Central Mass ticks are on the prowl. They are hanging on low-lying vegetation in your backyards and your favorite outdoor areas, like playgrounds, hiking trails, and even the beach. You can help prevent tick-borne illnesses, like the ones above, by hiring a reputable Central Mass tick control company to spray all the areas around your home. Barrier tick sprays are available to keep your family safe at home, and should be professionally applied to your yard about ever three weeks throughout “tick season,” springtime, all the way through autumn. Don’t wait until you find a tick on yourself, a family member, or the family pet. An ounce of prevention is worth all the cure in the world! And let’s not forget, some tick diseases, like Lyme disease, cannot be cured.

Also read: What is the most common tick?

Powassan is on the rise in Massachusetts

I often write about Lyme disease, the most widely-known tick-borne illness. Central Mass residents also face another serious threat. Potentially deadly, Powassan is on the rise in Massachusetts.

The CDC reports that Massachusetts had 22 confirmed cases of Powassan virus from 2009-2018, third highest in the nation. Only Minnesota and Wisconsin had higher reported cases in that time span. In August, another Powassan case was reported in Massachusetts. Neighboring Connecticut has had four confirmed cases of Powassan so far in 2019. The most recent was October 11.

Powassan is on the rise in Massachusetts — *Deer ticks are responsible for the spread of Powassan in Massachusetts.*

How is Powassan spread?

The black-legged tick, also known as the deer tick, spreads Powassan. Deer ticks feed on the blood of mice and birds, and even our cats and dogs. This makes Powassan virus a true threat to our pets, as well as our human family members. It is reported that mice can even carry infected ticks into our homes. We must remain vigilant, even in the cool autumn weather, in keeping our tick control treatments going. Your family’s health could depend on it!

pets can get Powassan — *Tick control in the fall will continue to help protect your whole family from the threat of Powassan.*

What are symptoms of Powassan? Are there treatments?

Symptoms of Powassan can take on those of encephalitis or meningitis – brain or spinal cord infections. If you have found a tick on your skin or clothing, or on your pets, and begin to see symptoms of lethargy, headache, fever, confusion, or seizures, seek medical help immediate. There is no treatment for Powassan. Patients typically require respiratory assistance, and treatment for infection of the brain or spinal cord. There is no vaccine to prevent Powassan. Approximately 10% of those infected will die of the disease.

Powassan virus threat in Massachusetts — *Powassan infected ticks can be lurking in leaf piles, wooded areas, or questing in your lawn or landscaping plants.*

What tick control and prevention measures should you take to prevent Powassan?

Powassan in Massachusetts If you are going to be outdoors, wear long sleeves and pants in light colors, so you can spot a tick easily if it gets onto your clothing. Use personal tick protection measures – repellents with DEET or permethrin are essential if you are hunting, hiking, performing yard work, or other outdoor activities we love in the fall, such as attending or hosting bonfires. Ticks are still lurking, ready to latch on for their blood meals.

Continued tick control in Central Mass

As I mentioned before, now is not the time to halt the tick control efforts around your home. Even though fall has brought cool temps, it has not eliminated the tick population. Nor are they becoming dormant, as they do in the winter. Tick control around your Central Mass home should continue until the immediate threat is gone – when temps fall consistently below 45°F.

tick control Central Mass Once ticks become dormant, yard sprays are not essential, but it is wise for Central Massachusetts residents to employ additional tick control with tick tubes. Tick tubes are placed around your property, and are filled with cotton that has been coated with insecticide. Mice will use the treated cotton to build their nests. While the insecticide doesn’t hurt the mice, it will eliminate ticks that try to feed on them – or ticks that are lying dormant in their nests. Tick tubes can greatly reduce the ticks in your yard next spring by breaking their life cycle.

Deer tick fully attaches to man’s eyeball!

Wow! Can ticks really do that?

Just when I thought that I had seen it all when it comes to ticks, I come across a post like this one. Though, Healthline.com states that ticks commonly attach and embed themselves on the groin, behind the knee, under the arm, inside the ear or bellybutton, or in the hair, it looks like this gentleman stumbled upon new tick frontiers when one attached and embedded itself to his eyeball.

Outdoor workers are very susceptible to tick invasions.

small ticks — Small nymph ticks are hard to identify with the naked eye!

Even this vigilant serviceman in Paintsville Lake, Kentucky, who practices proper tick protection while at work, was the perfect tick target! This tiny tick, purported to be no larger than the tip of a writing pen, made its mischievous way right into his eye. He, of course, noticed that something was in his eye. After repeated attempts to rinse out what he thought was some sort of debris, the barely-visible speck was not budging and so painful that he had to seek medical attention. The photos we see in the post are from the eye doctor. Even magnified, this poppy seed-sized tick is difficult to identify!

What can outdoor workers do for personal tick protection?

It is always recommended that those, who work outdoors, practice personal tick safety. Using a repellent, such as DEET or permethrin on your clothing. Wear long sleeves – the less exposed skin, the better! Keep long hair pulled back, and be sure to check for ticks throughout the day, which might be hiding on your body. Per this recent tick eyeball invasion, safety glasses are a great idea whenever possible, even if not required for outdoor workers!

What if you bring home a tick anyway? Read about Central Mass tick removal and testing.

As always, I urge all Central Mass residents to take advantage of professional tick control and protection for their home. Keep your family and pets safe from the threat of ticks by eliminating up to 95% of ticks on your property with an EPA-registered tick control spray.

Is Your Tick Bite Infected? If You’re Concerned about Lyme Disease in Central Mass, Read More.

Not all ticks carry infections. Many areas of the US don’t have a serious tick problem. Unfortunately, Central MA is not one of them.

Ticks can carry more than one infection, which are often associated with the tick species. Our most common tick in Massachusetts is the Deer tick, a carrier of Lyme Disease.

When bitten by a Deer tick, it can take 3-30 days before any sign of a Lyme infection has occurred. It is important to write down on a calendar when you were bitten. Any sign or symptoms occurring within 30 days should be reported to your physician. He or she will need to know when you were bitten and when you noticed the first symptoms. Ticks use an anesthetic when they bite, so they often go unnoticed. If a tick is removed within 48 hours of first biting, the risk of them transmitting Lyme Disease is believed to be low.

Lyme disease prevention begins with trusted Central Mass tick control.

If you do find a tick attached to your skin, there are certain things you need to know. Along with fatigue, chills, fever, headache, muscle and joint pain and swollen lymph nodes you should look for physical signs of an infection as well. In the case of Lyme Disease, the infection will often show as a bulls-eye rash on your skin. It can appear around the bite or anywhere on the skin. The rash will often gradually expand further out from the area first discovered. Some patients will simply notice a red blotch with no bulls-eye. The rash is usually not itchy or painful. Thirty percent of infected patients will not see a rash at all, so noting the other symptoms you are experiencing is important in your diagnosis.

Also read: Should I put anything on a tick bite?

The bulls-eye rash can have other variations. Immune response, skin pigmentation and the location of the bite can affect how the rash develops. In the photo on the right, only a small, inflamed area appears around the bite. This inflammation is a first sign of a possible infection but not conclusive. Inflammation is a naturally occurring healing process our body uses to repair damaged cells. Consider any inflammation an indication you need to observe if you have any other symptoms and if a rash around the bite area.

This photo is the classic bulls-eye rash with which we are most familiar. It clearly looks like a bulls-eye and is indicative of a Lyme infection.

Lyme rash — courtesy of dunehypnotherapy.co.uk.com

This photo shows a less defined bulls-eye. It does have a reddish or brown center area with a lighter brown area around it. This patient had a Lyme infection.

lyme disease infection — courtesy of helio.com

On tanned skin, the bulls-eye rash can be even more difficult to distinguish. The darker pigmentation of the skin makes the rash more subdued and difficult to distinguish. This photo is from a pediatric patient with a Lyme infection.

The most important thing to remember when bitten by a tick is to track your symptoms. In many cases, no rash may appear. Each patient’s immune system will respond differently to an infection but a rash is one more clue that a Lyme infection has occurred.

Remember, if you are in good health and Lyme Disease is diagnosed early you have an excellent prognosis of overcoming the disease after a few weeks of antibiotics. Contacting your doctor as soon as any symptoms appear is your best course of action in overcoming any worry and getting rid of the disease.

Also read: Is Chronic Lyme disease real?

Dave Macchia Mosquito Squad square 2 — Dave Macchia, Tick Control Enthusiast