The Life of a Tick, Part 2

The tick nymph is more dangerous to mammals than an adult tick. It is so small it can be mistaken for a freckle on light skin. It also may have fed on a mouse, which is a source of the dangerous bacterium known as spirochete. The male adult tick looks for the biggest moving mammalian blood like that in a deer. Deer have components in their blood that prevent the spirochetes from surviving. But they are also tick enablers; if there were fewer deer, there would be fewer ticks.

Male and female ticks engage in feeding on deer. The female tick plants her anchor in the deer and, after a long drink of blood, her body can produce as many as 2,000 eggs. The male attaches to the female and remains attached until the female drops off. Once the female tick is on the ground, she lays her eggs and begins to atrophy.

Death for a tick comes from starvation, dehydration, egg-laying, or old age, rather than from a predator. There don’t seem to be any natural enemies to help with tick control in the environment.

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