Engorged Deer Tick Vs Engorged Dog Tick
Ticks are on the move right now and it s expected to be an active season.
Engorged deer tick vs engorged dog tick. Dog ticks do not transmit lyme disease. The ticks on the right are larger because they are engorged with blood. The dog ticks in the bottom row have white markings. Ixodes scapularis dammini the deer tick which transmits lyme disease.
Share this deer tick vs dog tick info graphic on facebook to help inform your friends and family. Nymphs are most common may through july. Not only are these creatures nasty but they can also transmit dangerous diseases to you and your pets. Don t forget both the american dog tick and deer tick have two year life cycles.
Also download our free tick identification card here. The deer tick is about half the size of the brown dog tick both in its pre fed state and when engorged. An adult deer tick left and an engorged deer tick filled with blood right. A smaller tick with a red tint is likely a deer tick but a brown tick with a white patch and larger body is a dog tick.
Although we tend to think about ticks only in the summer months primarily may through august when they are most active ticks can actually live through the winter and will remain active through much of the year. Brown dog ticks rarely attach to humans. They can burrow into leaf litter and survive quite nicely until temperatures warm up to a more. Male deer tick courtesy of griffin dill umaine cooperative extension.
Just like deer ticks american dog ticks are three host ticks meaning adults have already fed twice before they seek out humans. An american dog tick. Deer ticks have a distinct red and brown body while dog ticks have an off white and brown body. One adult female deer tick can lay up to 3 000 eggs while one female american dog tick will lay over 4 000 eggs.
In massachusetts the two most common species are deer ticks and dog ticks here s what you need to know. Although the shield appears dark and similar in shape the shorter mouthparts of the brown dog tick are easy to identify. Deer ticks are in the top row. Ticks are most common in the summer months.
Being able to identify a deer tick versus a dog tick could mean the difference between having to visit the doctor or breathing a sigh of relief. However they are one of the few ticks that can infest a home. Both ticks have brown legs and a similar overall shape despite their differences in size. Not all tick bites are caused by adults but it s most likely.
Adults appear in the fall and early spring. Brown dog ticks seldom attack humans. The lone star tick has a distinctive white star like marking on its scutum. Brown dog tick engorgement sequence.
Because the engorged deer tick is often confused with the brown dog tick we have included the same photo series so you can compare the two species.