GOT TICKS! GET INFORMATION!

What are Ticks? Most people think ticks are a kind of insect. They're not! Technically, they're classified as arthropods and more specifically, as acarines, which place them in the same group of "bugs" as spiders and mites. Practically however, what really defines ticks is that they are obligate blood feeders (blood is all they feed on), and a rather unique feature of most ticks is that they typically stay attached to their host for days or a week to complete feeding (in contrast, mosquitoes are quick-in/quick-out blood feeders). Ticks also carry a wide variety of disease-causing germs and they transmit these agents while bloodfeeding.

Typically, different species of human-biting ticks are associated with specific disease-causing pathogens (see Fig 1). Relatively recent environmental changes, especially expansion of deer populations, have had dramatic effects on tick ecology and the impact that ticks play on public health in many parts of the United States. To stay disease free, it's important for families and individuals to clearly understand their tick encounter risks and best practices preventive solutions.

Ticks Crawl Up!

Watch this one minute video by the TickEncounter Resource Center and learn why prevention starts from the ground up.