Life Cycle of American Dog Ticks

Eggs

• The adult American dog tick female lays her egg after feeding on a host until she is engorged. Dropping to the ground, she spends the next four to 10 days both digesting the blood she's consumed and developing and laying a clutch of between 4000 and 6500 eggs.

  The speed at which the eggs hatch is determined by temperature, according to the University of Florida, but hatching usually takes between 26 and 40 days.

Larvae

• Newly-hatched six-legged tick larvae either stay on the ground or, in a process called questing, climb grass or low vegetation, where they can survive nearly a year while waiting for an animal to serve as a host.

  Their first meal continues from two days to two weeks before they drop to the ground to digest and molt, maturing into nymphs. This larval stage of the tick's life cycle lasts at least a week.

Nymphs

• Like larvae, eight-legged American dog tick nymphs can wait as long as six months in vegetation before attaching to new and larger host animals. While larvae commonly infect mice, nymphs often feed on squirrels or possums.

  They stay attached to their hosts for between three and 10 days, falling to the ground when engorged for digestion and their final molt into adult ticks. The final molt may continue from three weeks to a period of months.

Adults

• Although they can go two years without a meal, adult American dog ticks usually feed on the first available dog or large animal. The adult quests by grasping a low-growing plants with its two hind legs, attaching itself to a passing animal with the other four.

  The ticks also mate while living on these hosts. After feeding for between six and 13 days, the pregnant females drop to the ground, lay their eggs, and die.

Tick Bite Prevention

• Wear light colored long-sleeved shirts and long pants, with boots or shoes and long socks. Tape your pant legs to your socks to cover gaps. Spray your clothes well with a DEET-based repellent.

  Check yourself and your pets for ticks every couple of hours. Use tape to remove crawling ticks. Then fold it, sticky sides together, and dispose of the trapped tick in the trash.