Pest Library - Ticks and Mites

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American Dog Tick	Black-Legged Tick	Clover Mite	Soft Tick
Bird Mite	Brown Dog Tick	Lone Star Tick

American Dog Tick
Dermacentor variabilis

Characteristics
Size: About 1/4-inch in length.
Color: Dark reddish-brown.

Behavior
Like all ticks, the American dog tick is a bloodsucking ectoparacite. It is often referred to as a wood tick because it is found in wooded areas where mammalian hosts such as deer, raccoons and possums live. It lives near bodies of water where animals drink as well.

Ticks require a blood meal at each stage of life in order to grow, and the female must engorge herself with blood to obtain the nourishment necessary to produce the thousands of eggs she lays. Despite the large number of eggs produced, only a small percentage will make it to maturity.

Ticks do not embed their entire head into a host, only the mouthparts. To keep the blood from clotting, the tick will inject an anti-clogging agent. Bites from the American dog tick, along with other closely related species, can sometimes cause a severe reaction. Called tick bite paralysis, it only occurs in a relatively small number of people. These ticks also can transmit diseases such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Lyme disease.

Important Note: If you develop a reddish rash around the site of a tick bite, suffer arthritis-like pain in one or more joints, or have flu-like symptoms that come and go after recently being bitten by a tick, see your physician. The migrating, “bulls-eye” rash is a key symptom of Lyme Disease, and occurs in about 60 percent of people contracting the disease. The rash may not appear as the first symptom. Flu-like symptoms, fatigue, neck and head pain, and other symptoms may occur first or in lieu of the rash. Visit the Center for Disease Control at www.cdc.gov for a full description of this disease.

Habitat
American dog ticks inhabit most states east of the Rocky Mountains and some parts of a few western states, such as California , Idaho and Washington . They frequent wooded areas and fields and are more common around homes and buildings in secluded or rural areas. Unlike the brown dog tick, this species is rarely found living indoors. If inside, it will generally be discovered on dogs or cats.

Tips for Control
Ticks are difficult to control, therefore the services of an experienced professional are recommended. Treatments may be necessary in areas of the yard where ticks are found. The best way to avoid tick bites is to stay away from tick-infested areas. However, if it is necessary, follow these tips when working or walking in areas potentially inhabited by ticks:

Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants. Light colors are best so ticks are easier to detect.
Secure the bottom of pants inside socks or tie close around the ankles.
Wear a hat.
Tuck long hair under a hat.
Use tick repellent applied to clothing, particularly the lower body and the arms.
Carefully inspect your body after exiting infested areas. Have another person inspect your backside and back of your head.
Wash clothing in warm water and detergent immediately.
Never throw potentially infested clothing in a hamper with other clothes or onto the floor.
Protect pets by preventing them from venturing into tick-infested areas or consult your veterinarian for tick treatment products. Remember, your dog can also contract Lyme Disease.
Inspect pets carefully for ticks after walking them in wooded areas or fields.
To remove a tick imbedded in your skin, do not grasp it by the abdomen and pull. You may squeeze its fluids into your skin, which increases the chances for infection. Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick by the head next to the skin and slowly pull backwards. Working slowly permits the tick to withdraw its mouthparts so they do not detach and remain in the skin and become infected. Once the tick has been removed, cleanse the area well with soap and water. You may want to disinfect the bite site with alcohol or apply an antibiotic cream.

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Bird Mite
Family Dermanyssidae

Characteristics
Size: Bird mites are tiny; the size of a pin head or possibly smaller.
Color: Varies, usually dark, but possibly creamy white, depending on the species.

Behavior
A variety of mite species infest different types of birds and other animals. There are more species of mites that are not ectoparasites, but rather are pests of trees and other plants or live freely in the soil. Mites are one of the more difficult arthropods to identify, therefore requiring specimens be sent to a university with a qualified acarologist – an entomologist who studies mites. Knowing the type of mite involved is critical in determining the source of the infestation. (For example, mites occurring from the nests of rats or mice are also possible, though rare, in buildings.)

On farms, mites that infest poultry sometimes become a problem in barns or can bite humans who work with the birds. More commonly, in homes and commercial buildings, mites that infest pest birds, such as pigeons and sparrows, may find their way into living spaces of homes. Some cases of mites biting humans in buildings have been reported.

Habitat
Usually, one or more specimens are discovered wandering on a windowsill, on the floor, or possibly on a desk or table. Generally, such cases result from birds nesting in the attic, walls, or on the outside edge of the building roof. If the birds leave the nest, the mites will wander in search of a new host. Occasionally, however, bird activity within a commercial building (e.g., a church bell tower) that has been allowed to persist will cause an infestation of mites and other bird ectoparasites. They will wander indoors in search of new hosts.

Like all mites, bird mites must remain on or very close to their hosts to survive, so they will be found in association with bird nests located on or within a building.

Tips for Control
When wandering mites have been discovered in a building, the situation is best handled by an experienced professional. Correct identification by an experienced entomologist of the louse involved is key to determining the source of the mites. To control bird mites, the bird activity in or on the building must be eliminated or prevented and all nest materials removed. Areas where nests are located often require treatment to eliminate any wandering mites. Additionally, wall voids and other voids may need to be drilled and treated, depending on the situation.

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Black-legged Tick (a.k.a. Deer Tick)
Ixodes scapularis

Characteristics
Size: Tiny in size with adults measuring 1/8-inch, while young nymphs may be pinhead-sized.
Color: Dark brown to black body and darker legs.

Behavior
Like all ticks, the black-legged tick is a bloodsucking ectoparacite. Ticks require a blood meal at each stage of life in order to grow and the female will engorge herself with blood to obtain the nourishment necessary to produce the thousands of eggs she will lay soon. Commonly known as the deer tick, black-legged ticks have a two-year cycle beginning in the spring when the female tick deposits her eggs. Despite the thousands of eggs produced, only a small percentage will survive to maturity.

Black-legged ticks are the primary vector of Lyme Disease in the Eastern U.S. and are common in wooded areas and fields where mammalian hosts such as deer, rodents and humans live. The tiny larvae get their first blood meal from rodents, mainly the white-footed mouse, Peromyscus leucopus.

Ticks imbed their mouthparts, not their entire head, as some commonly believe, into their host. They inject an anti-clogging agent to keep the blood from clotting so they can feed. During feeding, black-legged ticks may inject the spirochete bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, which causes Lyme Disease. Due to the small size of this tick, its presence can go unnoticed for several days if the tick is attached in an inconspicuous area of the body, such as on the back or under the hair on the head. This increases the potential for transmission of disease if the tick itself is infected.

Lyme Disease - Lyme disease was first detected in 1976 in Lyme , Connecticut when an unusually large number of children suffering from similar symptoms came down with an unidentified illness later found to be transmitted by the black-legged tick, Ixodes scapularis. In 1981 the causative pathogen, a spirochete named Borrelia burgdorferi, was isolated and confirmed as the cause.

Studies have shown that 90 percent of the black-legged ticks may be infected with B. burgdorferi in parts of northeastern states. Lyme Disease most often begins with the appearance of a spreading rash at the site of the bite. This rash, called erthema chronicum migrans or ECM, is seen in about 60 percent of patients. Most victims of Lyme disease report a flu-like illness at first, and often dismiss the symptoms as a “24 hour bug,” overexertion or lack of rest. Lyme Disease is very difficult to diagnose because each victim’s symptomatology can be different.

Three distinct stages of Lyme disease have been described, but these stages may not appear in all patients, may overlap, or often may occur out-of-sequence. The different stages may mimic the symptomatology of other diseases further conflicting correct diagnosis. Stage One involves the ECM rash and the flu-like illness. Stage Two involves neurological and cardiac problems. The disease can cause malfunctions in the electrical signals to the heart and has caused doctors to install pacemakers in some patients. Stage Three results in arthritic conditions in various joints. Unlike typical arthritis, Lyme disease may only affect one side of the body or only one or two joints. Black-legged ticks are also carriers of a disease called human granulocytic erlichiosus or HGE. Some persons infected with Lyme disease have also contracted HGE, possibly as the result of the same tick bite. For more information regarding tick-bourne diseases, visit the website of the Centers for Disease Control.

Habitat
Black-legged ticks are primarily found in the Eastern U.S. and are particularly common in the Northeast. They frequent wooded areas and fields and are more common around homes and buildings in secluded or rural areas. Unlike the brown dog tick, this species is rarely found living indoors. If inside, it will generally be discovered on dogs or cats.

Tips for Control
Ticks are difficult to control, therefore the services of an experienced professional are recommended. Treatments may be necessary in areas of the yard where ticks are found.

Bayer-Aventis is introducing the Maxforce™ Tick Control System that can be placed in wooded areas frequented by white-footed mice, which are the principal hosts for black-legged ticks. Mice enter tamper-resistant stations to feed on a nontoxic bait block and, in doing so, make contact with an insecticide-treated strip. The insecticide, fipronil, transfers to the mouse’s fur and kills any ticks present on the mouse and any new ticks that may try to attach themselves to the mouse later. (Fipronil is used for on-animal treatment products called Frontline™ to control fleas and ticks on dogs and cats.) The Maxforce™ System demonstrates the ability to significantly reduce the presence of ticks in an area. In studies conducted thus far, the best results are seen after several years of consistent use. This system is currently finalizing its registration with the EPA and should be available through professional pest control companies this year. The system is best suited for homes and buildings bordered by wooded lots.

The best way to avoid tick bites is to stay away from tick-infested areas. However, if it is necessary, follow these tips when working or walking in areas potentially inhabited by ticks:

Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants. Light colors are best so ticks are easier to detect.
Secure the bottom of pants inside socks or tie close around the ankles.
Wear a hat.
Tuck long hair under a hat.
Use tick repellent applied to clothing, particularly the lower body and the arms.
Carefully inspect your body after exiting infested areas. Have another person inspect your backside and back of your head.
Wash clothing in warm water and detergent immediately.
Never throw potentially infested clothing in a hamper with other clothes or onto the floor.
Protect pets by preventing them from venturing into tick-infested areas or consult your veterinarian for tick treatment products. Remember, your dog can also contract Lyme Disease.
Inspect pets carefully for ticks after walking them in wooded areas or fields.
To remove a tick imbedded in your skin, do not grasp it by the abdomen and pull. You may squeeze its fluids into your skin, which increases the chances for infection. Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick by the head next to the skin and slowly pull backwards. Working slowly permits the tick to withdraw its mouthparts so they do not detach and remain in the skin and become infected. Once the tick has been removed, cleanse the area well with soap and water. You may want to disinfect the bite site with alcohol or apply an antibiotic cream.

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Brown Dog Tick
Rhipicephalus sanguineus

Characteristics
Size: May reach nearly 1/4-inch in length. After taking a blood meal, however, the female may measure about 1/2-inch or larger.
Color: Uniformly dark reddish brown with no markings.

Behavior
Brown dog ticks do not confine themselves to dogs but will also attach themselves to many other animals and people. On dogs, adult ticks are typically found on the ears and between the toes, while immature ticks feed along the dog's back. Outdoors, a brown dog tick crawls up on grasses, shrubs, and other vegetation, then attaches itself to a passing host, which may be a dog, deer, rabbit, person, etc. The brown dog tick is known for infesting homes after being carried inside on pets, usually dogs. Indoors, a female may lay eggs in a crack and after a few weeks, hundreds of young ticks, called larvae, may be seen crawling about in search of a host. Usually, the ticks seek out a dog or cat, but may crawl onto and feed on humans in the home. Larval ticks and adults are capable of surviving long periods up to eight months without feeding. Outdoors, wildlife, such as raccoons and possums, may be responsible for bringing ticks into a yard, or the ticks may crawl into the yard from a neighboring property. The brown dog tick is important because it is known to transmit diseases to humans, including Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, tularemia, human babesiosus, and human ehrlichiosis. In addition, the threat of bacterial infection is possible at the site of any tick bite, and, in rare cases, may even result in blood poisoning.

Habitat
Brown dog ticks are greater pests in southern states but not in the north. They are typically found in heavy vegetation and tall grasses where dogs and other animals have been active. In yards, the ticks are usually found around shrubs and in landscaped areas, but will also be found in dog houses and kennels and beneath decks (if the pet has access beneath it). Inside, the ticks drop off the pet after taking their blood meal and crawl into cracks around baseboards, door frames, and window frames.

Tips for Control
Ticks are notoriously difficult to control in and around homes. Repeated treatments are often required to finally eliminate the ticks. In some cases where wildlife may be continuing to reintroduce ticks to a yard, continued tick control services may be necessary. Several factors need to be considered when controlling ticks:

Regular treatment of dogs (and possibly cats) for ticks (completed under the direction and care of a veterinarian).
Regular inspection of cats and dogs and prompt removal of ticks (completed by pet owner using techniques supplied by a veterinarian).
Removing or limiting the amount of thick vegetation on the property.
Trapping and removing wildlife that is coming onto the property (completed by a qualified wildlife removal specialist).
Treatment of vegetation where ticks are found outdoors (completed by a licensed pest control company, such as Terminix).
Treatment of cracks and voids indoors where ticks are found to be active.

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Clover Mite
Bryobia praetiosa

Characteristics
Size: Clover mites are tiny, the adults being smaller than the head of a pin.
Color: The larvae of the clover mite, freshly emerged from eggs, are bright red. The older stages and the adults are darker reddish brown.

This mite is easily distinguished from other mites by its very long two front legs.

Behavior
Clover mites feed on plant fluids, such as grass, and are common outdoors around most buildings. During the fall, however, the mites may crawl onto building foundations in large numbers and deposit eggs within cracks found in the building exterior. In the spring, the tiny red larvae hatch and may crawl up the foundation and through cracks around windows and in walls and then into the building. Dozens, sometimes hundreds, of these mites then may be seen on windowsills, curtains, and on walls. When smashed, a red stain may result that may be difficult to remove from fabrics. Inside, the mites cannot find food and will soon die. These mites do not bite people or pets.

Habitat
During most of the year, clover mites are found outside in lawns and on other landscaping plants. They may be seen inside during the spring.

Tips for Control
Obviously, removing all vegetation next to the home will eliminate clover mites; however, this is not practical.

Homes that have regular annual clover mite infestations will benefit from sealing exterior cracks and holes where the adult mites might deposit their eggs.
When clover mites are a significant problem, treatment of the building foundation and perimeter, together with treatment of cracks and holes in which mites may have crawled, can greatly reduce the problem.

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Lone Star Tick
Amblyomma americanum

Characteristics
Size: About 1/4-inch in length.
Color: Grayish-brown with a white dot that resembles a star in the center top of the abdomen.

Behavior
Like all ticks, the lone star tick is a bloodsucking ectoparacite. It is often referred to as a wood tick because it is found in wooded areas where mammalian hosts such as deer, raccoons and possums live. It lives near bodies of water where animals drink as well.

Ticks do not embed their entire head into a host, only the mouthparts. To keep the blood from clotting, the tick will inject an anti-clogging agent. Bites from this tick, along with other closely related species, can cause a severe reaction. Called tick bite paralysis, it only occurs in a relatively small number of people. These ticks also can transmit diseases such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Lyme Disease.

Habitat
Lone star ticks are primarily found in the Southwest U.S. , beginning in Texas . They frequent wooded areas and fields and are more common around homes and buildings in secluded or rural areas. In some parts of Texas , fire ants prey upon lone star ticks. Unlike the brown dog tick, this species is rarely found living indoors. If inside, it will be found on dogs or cats.

Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants. Light colors are best so ticks are easier to detect.
Secure the bottom of pants inside socks or tie close around the ankles.
Wear a hat.
Tuck long hair under a hat.
Use tick repellent applied to clothing, particularly the lower body and the arms.
Carefully inspect your body after exiting infested areas. Have another person inspect your backside and back of your head.
Wash clothing in warm water and detergent immediately.
Never throw potentially infested clothing in a hamper with other clothes or onto the floor.
Protect pets by preventing them from venturing into tick-infested areas or consult your veterinarian for tick treatment products. Remember, your dog can also contract Lyme Disease.
Inspect pets carefully for ticks after walking them in wooded areas or fields.
To remove a tick imbedded in your skin, do not grasp it by the abdomen and pull. You may squeeze its fluids into your skin, which increases the chances for infection. Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick by the head next to the skin and slowly pull backwards. Working slowly permits the tick to withdraw its mouthparts so they do not detach and remain in the skin and become infected. Once the tick has been removed, cleanse the area well with soap and water. You may want to disinfect the bite site with alcohol or apply an antibiotic cream.

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Soft Tick
Family Argasidae, Argas spp., Ornithodoros spp.

Characteristics
Size: About 1/4-inch in length.
Color: Varies depending on species from sandy brown, reddish brown to dark brown.

Behavior
Soft ticks differ from the hard ticks in that their body shape is oval and the head and mouthparts are hidden underneath the body. Soft ticks also are more flesh-like in appearance and do not have the hard, flattened exterior of ticks such as the brown dog tick, American dog tick, and similar species.

The most commonly encountered soft ticks around buildings are those that infest birds belonging to the genus Argas and those infesting rodents of the genus Ornithodoros. Rodents transmit the spirochete that causes relapsing fever in the western U.S. Cabins, rural homes and other secluded buildings that become infested with rodents may potentially house Ornithodoros soft ticks. Should the rodents leave or tick populations become too high, the ticks may attach themselves to persons residing or sleeping in infested buildings.

Bird or fowl ticks of the genus Argas may be encountered on farms where poultry are kept or in buildings infested by pigeons that carry the pigeon tick, A. reflexus. These ticks are quite mobile and may crawl significant distances seeking hosts, such as invading a structure on a farm or moving down through a building from pigeon roosts.

Habitat
Soft ticks will be present wherever their rodent or bird hosts live. Rodent burrows, attics, wall voids and crawl spaces are just a few examples.

Tips for Control
When soft ticks are found within a building, Terminix recommends consulting a professional for assistance. The birds or rodents serving as hosts must first be controlled
and/or excluded. Further steps must be taken ensuring rodents or birds cannot reenter the building. It is important to remove any rodent or bird nest that is accessible and
also treat cracks and voids where ticks may be located.

Should you discover a tick imbedded in your skin, do not grasp it by the abdomen and pull. You may squeeze its fluids into your skin, which increases the chances for infection.
Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick by the head next to the skin and slowly pull backwards. Working slowly will permit the tick to withdraw its mouthparts so they do not
detach and remain in the skin to become infected. Once the tick has been removed, cleanse the area well with soap and water. You may want to disinfect the bite site with
alcohol or apply an antibiotic cream.

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