Black-Legged Tick
Category: Fleas, Ticks & Lice
Scientific Name: Ixodes scapularis
Identification:
Color: Brown with dark legs
Size: ⅛ inch long
Region: Found throughout the United States
Lifespan: 2 years
Important Considerations:
- Black-legged ticks are also known as Deer ticks due to their tendency to feed on deer.
- Each spring, females lay 3,000 eggs.
- Black-legged ticks frequently bite humans. This can lead to the spread of diseases such as anaplasmosis, babeosis and Lyme disease.
- This tick breed is the smallest one. That makes them the hardest to detect — either on or off the body.
Where to Find Them on Your Property?
Ticks like living in wooded areas and thankfully are not often found in open areas such as yards. They often climb grass or shrubs and wait for a host to pass by. From there, they attach onto the host and feed on them. The greatest risk of finding ticks is in the woods or thick brush where animals, especially deer, frequent.