Ticks
(Ixodidae family)
Blood-feeding arachnids that attach to skin and can transmit Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and other serious illnesses.
Overview
Ticks are blood-feeding ectoparasites that pose serious health risks to humans and pets in the Bowling Green area. Kentucky is home to several medically important tick species including the lone star tick, American dog tick, black-legged tick (deer tick), and brown dog tick. Ticks can transmit a range of serious diseases including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichiosis, alpha-gal syndrome (red meat allergy), and Southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI). Tick populations have been increasing across Kentucky in recent years.
Appearance
Ticks are small arachnids (not insects — they have 8 legs as adults). Unfed adults are flat and oval, ranging from 1/16 to 1/4 inch. After feeding, they become engorged and can swell to 1/2 inch or more. The lone star tick (most common in Kentucky) has a single white dot on the female's back. The American dog tick is brown with white mottling. The black-legged tick (deer tick) is very small with a reddish-brown body and dark legs.
Habitat
Ticks live in wooded, brushy, and grassy areas. They do not jump or fly — instead, they climb to the tips of grass blades and low vegetation and wait with outstretched front legs to latch onto a passing host (a behavior called questing). They are most common along woodland edges, hiking trails, overgrown fields, and in yards that border wooded areas. Some species (brown dog tick) can complete their entire lifecycle indoors.
Diet
Ticks are obligate blood feeders at all life stages. Larvae, nymphs, and adults all require a blood meal to develop to the next stage. Ticks can feed on a wide range of hosts including deer, dogs, cats, rodents, birds, and humans. A single blood meal can last several days — ticks can remain attached and feeding for 3 to 7 days if not discovered.
Lifecycle
Ticks have a four-stage lifecycle: egg, larva (6 legs), nymph (8 legs), and adult (8 legs). Most species require 2 to 3 years to complete their lifecycle, taking a blood meal at each stage. Females lay thousands of eggs (2,000 to 18,000 depending on species) in leaf litter after feeding. Nymphs are responsible for most human disease transmission because they are small and difficult to detect.
Signs of Infestation
- !Finding an attached tick on skin — check hairline, behind ears, underarms, groin, and behind knees
- !A bull's-eye rash (erythema migrans) after a tick bite may indicate Lyme disease
- !Ticks found on pets — check ears, between toes, around the tail, and under collars
- !Developing flu-like symptoms (fever, headache, body aches) after spending time outdoors in tick habitat
Prevention Tips
- ✓Wear long sleeves and tuck pants into socks when hiking or working in tall grass or wooded areas
- ✓Apply EPA-registered tick repellent containing DEET, picaridin, or permethrin-treated clothing
- ✓Perform thorough tick checks after spending time outdoors — shower within 2 hours
- ✓Keep grass mowed short and remove leaf litter from yard edges
- ✓Create a 3-foot gravel or wood chip barrier between lawn and wooded areas
- ✓Keep pets on veterinarian-recommended tick prevention and check pets after outdoor activities
Professional Treatment
Professional tick control includes targeted treatments of yard perimeters, wooded edges, and shaded areas where ticks quest for hosts. Granular and liquid products are applied to reduce tick populations in high-activity zones. Reducing wildlife habitat (deer browse areas, rodent harborage) on the property helps. For properties bordering wooded areas, regular seasonal treatments from spring through fall provide the best protection.
Did You Know?
- •The lone star tick can cause alpha-gal syndrome — an allergy to red meat that develops after a bite.
- •Ticks can survive underwater for extended periods and are extremely difficult to crush.
- •Nymph-stage ticks (poppy-seed sized) are responsible for most Lyme disease transmission because they are so small they go unnoticed.
- •A single female tick can lay up to 18,000 eggs in a single batch.
1/16 to 1/4 inch (unfed); up to 1/2 inch (engorged)
Brown, reddish-brown, or black (varies by species and feeding status)
8 (adults and nymphs); 6 (larvae)
Flat, oval body that becomes round and engorged when fed
Deer tick, Dog tick, Lone star tick, Wood tick
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