The Tick Life Cycle

The tick life cycle is complex.  Ticks are not truly insects, but are more closely related to spiders. They are more resistant to our common pesticides and repellents. Typically, one tick is believed to live over a two year period.  It starts out as an egg, often laid near the entrance to small rodent (white-footed mouse) dens. It hatches into a tiny larva. Maybe 5-7 larva could fit on the head of a straight pin. These larva typically get on the mouse or nearby rodent, take a blood meal, then fall to the ground to wait to molt into the next stage.

If the weather or nearby feeding opportunities are not right, the tick will wait in this stage until it has a better chance of survival. It then shows up as a nymph, where it looks like a miniature adult tick. Again, the nymph waits to attach to a rodent, rabbit, human or pet to take a blood meal then fall to the ground to wait in molt until opportunities are right. It then emerges as an adult tick, still small but more easily visible than the previous 2 stages. The adult tick crawls about up a foot grass, shrubs or other plant growth to wait for a passing animal (pet, human, deer, almost anything!) to attach to and gain a blood meal. An adult tick will take 3-5 days to fill with its blood meal, typically changing from about the size of the eraser on a pencil to a small grape as it fills. While only the adult female takes a blood meal, the smaller male may be found attached to her underside, ready to inseminate her. Once she is full, she falls off, lays her eggs and dies.

While it is possible for ticks to establish indoor life cycles, it is uncommon in Northeastern homes and most common in Southwestern kennels.

Locally, we see ticks on pets EVERY MONTH OF THE YEAR. Ticks are not killed by cold weather! However, snow cover typically is believed to cover them and keep them inactive underneath. The less snow, the more tick activity is noted in the winter time (December, January, February). The most tick activity on pets is noted spring and fall (March, April and May and again in September, October and November). Mostly adult ticks are found on pets taking their blood meal or soon thereafter, dropped on the floor of the home. However, during summertime (June, July and August), nymphal ticks can be found mostly on hunting cats and often around the eyelids, nose, mouth and ear tips. Adult tick activity is also noted in the summertime.

Ticks transmit Lyme disease by feeding on us or our pets. They need to feed over 24 hours to successfully move the Lyme spirochete (similiar to a bacteria) from their gut to their mouth and then into the body they are feeding on. So early removal means less chance of Lyme disease. And if you remove and dispose of an unattached tick, there is no chance of transmission of Lyme disease from that tick. And you cannot get Lyme disease from your pet, ONLY by being bitten by a tick.

Most topical tick preventions, like Vectra, Frontline, or Preventic collars, take HOURS to kill the tick. So even if you find an attached tick, it doesn't mean they are not working! Look closely at the removed tick. Moving legs mean they are not dead yet but you may remove a tick that is still and unmoving and actually already dead. Even though these products may take hours to kill the tick, they are generally believed to be working faster than the tick can transmit Lyme disease. And ticks that are exposed to these products, but brushed off the pet and left in the home, are going to die in a matter of hours.

Some topical tick preventions, like Vectra provide some repellant effect, so fewer ticks will get on your pet.

Bravecto and Revolution are the ONLY TICK PREVENTION THAT IS SAFE FOR USE ON CATS! Dogs have more options for tick control.