ENY-206

Ticks (Family Ixoididae)1

P. G. Koehler, F. M. Oi, and A. Chaskopoulou2

known to be almost as important as mosquitoes in terms of

public health importance.

Several species of ticks attack dogs, but cats are rarely

infested. Many of the dog ticks are known as wood ticks
and infest dogs when they run through the woods or fields.

Of the ticks found in Florida, the brown dog tick and the
American dog tick are the most troublesome. The brown
dog tick rarely bites humans, but infestations are frequently
found on dogs and in the home. The American dog tick
attacks a wide variety of hosts, including humans, but rarely
will infest homes.

Brown Dog Tick

The brown dog tick (Figure 1) seldom attacks animals other
than dogs. It is most likely found where dogs are kept in
or around the house. The brown dog tick rarely transmits
disease to humans (except the Btonneuse fever in the
This fact sheet is excerpted from SP486: Pests in and around the Mediterranean countries) but may transmit diseases to dogs
Southern Home, which is available from the IFAS Extension Bookstore. such as canine ehrlichiosis and babesiosis.
http://ifasbooks.ifas.ufl.edu/p-1222-pests-in-and-around-the-
southern-home.aspx The adult female tick lays a mass of 1,000 to 3,000 eggs
after engorging on a dog’s blood. These eggs are often
found in cracks on the roof of kennels or high on the walls
Ticks are not insects and are closely related to the spiders. or ceilings of buildings. In the house, eggs are laid around
Adult ticks have eight legs. Their life cycle is divided into baseboards, window and door casings, curtains, furniture,
four stages: egg, larva, nymph, and adult. All ticks feed on and edges of rugs. The egg-laying females are often seen
blood during some or all stages in their lifecycle. Ticks are going up walls to lay eggs.
known to transmit serious diseases to animals and humans
even though humans are not the preferred host. They are

1. This document is ENY-206, one of a series of the Entomology and Nematology Department, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date June 1991.
Revised July 2011. Reviewed December 2013. Visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

2. P. G. Koehler, professor/Extension entomologist, F. M. Oi, assistant Extension entomologist, and A. Chaskopoulou, former graduate student,
Entomology and Nematology Department, UF/IFAS Extension, Gainesville, FL 32611.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to
individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national
origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other UF/IFAS Extension publications, contact your county’s UF/IFAS Extension office.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, UF/IFAS Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A & M University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County
Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, dean for UF/IFAS Extension.
 When a small rodent is found, the larvae attach and feed for
approximately five days. The larvae then drop off the host
and molt to the nymphal stage. The nymphs crawl about in
search of a rodent host, attach to it, and engorge with blood
in three to 11 days. Nymphs can live without food for up to
584 days.

Figure 1. Brown dog tick (male left and female right).

The eggs hatch in 19 to 60 days into six-legged, small

larvae known as “seed ticks.” The seed tick takes a blood
meal from dogs when they are available. The larvae are so
small they will not be noticed on the dog unless there is a Figure 2. American dog tick.
large number of larvae together. They remain attached to
the dog for three to six days, turn bluish, then drop to the
Adults crawl about in search of dogs or large animals for
floor. After dropping from the host, the larvae hide for six
a blood meal. Adults can live for up to two years without
to 23 days before molting into eight-legged, reddish-brown
food. American dog tick adults and many other species can
nymphs. They are now ready for another blood meal and
be found along roads, paths, and trails, on grass, and on
again seek a dog host. The nymphs attach to dogs, take a
other low vegetation in a “waiting position.” As an animal
blood meal, drop off, and molt to the adult in 12 to 29 days.
passes by, the tick will grasp it firmly and soon start feeding
As reddish-brown adults, they again seek a blood meal,
on its host. The males remain on the host for an indefinite
become engorged and bluish, and reach about 1/3 inch in
period of time alternately feeding and mating. The females
length.
feed, mate, become engorged, and then drop off to lay their
Unengorged larvae, nymphs, and adults may live for long eggs.
periods of time without a blood meal. Adults have been
The American dog tick requires from three months to three
known to live for as long as 200 days without a blood meal.
years to complete a life cycle (Figure 3). It is typically an
Indoors, ticks hiding between blood meals may be found
outdoor tick and is dependent on climatic and environmen-
behind baseboards, in window casings or window curtains,
tal conditions for its eggs to hatch.
in bookcases, inside upholstered furniture, and under edges
of rugs. Outdoors, ticks hide near foundations of buildings,
in crevices of siding, or beneath the porch. Importance of Ticks
When feeding, ticks make a small hole in the skin, attach
American Dog Tick themselves with a modification of one of the mouthparts,
which has teeth that curve backwards, and insert barbed,
The American dog tick (Figure 2) is also a common pest of
piercing mouthparts to remove blood.
pets and humans in Florida. The adult males and females
are frequently encountered by sportsmen and people who The presence of ticks is annoying to dogs and humans.
work outdoors. Dogs are the preferred host, although Heavy, continuous infestations on dogs cause irritation and
the American dog tick will feed on other warm-blooded loss of vitality. Pulling ticks off the host may leave a running
animals. The nymphal stages of the American dog tick wound, which may become infected because of their type of
usually attack only rodents. For this reason the American attachment.
dog tick is not considered a household pest.
The brown dog tick rarely transmits disease to humans
The female dog tick lays 4,000 to 6,500 eggs, then dies. The (except the Btonneuse fever in the Mediterranean
eggs hatch into larvae in 36 to 57 days. The unfed larvae
crawl in search of a host and can live 540 days without food.

Ticks (Family Ixoididae) 2

countries) and may transmit diseases to dogs such as canine Control
ehrlichiosis and babesiosis.
There are different strategies and levels of control one could
follow to manage a tick infestation. The first and easiest one
involves personal protection by taking the right measures to
avoid ticks or mechanically remove them in the case of an
attack. Ticks should be removed from pets and humans as
soon as they are noticed. Ticks should be removed carefully
and slowly. If the attached tick is broken, the mouthparts
left in the skin may transmit disease or cause secondary
infection. Ticks should be grasped with tweezers at the
point where their mouthparts enter the skin and pulled
straight out with firm pressure. A small amount of flesh
should be seen attached to the mouthparts after the tick is
removed.

People entering tick-infested areas should keep clothing

buttoned, shirts inside trousers, and trousers inside boots.
Do not sit on the ground or on logs in bushy areas. Keep
brush cleared or burned along frequently traveled areas.
Repellents will protect exposed skin or clothing. However,
ticks will sometimes crawl over treated skin to untreated
Figure 3. Tick life cycle. parts of the body. There are various products available for
Credits: Texas Department of Health Services. repelling ticks. Some products are registered to be applied
on clothing, and some are available as skin repellents.
The American dog tick may carry Rocky Mountain spotted
When applying products on clothing you should be careful
fever, tularemia, and other diseases from animals to people.
not to apply on skin and make sure the clothes are dried
Dogs are not affected by these diseases, but people have
well before wearing. Generally, read carefully and follow the
become infected by picking ticks from dogs. People living
instructions on the product label to ensure safe and proper
in areas where these wood ticks occur should inspect
use of each product.
themselves several times a day. Early removal is important
since disease organisms are not transferred until the tick The second strategy involves landscape management to
has fed for several hours. create an environment unsuitable for tick survival. Simple
measures that could be taken to provide a tick-free environ-
The American dog tick is also known to cause paralysis in
ment are to keep the grass mowed, remove all the leaf litter,
dogs and children when ticks attach at the base of the skull
brush, and weeds at the edge of the lawn, trim tree branches
or along the spinal column. Paralysis is caused by a toxic
and shrubs around the edge of the lawn, and manage pet
secretion produced by the feeding tick. When the tick is
activity by trying to keep cats and dogs out of the woods.
removed, recovery is rapid — usually within eight hours.
The third available level of control is wildlife management
Sensitized animals may become paralyzed by tick attach-
through exclusion of hosts by fencing the habitat, or host-
ment anywhere on the body.
reduction management.
Lyme disease is transmitted by ticks, but few cases have
The last two levels of control involve host-targeted
been reported in Florida. Most transmission occurs in the
treatments and area-wide treatments. Various kinds of
New England states, and the primary vector is the deer tick.
insecticidal products are available for this use and are
The deer tick is not prevalent in Florida, but species that are
labeled specifically for the control of ticks. Some of these
close relatives and are capable of transmitting Lyme disease
pesticidal products are registered to treat pets directly and
are common throughout the state. The American dog
some are registered to treat the infested area. If a heavy tick
tick and the brown dog tick are not considered important
infestation occurs, it is necessary to treat pets, home, and
vectors of Lyme disease. In cases of tick bites where Lyme
yard at the same time.
disease is suspected, a physician should be contacted so that
appropriate blood tests can be done for the patient.

Ticks (Family Ixoididae) 3

Established brown dog tick infestations of homes and yards
are frequently difficult to control. Pets should be treated by
using dusts, dips, or sprays. Rub dusts into the fur to the
skin, being careful not to allow chemicals to get into the
pet’s eyes, nose, or mouth. Heavy infestations of ticks on
the animal should be controlled by spraying or dipping. See
your veterinarian for products and recommendations for
direct pet treatment.

Insecticides should be applied inside the house carefully as

light, spot treatments to areas where ticks are known to be
hiding. These can be applied indoors as crack-and-crevice
or surface treatments. For heavy infestations indoors, or
when egg masses of ticks hatch, space sprays can be applied
to give quick knockdown. Outdoors, infested areas should
be treated by applying a broadcast treatment of insecticide
to the landscape. Special effort should be given in treating
areas frequented by pets. Applications at two- to four-week
intervals may be necessary to eliminate the ticks. Pets
should be kept off treated surfaces until dry. Apply products
according to label directions. Do not apply these products
directly to pets.

Ticks (Family Ixoididae) 4