Female American Dog Tick

Michigan is undergoing a population explosion of Ticks.  Prior to this year, I had only seen one Tick in all my outdoor travels in Michigan. I have seen over a dozen Ticks so far this year. We are now finding them in our yard in Troy. Please watch out for ticks, especially if you care for children or outdoor pets.

The only species I have seen so far is the American Dog Tick (Dermacentor variabilis). For once, I’m hoping not to add other species to my list. Ticks are small, about the size of a sesame seed.

The State of Michigan has information regarding both the identification of ticks and the treatment of bites.

Male American Dog Tick

Ticks are not insects but they are related to spiders. Hence, they have eight legs and not six as insects do. They are in the class Arachnida. I have seen them poised on the edge of a leaf waiting for a host to walk by. After jumping on to the host, they normally will move around for several hours before they bite. They embed their head and jaws under the host’s skin and feed on the host’s blood.

 
 
Copyright 2013 by Donald Drife

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